Free land, $10,000 cash, dinner with the mayor — some US cities are desperate for residents. Should you take the bait?
Free land, $10,000 cash, dinner with the mayor — some US cities are desperate for residents. Should you take the bait?
Em NortonTue, April 21, 2026 at 10:35 AM UTC
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A woman stands in a crowded city looking at her phone.
The cost of living is steep in the U.S. right now, and both citizens and cities are feeling it. High rental fees and home prices are clear indicators of this issue and some households across the country are struggling to keep up.
Apartment List's National Rent Report (1) found that the national median rent increased by 0.4% in March, now sitting at $1,363. This is the second consecutive month that the median rent has increased this year.
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On the homebuying side, The National Association of Home Builders (2) 2025 housing affordability graph shows that 76.4 million households (57%) were unable to afford a $300,000 home. And, to make things more challenging for these households, the median price of a new home is well above that at $405,300, according to Federal Reserve (3) data for Q4 of 2025.
In the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University's America's Rental Housing 2026 report (4), they stated that 22.7 million moderately cost-burdened households spend more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities, and 12.1 million severely cost-burdened households spend more than 50% of their income on rent and utilities.
What makes people "cost-burdened" is changing too. The report from Harvard (5) stated that cost burdens are moving up the income scale.
Just over 49% of renters earning $45K to $75K were cost-burdened in 2024, up 24.3 percentage points since 2001 and 9.5 points since the start of the pandemic. And the cost-burden rate for renters earning $75K or more was 14% in 2024, up 4.1 percentage points since 2019.
With all of this mind, it's no wonder some people would seek out cities that have even slightly more affordable housing options. And some cities are offering up perks to entice people even further.
U.S. cities offering incentives
Tulsa, Oklahoma is one such city offering incentives to people who relocate. The Tulsa Remote program (6) offers remote workers a $10,000 grant to move to Tulsa. Individuals who are interested must apply to the program and, if approved, renters and homebuyers can receive the $10,000 in monthly disbursements, or, if you buy a qualifying home, the program will provide the grant in a lump sum.
A report from Upjohn Institute (7), titled "The Effects of Tulsa Remote on Inducing Moves to Tulsa," found that the benefits of the program to original Tulsa residents are over four times the program's cost. The benefits include indirect job creation for Tulsa residents, an increase in state and local tax bases, and an increase in property values illustrating a win-win for both newcomers through Tulsa Remote and its current residents.
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And, it's not just Tulsa. Here are the incentives some other U.S. cities have on offer:
Buying Into Baltimore (8). This incentive offers $5,000 downpayment and closing cost assistance awarded by lottery 12 business days after Live Baltimore's Trolley Tour event. The program selects 20 homebuyers to receive funds from a pool of eligible applicants.
218 Relocate (9). This program is for remote workers to relocate to Bemidji, Minnesota. It offers these workers six months of free internet, a one year membership to a coworking space and more.
Sunrise Addition Phase II (10). In the city of Manilla, Iowa, eligible applicants have the chance to relocate to the Sunrise Second Edition family lots at no cost, where they can build a new single-family home.
MakeMyMove (11). MakeMyMove is a marketplace for relocation programs for remote workers, where you can browse multiple cities that offer different incentives. Some cities you can find on MakeMyMove are Columbus, Georgia, Riley County, Kansas and Fort Wayne, Indiana. MakeMyMove also highlights some pretty unique incentives. For instance, relocating to West Memphis, Arkansas (12) comes with a two-night hotel stay and dinner with the mayor.
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So, should you take the bait?
Whether you participate in a relocation program is ultimately up to you. When considering it, you should think about your cost of living, job requirements, family and friends.
These programs often cover moving and housing costs, and depending on which city you relocate to, they can also result in a lower cost of living, saving you money and helping you live without such high financial pressure.
At the same time, it can be tough if you are moving away from loved ones and are then tasked with embracing a new community and finding new essential services — like a doctor or dentist. Plus, seeing as many relocation programs are for remote workers, there is already a sense of isolation that can be hard to overcome. In a 2022 job relocation survey by Allied (13), 26% of respondents cited acclimating to new communities as the hardest part of the process.
Depending on where you're at with your personal finances and career, a relocation program could be the saving grace that helps you save money. But benefits aside, it may not be right for everyone.
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Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
Apartment List (1); National Association of Home Builders (2); Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (3); Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (4),(5); Tulsa Remote (6); Upjohn Institute (7); Live Baltimore (8); 218 Relocate (9); City of Manilla, Iowa (10); MakeMyMove (11),(12); Allied (13)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Source: “AOL Money”
