More than two dozen Indiana cities have tapped into new funding pools created to help them recruit out-of-state remote workers to Indiana. Those efforts will bring more than 500 new Hoosiers and more than $40 million in annual economic impact to the state, according to MakeMyMove, a talent recruitment company working with the communities and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC).

New Haven is the first Indiana city to tap into each of three available funding channels for remote worker recruitment. City and state officials involved celebrated the launch of the Allen County city’s remote worker recruitment program today.

“We’re all-in on using this support to recruit new city residents and support continued investment into these efforts statewide,” said New Haven Mayor Steven McMichael, who expects to add 18 new households to his population base by working with Indianapolis-based MakeMyMove using state and local funding.

“The rise in remote work has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity for communities to address their talent needs,” said MakeMyMove COO Evan Hock, crediting New Haven with working creatively to access investment funds. “Other cities grappling with population loss or talent needs can learn a lot from New Haven in terms of creative ways to invest as well as ways to incent remote workers to join them. This public-private collaboration is a model for other states to follow.”

Indiana’s remote worker recruitment program is a novel approach to economic development and one made even more important as experts estimate that the global human talent shortage will reach 

. In Indiana, workforce shortages are caused in part by population declines, retirements within the Baby Boomer generation – disproportionately larger than any other generation of Americans – and fewer young workers available to replace them. MakeMyMove is the only marketplace that matches remote workers to communities across the country offering relocation incentives and was instrumental in pushing the state to help support the effort. 

are expected to be fully remote in the next five years.

Indiana lawmakers in April 2022 passed and Governor Eric Holcomb enacted a new state law - 

 – that allows city leaders to secure funding for talent attraction and retention activities through local tax increment financing dollars. The IEDC provided $1.5 million in matching funds for Indiana mayors and economic development corporations to use to bolster their talent recruitment and retention initiatives. The program proved so popular, the IEDC added another $1 million to the matching fund element.

“As the state focuses on growing our population and bolstering our communities, the IEDC is excited to support initiatives like MakeMyMove, which has already proven successful in attracting talent to Indiana, impacting both metropolitan and rural areas,” said Tony Denhart, EVP of Workforce and Talent for the IEDC. We look forward to continuing to partner on programs like this that will help build our workforce of the future.”

Mayor McMichael seeded his program with $50,000 made available through the new legislation. The IEDC tripled that to give the city a total recruitment budget of $200,000. About half of the budget will be distributed as incentives to the remote workers. The other half funds marketing expenses and services provided by MakeMyMove that include locating and recruiting the new citizens.

New Haven’s incentive package will continue to grow and include more elements that highlight the many amenities of the city. The current package includes $5,000 for relocation, pool passes, free coffee, a Chamber membership and 

New Haven is just one of the more than two dozen Hoosier communities working with MakeMyMove to recruit remote workers, 22 of which are also leveraging IEDC dollars to boost their efforts.

Henry County, for example, in east central Indiana is the main setting of the novel Raintree County by Ross Lockridge Jr. Its $11,000 incentive package for remote workers includes $5,000 in cash for relocation along with free co-working space for a year, free Internet for a year in some locations, a free gym membership, passes to local recreational/entertainment venues and youth sports registration, among other local access passes. Icing on the cake? $

Crawfordsville, just 50 miles west of Indianapolis, also offers $5,000 cash and local amenities but sweetens its nearly $8,000 relocation package with a year of

, dinner with the mayor and a podcast interview with him, a seat on a local non-profit board of directors and season tickets to Wabash College football games.

“As Hoosiers ourselves, we’re thrilled to help the state grow,” Hock said. “The best part of our job is when these wonderful communities see themselves with fresh eyes, and we can tell their unique stories to the millions of people thinking of making a move. It’s like an updated and supercharged welcome wagon, and it’s already yielded hundreds of new residents.”

More than two dozen Indiana cities have tapped into new funding pools created to help them recruit out-of-state remote workers to Indiana. 

Two dozen Indiana cities leveraged public & private dollars to launch efforts to recruit remote workers in 2022; New Haven latest to launch

'LA is the glitz and glamour, but when you take that aside, are you actually enjoying your life?' - Vanessa Hughes

After 22 years in Los Angeles, Vanessa Hughes, 44, picked up and moved to West Lafayette, Indiana this fall.

Relocating to the Midwestern city of 45,000 people, home to Purdue University and located about 68 miles northwest of Indianapolis, has saved Hughes and her husband about $3,210 a month.

Learn more about the Greater Lafayette remote worker community.

Remote workers save an average of $20,000 per year when they relocate to a MakeMyMove community. Here's how one woman relocated from L.A. to West Lafayette, Indiana as told in Business Insider.

A 44-year-old who moved from California to Indiana saves $3,210 a month and thinks more people should consider living in the Midwest

A growing number of U.S. cities and towns are handing out cash grants and other perks aimed at drawing skilled employees of faraway companies to live there and work remotely. Such programs gained traction during the pandemic and have really taken off in just the past year or so. There were at least 24 such programs in the U.S. back in October. Today there are 71, highlighting MakeMyMove's continued work contracting cities and towns to set up such programs.

Incentives are drawing high-paid tech workers, and challenging how we think about local economic development. 

71 Cities and Towns Are Paying Tech Workers to Abandon Silicon Valley. It’s Working.

From Topeka to Bemidji, MN, localities try to boost populations with offers of cash, free coffee and grandparent stand-ins. The Wall Street Journal examines how cities and small towns across the country are luring remote workers with incentives, highlighting MakeMyMove's efforts to help remote workers do what they love in a place that they love.

Remote workers can live anywhere. Cities and small towns across the country are stepping up to the plate to lure them with perks and incentives.

These Cities (and Small Towns) Are Luring Remote Workers With Perks

PCMag's second edition of Best Work-From-Home Cities incorporates suggestions from our own remote staff and new data partners with details like which cities now offer incentives for remote workers. MakeMyMove co-founder Evan Hock explains why incentives that emphasize the “importance of belonging” and plug new residents into a community are so impactful.

The work-from-home revolution continues. Have you found yourself working remotely for good? These cities offer an ideal mix of affordability, livability, and connectivity.

The Best Work-From-Home Cities for 2022

Cities across the U.S. are offering financial incentives to attract new residents. MakeMyMove co-founder Evan Hock explains why on this segment of Good Morning America. June 2021.

US cities paying people to relocate and work remotely

1. Get $1,000 a year to chill in Alaska's natural beauty.

It doesn’t matter where in Alaska you move; if you settle down for a full year, you’ll be eligible for an annual $1,000 incentive thanks to the 

 (PFD). Alaska may be a wild place to live — hello bears, icebergs, and wild snowstorms — but it’s also incredibly beautiful. Where else in the US can you watch the Northern Lights from a kayak or witness a whale breaching from your porch?

And just so you know, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Alaska is 

2. Start your business in Ireland and get up to $208,000 in support.

If you’ve been working on plans for a startup that has an international focus and the potential to employ at least 10 people and bring in over a million dollars, you might want to consider starting your business in Ireland (it can be in Dublin or any other city). The country’s 

 program is willing to offer up some serious money to successful applicants; in 2018, 

startups received over 174,000 euros (over $208,000)

 in support on average — in addition to mentorship, office support, and business plan assistance.

3. If you're dreaming of taking on a serious home renovation project, a home in Buffalo, New York, only costs $1.

 in Buffalo is still offering up open lots and homes in need of renovation for just $1 (

 calculates an incentive value of $2,500). That means, if you qualify, you could end up owning a home for less than the price of a Sausage McMuffin. Really.

Just keep in mind that if you buy one of these homes, you’ll need to pay for and complete repairs within 18 months (which can be 

). And if you’re interested in buying a vacant lot and building your own home, you’ll have to finish building within 12 months. Either way, you’re required to call Buffalo home for at least three years, which shouldn’t be too hard once you discover the uber-hip Misuta Chow's, find the waterfront, and figure out Niagara Falls is just 25 minutes away.

BuzzFeed Contributor Evie Carrick highlights some of the places that are paying remote workers to relocate and directs readers to their offers at MakeMyMove.com.

15 Places That Will Actually Pay You To Move There In 2021

Evan Hock, co-founder of MakeMyMove, talks about the top cities offering incentives for remote workers and what to look out for before moving. Watch the full interview at 

MakeMyMove co-founder Evan Hock talks with Cheddar's Hena Doba about the places that are offering remote workers incentives to relocate.

MakeMyMove Is Connecting Remote Workers to Cities Offering Relocation Benefits

Over the past several years, a handful of states and smaller cities have tried to get members of the remote workforce to give up their big-city lives (and rents) to move to their town—luring them in with everything from cash, to land, to bicycles. While those offers may have been tempting before, a lot of office-based workers didn’t have the option of relocating to a new city and keeping their job.

But now, more than a year into companies realizing that their employees aren’t children who won’t get anything done unless the boss is in the room, the idea of packing up and starting over in Tulsa, Northwest Arkansas, or Vermont isn’t just appealing—for more people than ever, it’s a possibility. And now, shopping for a new hometown that’s vying for your residency has gotten easier, courtesy of a new website that puts all the information you need in one spot.

, and it operates like an online marketplace. Communities looking breathe new life into what were (likely) once-bustling cities and towns can create listings, letting remote workers know they’re looking for transplants and are willing to shell out some perks. On the other side of things, people interested in moving somewhere else can peruse their options.

The website is called MakeMyMove.com, and it operates like an online marketplace. Communities looking breathe new life into what were (likely) once-bustling cities and towns can create listings, letting remote workers know they’re looking for transplants and are willing to shell out some perks. On the other side of things, people interested in moving somewhere else can peruse their options.

Use This Website to Find All the U.S. Cities That'll Pay You to Relocate There

More than ever before, small towns are eager to attract new residents, targeting the unprecedented number of remote workers who are no longer tied to big industry hubs like NYC, LA, and Chicago. To incentivize people to relocate, some cities have begun offering cash rewards to those who decide to up and move there, and 

 has popped up as a useful digital directory with information on every US city that'll pay people to officially become residents.

Currently, there are 37 cities listed on MakeMyMove.com that are each offering some form of compensation for new residents. Financial incentives range from values as little as $1 (not worth it) to rewards as great as $16,000 (absolutely worth it), and payouts come in the form of home rebates, tax breaks, and straight-up cash.

More than ever before, small towns are eager to attract new residents, targeting the unprecedented number of remote workers who are no longer tied to big industry hubs like NYC, LA, and Chicago. To incentivize people to relocate, some cities have begun offering cash rewards to those who decide to up and move there, and MakeMyMove.com has popped up as a useful digital directory with information on every US city that'll pay people to officially become residents.

This Website Shows All the U.S. Cities That'll Pay You to Move There

MakeMyMove is a new online directory helping to connect people with cities and towns offering incentives ranging from tax breaks to cash, mortgage forgiveness to tuition reimbursement, and more, all in the name of boosting their own local populations.

If there's one thing we've learned over the last year it's the importance of living the life you truly want. That means living wherever you want as well. Luckily, there are dozens of cities across the United States that are now offering thousands of dollars to people willing to relocate, and they can all be found on MakeMyMove.com.

This Online Directory Shows You Every City Willing to Pay You to Move There

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)—Just after the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the U.S., more people continue working from home than ever before.

Recent trends show employees working remotely across the U.S. are choosing to relocate to the Coastal Empire.

The Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) announced a 

 that will reimburse tech workers up to $2,000 to relocate to Savannah and additional job creation grants are available for qualified businesses.

“What we’re finding is that as so many people are free to choose where they want to live,” Co-Founder of 

, a new online marketplace that connects remote workers with local opportunities, Evan Hock said.

“They no longer have to live close to where their employer is,” Hock added. “They can choose based on the lifestyle they want. We see places like Savannah perfectly situated for what they’re looking for.”

Savannah is an attractive option for remote workers considering a move. Evan Hock talks with the WSAV team.

Trends show more remote workers choosing to relocate to Savannah

The pandemic has made working from home the new norm, and according to new research, Hartford is the ideal place for people looking for a change in scenery. Evan Hock, co-founder of "Make My Move" is telling us about the research and what makes our state a great place for remote workers.

Remote workers moving to Connecticut

With more and more people working remotely, some rural areas are trying to attract more people to make the move away from the Twin Cities. They're doing this by offering incentives for people to re-locate.

“Before the pandemic there was about five million remote workers. That has exploded to 60 million,” Evan Hock, co-founder of 

Rural towns offering relocation incentives as remote work becomes routine

The pandemic has made working from home the new normal and even as we slowly make our return to normal, for many, remote work seems to be here to stay. And if you are among those who no longer have to live in an expensive, major city for work, you might be thinking of relocating to a new, mysterious location.

If that is the case, you should know that there are dozens of cities that are offering thousands of dollars in incentives in order to encourage remote workers to choose them as their new home. You can see these unbelievable offers on an online directory that helps potential movers find cities that are willing to help pay for their relocation.

MakeMyMove.com currently has 37 listings on its website, allowing users to explore each of the cities listed, including how much money you could receive to move there. Different cities offer different types of incentives for relocation, through tax credits, homebuying allowances, and even cash incentives.

Want to Move? Online Tool Lists Cities Paying People Thousands to Relocate

Dozens of cities are offering up to $16,000 in cash incentives, homebuying allowances, tax credits and money toward local goods and services in hopes of enticing pandemic movers to relocate there. 

, an online directory launched in December 2020, aims to connect remote workers with such offers around the country.

CNBC journalist reports on MakeMyMove and the places offering incentives for remote workers to relocate. Evan Hock, co-founder or MakeMyMove, shares what the company is learning about remote workers and where they want to go.

Some cities are paying people up to $16,000 to move there—this online directory will help you find them

Cities across the country are courting remote workers with incentives more commonly associated with luring companies.

Localities that would have no hope of attracting a corporate expansion, much less a large headquarters, are seeing the value of bringing in talent that can help build local tax bases and economies. As these communities compete, it won't be surprising to see the big winners in corporate relocations jump into the game of luring remote workers.

“For the first time in at least a century, the fundamental deal that most workers had
signed up for — hitching their worklife to where they live — has been decoupled for
millions of people. Suddenly people have the freedom to live and play where they want, independent of their work,” said Evan Hock, co-founder and vice president of product for TMap, a tech recruiter based in Indianapolis. TMap has created a marketplace to match remote workers with states and cities eager to court them.

Cities across the country are courting remote workers with incentives more commonly associated with luring companies.

Localities that would have no hope of attracting a corporate expansion, much less a large headquarters, are seeing the value of bringing in talent that can help build local tax bases and economies. As these communities compete, it won't be surprising to see the big winners in corporate relocations jump into the game of luring remote workers.

Amid Bay Area exodus, more cities offer cash, land, other incentives to attract remote workers

The pandemic has created a massive paradigm shift in the way cities and regions hunt for jobs.

And a local company headed by Angie’s List co-founder Bill Oesterle is trying to make sure workers and communities across the country maximize the benefits of this seismic change.

Gone are the days when economic development officials merely hunted for companies to bring in scores of jobs. With the number of permanent remote workers more than quadrupling in the last year, a fast-growing number of city, county and state officials are trying to lure individuals who will bring their job—and the resulting economic impact—with them.

In the last six months, dozens of cities and regions across the country have started offering individual workers a variety of incentives, including housing enticements, moving expenses and up to $20,000 in cash, depending on the salary of the job a remote worker brings and the length of time they commit to stay.

The pandemic has created a massive paradigm shift in the way cities and regions hunt for jobs. And a local company headed by Angie’s List co-founder Bill Oesterle is trying to make sure workers and communities across the country maximize the benefits of this seismic change.

MakeMyMove In The News

Recent Coverage