CEDAR RAPIDS — How much would someone need to pay you to pack up your life and move across state lines?

The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and its partners are hoping the answer is around $5,600 — the amount now offered to remote workers willing to relocate to Cedar Rapids, Marion or Hiawatha.

The incentives are available to out-of-state remote workers making at least $55,000 a year who commit to relocating within six months. The relocation package includes a $5,000 stipend, free Economic Alliance membership and vouchers to area recreational opportunities.

"This initiative is more than a move. It's an invitation to join a connected, forward-thinking community," Jodi Schafer, talent attraction director at the Economic Alliance, said in a news release. "We're offering a soft landing and a warm welcome to those looking for their next chapter.”

The Collaborative Growth Initiative has unveiled a new remote‑worker recruitment program offering up to $5,600 in relocation incentives—available to out‑of‑state remote professionals earning at least $55K who move to Cedar Rapids, Marion, or Hiawatha within six months as part of a broader effort to attract talent and build community.

Collaborative Growth Initiative launches remote worker recruitment program

If Drew Thompson was going to move to Texarkana, Texas, from Pasadena, California, he decided he may as well get $5,000 for it.

Thompson got the cash from the city’s relocation program, along with other benefits like memberships to local organizations and access to a community workspace, but the small city would get far more. It would collect the income tax revenue from his salary of at least $60,000 a year — the minimum threshold to qualify for the program. It would also benefit from the taxes on his partner’s salary and the property taxes from the home they purchased, plus the sales taxes from their local spending at restaurants and stores and gas stations.

The economic boost that one high-income earner — and in this case, two — can bring to a small city like Texarkana is making relocation incentive programs more popular than ever for local governments. A city no longer has to offer big tax cuts to lure an entire company to relocate or start its operations in town. Instead, it can outsource the heavy lifting of economic development to a company like MakeMyMove and reap lasting benefits just by making an individual feel welcome.

High‑earners from California are increasingly relocating to affordable, small‑town communities across the U.S., drawn not just by cash perks—from programs like MakeMyMove—but also lifestyle, community, and lower living costs, as cities benefit from their economic contributions.

California remote workers are bringing their high salaries elsewhere

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Collaborative Growth Initiative's remote worker campaign has netted its first new resident.

Hunter Baldus, 30, is the first mover through the Greater Cedar Rapids MakeMyMove program, which aims to draw remote workers to the area by offering upward of $5,000 in relocation incentives. A Cedar Rapids native, he is moving from Denver with his wife and young son.

“Whether it was (places like) Chicago or Des Moines, we were already contemplating moving closer to home,” Baldus said. “This program really put Cedar Rapids over the top.”

The MakeMyMove program is part of the broader Collaborative Growth Initiative, a public-private partnership to bolster resident recruitment and retention. Founding partners include the cities of Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha and Marion and the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance.

A Cedar Rapids native has become the first relocation success of the “MakeMyMove Greater Cedar Rapids” remote worker incentive program—receiving $5,000 and perks to move back from Denver, as part of a regional effort to attract remote professionals to Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Hiawatha.

Greater Cedar Rapids remote worker campaign draws first new resident

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, and The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance Program is introducing a relocation incentive program focused on attracting remote workers to the area.

“MakeMyMove Greater Cedar Rapids” is a program created to attract remote workers looking to move to the Greater Cedar Rapids area. The program offers over $5,600 in relocation incentives to qualified people.

Program incentives include a $5,000 relocation incentive, free Economic Alliance membership, local parks and recreation vouchers, and ongoing connections to community and regional perks.

“Discover Greater Cedar Rapids’s ‘MakeMyMove’ program—offering over $5,600 in relocation incentives, including $5,000 cash, local perks, and Economic Alliance membership—for remote workers ready to relocate to eastern Iowa.”

$5600 in relocation incentives offered to attract remote workers to eastern Iowa

Moving his family back home to Central Indiana was always the goal for Christopher Bates.

The Purdue graduate, who works as a toxicologist, lived in Washington, D.C. then Cincinnati after getting his PhD. After more than a decade away, Bates returned with his wife and two young sons to Central Indiana.

The family moved into a house on the south side of Westfield in early June. Bates is one of dozens of people to take advantage of a program incentivizing remote workers to move to Central Indiana this year, amid a nationwide increase in remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Explore Central Indiana’s ‘MakeMyMove’ remote-worker incentive program—offering relocation perks, coworking access, local experience bundles, and cash incentives to encourage remote professionals to make the move to Indianapolis, Hamilton County, and beyond.

Incentive programs are drawing remote workers here. Here’s how successful they’ve been

Cities across the US that might have previously flown under the radar are offering new residents big incentives, from cash to free land.

, from Alpharetta, Georgia, in August 2022 to take advantage of the 

, which granted her $10,000 simply for relocating to the city.

"The Tulsa Remote program is not some elitist program that only accepts people who work in high-paying positions," Griffith, a data engineer, told Business Insider in 2023. "It's more about pulling people who can bring a good culture to the city."

New residents can boost the communities offering incentives, too.

Perry County, Indiana, located an hour west of Louisville, Kentucky, offers qualifying new residents $7,000 split into two payments: $3,500 when they arrive and $3,500 after 12 months.

"Discover 21 U.S. towns and cities that are offering cash, free land, and other perks to attract newcomers seeking a fresh start—and see if your next home is on the list."

23 cities and towns across the US that offer cash and other perks to people who move there

When Davida Gaffney’s lease in Oakland, California, ended last spring, she had a “come to Jesus moment.”

The 42-year-old loved living near her sister in the city, but she struggled to find a place with the creature comforts she and her 13-year-old daughter wanted. Apartments with outdoor space and in-unit laundry cost more than $3,000 a month.

Dismayed by the real estate market and ready for a change, Gaffney googled “towns that will pay you to move.” She stumbled on a program in Rooks County, Kansas that would pay her $5,000 in cash to relocate and offered a number of other benefits, including an income tax waiver, a pass to state parks and a lunch with the area’s economic development director.

“The quality of life for me working at home, raising a kid on my own, having space to develop this home, this garden, this yard – it's been huge,” Gaffney, a content marketer, said. “I couldn't afford to do it many other places.”

Amid rising housing costs and the growth of remote work, cities nationwide are offering relocation incentives—cash grants, coworking access, cultural perks—to attract career-driven professionals who seek affordability and a better quality of life. USA Today reporter Karissa Waddick digs beneath the headlines to reveal the heart of the “get paid to move” trend.

Is the grass greener somewhere else? Communities lure new residents with cash incentives

For decades, everyone — housing economists, advocates, employers — has fretted about the lack of affordability in hot housing markets. And for decades, homebuyers have resolutely avoided moving to such places as the Rust Belt, the Midwest and the former Cotton Belt states — even when homes were available at a fraction of the price of coastal markets.

Now, though, that seems to be changing. The fastest home-price appreciation is coming in big metro areas like Detroit and Cleveland and in such smaller cities as Peoria, Illinois and Syracuse, New York.

With home prices finally climbing in flyover country, relocation incentives might make sense for some home shoppers. MakeMyMove, a site that compiles housing incentives, offers up these as places to consider:

Discover why the Midwest is emerging as a hot spot for homebuyers—with affordable housing in places like Benton Harbor, MI, paired with enticing move‑here incentives like down‑payment assistance—making the region a smarter, more accessible alternative to pricey coastal markets.

As Midwest heats up, those ‘move-here’ incentives look sweeter than ever

When you're packing to move, you have a lot to keep in mind. You may want to think of how to 

, but what about packing in a way that makes 

 easier? Few things are more annoying than getting to your new home and needing a specific object—

—only to find that your past self's haphazard packing job made things difficult on your current self.

You want your transition into your new space to be smooth and even enjoyable, to the extent it can be. Here are some tips to make sure not just that the packing process is easy—but the unpacking process, too.

Start earlier than you think. Historically, when I've moved apartments, I've waited until the week of the big move to start gathering my things. This has never worked out for me. Don't do that. You should actually start three or four weeks in advance. I know that sounds annoying, but you need that time buffer.

Maximize your move efficiency with expert tips on packing smart—learn how to streamline packing so you can unpack faster and settle into your new space sooner.

How to Pack for a Move so You Can Unpack Faster

Whether you're making a move to escape the high costs of a big city or just wanting a fresh start in a new place — why not get paid?

There are many states, cities and towns across the United States that offer financial incentives to move there. It's something that Evan Hock, co-founder and COO of MakeMyMove tells CNBC Make It, he wishes more people were aware of.

"For the first time, consumers are in the driver's seat of where they live and work. They are more mobile than ever, both through remote work, and if you're a smart person, you can pretty much get a job anywhere, and that gives people options," he says.

Discover seven U.S. destinations—from West Virginia to Baltimore and Tulsa—offering relocation incentives like cash, outdoor perks, tax breaks, and co‑working access to attract new residents. 

7 U.S. states, cities and towns that will pay you to move there

It's an investment in the region's future, said Shiraz Mukarram, manager at the Perry County Development Corporation. "We do not want Perry County to be one of those statistics of a declining population. We want to make it grow," Mukarram told BI.

Learn how 26 towns and cities across the U.S. are offering cash, land, and unique incentives—up to $20,000—to attract new residents, whether you're a remote worker or looking for an affordable fresh start.



21 cities and towns across the US that offer cash and other perks to people who move there

About 8.2 million Americans moved between states in 2022, and as census data shows, that number is only going up year after year. If you're one of the millions looking to pack up all your stuff and move to a brand-new state in 2025, MakeMyMove has a few places for you to consider. 

In April, MakeMyMove, an online relocation marketplace for recruiting remote workers, released its list of the most welcoming places in the U.S. It noted in its findings that "these cities and regions have gone beyond traditional growth strategies to successfully attract and integrate new residents, proving that a thoughtful, hands-on approach can reshape a community's future."


It added that it selected these destinations for their "innovative approaches to population growth," including via initiatives like Columbus 2025, a project aimed at increasing "prosperity, reducing poverty, and improve overall quality of life for a stronger and more vibrant region for decades to come," and the Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) program, whose mission is "to solve the deep-seated issue of population retention and growth in Eastern Kentucky."

Read the entire Travel+Leisure article here. 

Discover why Columbus, Georgia, has been named the most welcoming city in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure. From the community‑driven “Columbus 2025” plan to a thriving, accessible culture in a midsize Southern city, find out what makes Columbus a standout for newcomers and visitors alike.



These Are the Most Welcoming Communities in the U.S.—and No. 1 Is a Southern Gem

Zosha Lyons is not an impulsive person. But just over a year ago, in April 2024, the 25-year-old made an offer on a house just 20 minutes after seeing it for the first time—even though it was 2,000 miles away from the city where she’d planned to spend her twenties.

In college, Zosha’s goal had always been to move to Los Angeles to become a screenwriter, with her high school sweetheart, Whitaker, in tow. Instead, the young couple were buying a three-acre plot in Perry County, Indiana—the place where they both grew up.

“This sounds bad,” she told me sheepishly, “but we thought we were better than this. We wanted to move away and prove ourselves.”

Read the entire Free Press article here. 

A growing number of Gen Zers are leaving big cities for small towns, lured by lower costs, community connections, and relocation incentives from programs like MakeMyMove. From Perry County to Tulsa, these young movers are redefining ambition and seeking a simpler, more fulfilling life.

The Good Life, According to Gen Z

, Americans are more empowered than ever to choose exactly where they want to live.

While previously many workers had to stay in or near cities with 

 some smaller, more affordable cities are drawing more attention.

And some of these cities are actually offering cash incentives to those who move there, according to a new report from relocation marketplace MakeMyMove. "Places like Morgantown and Texarkana can suddenly compete with Austin or Denver," Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told 

Read more of the full Newsweek article here.

From Morgantown to Texarkana, eight U.S. cities are offering cash incentives, along with perks such as coworking spaces, networking events, and community memberships, to attract remote workers. See which towns are paying people to relocate through the MakeMyMove platform and why it’s boosting local economies.

Map Shows U.S. Cities Offering Cash Incentives to Move There

People used to call them flyover states, but now Americans are flocking to this region.

There are many reasons people move—jobs, weather, family and 

 top the list. And, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic caused many workers to reevaluate their work-life balance. People fled city centers for wide open spaces, and though many have returned to urban areas, work-from-home options have led to greater geographic flexibility.

“We’re living through a period of remarkable worker mobility,” says Evan Hock, co-founder and COO of MakeMyMove, an online relocation marketplace that helps attract remote workers to new communities. “Remote workers are geographically free agents, and they can live wherever they want.”

Read more of the full Reader's Digest article here. 

Once dismissed as “flyover states,” America’s heartland is now attracting movers with affordable housing, job opportunities and a strong sense of community. Learn why remote workers and young professionals are choosing these Midwest and Southern states for a better quality of life.

New Report: More Americans Are Moving to the Heartland States—Here’s Why

Small towns in western Pennsylvania are offering a cash incentive to try and get people to move into the area and call Mercer County home.

Hermitage, Greenville, and Sharon are all offering several thousands of dollars in cash to make moving there easy, affordable, and rewarding -- and there also could be additional incentives.

Through an online relocation marketplace called "Make My Move

," settling into Hermitage means a $5,000 cash incentive right off the top.

Read more of the full CBS News article here. 

Hermitage, Greenville, and Sharon in Mercer County, PA, are offering up to $7,400 in cash and perks including a $5,000 relocation bonus to attract remote workers from over 100 miles away. Learn how these towns are using incentives to welcome new residents.

Several towns in a Pennsylvania county are offering a $5K cash incentive to move there

We’ve certainly seen a lot of egg drama lately, with prices reaching historic highs of around $6 per dozen in March. Even as our favorite holiday for 

 approaches on April 20, egg costs are certainly still volatile. But not to fear. Not only can you 

, but now three towns are offering local eggs as incentive to move there.

Two Kansas counties, Graham and Lincoln, as well as the town of Mayfield, Kentucky, have teamed up with 

 to attract new residents with free farm-fresh eggs, among other incentives.

Read more of the full Country Living article here. 

Graham County, KS, Lincoln County, KS, and Mayfield, KY are offering cash incentives—plus a year’s supply of farm-fresh eggs—to attract new residents. Learn how these small towns are combining unique perks with welcoming communities to draw remote workers and families.

These Three Towns Are Giving Away Farm-Fresh Eggs to Anyone Who Moves There

People are being rewarded for moving to Noblesville.

The City of Noblesville has been part of MakeMyMove since 2022. The organization is an Indiana-based online service founded by executives from Angie’s List (now Angi) that connects remote workers with communities that are attracting new residents.

MakeMyMove and participating cities offer incentives — such as land, cash, memberships and gift cards — for remote workers to relocate to a new city and gives cities and towns opportunities to grow economically and culturally.

Read more of the full 

Noblesville, Indiana is drawing remote workers from across the U.S. with up to $15,000 in relocation incentives through its partnership with MakeMyMove. Since 2022, the program has brought over 200 new residents, boosting the local economy and community engagement.

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