- Families flock to the middle of the country and want affordable prices and community. And the town welcomes them with cash.
Many Americans are tired of where they live. Raising housing costs, struggling education and health care systems, and dreams of better infrastructure are driving families to rethink where they call their homes.
Dozens of regions in the states, including Indiana, Kentucky and Mississippi, are luring workers into large cities, rural and suburban areas. Their promise? Somewhere prioritizes the community and tailors to their lifestyle, the town is happy to hand out thousands of people to prove it is worth it.
Chris Jensen, mayor Noblesville, Indians– Towns outside of Indianapolis – There is a strong demand for communities that prioritize affordability, safety and walking, and there are more towns than people realize.
“There’s something about the value of the Midwest. There’s something in the community that’s here. I think we should sell it,” Jensen says. luck. Noblesville is one of many communities Makemymovea platform that helps towns create campaigns and recruit new, high-income residents.
Newcomers at Noblesville will receive a $5,000 relocation grant, annual membership to the town’s coworking space and the chamber of commerce, and a $500 health and wellness scholarship. Others have more creative lures. New Haven, Indiana serves burgers and bourbons with mayor. In Wabash County, you can join your neighbours on a rafting trip. Mayfield, Kentucky offers dozens of locally grown eggs.
“Workers are stepping into places like Indiana and Kentucky to vote,” says Evan Hock, co-founder and chief operating officer of Makemymove. “For community leaders, this is an open season. With a little effort, they can attract people and incomes whose economic impacts fund future growth. That’s quite a bit of a deal for an enterprising mayor.”
Millennials in particular have moved to small towns and rural areas at the highest rate seen in decades, according to an analysis from. Realtor.com.
Workers are moving, small towns are crossed
Moving from big cities has been a common practice during the pandemic. Families abandon their metropolitan aspirations in favor of places that are usually characterized as elevated conditions. Recent research shows that rural areas may be more fostered by children climbing urban and urban wealth, such as New York.
“Places like New York and San Francisco are great,” says Hock. “But for thousands of people, a good life in these places is not possible.”
Born and raised in Noblesville and serving as mayor for five years, Jensen says families (as remote workers and small business owners) who are seeking a more quiet life in a small town have begun giving birth to children. He tells us an example of the Miami family moving to Noblesville. “When you raise your kids, that’s not true. And for them, quality of life work is very important to them and I couldn’t believe they were talking to the mayor at this event where they interacted with firefighters and police officers. They said it wouldn’t happen where they came.”
Despite bringing employees back to office five days a week, well-known companies like Amazon and JPMorgan Chase say remote work is relatively stable and demand for the Makemyvove program is more than ever before.
“The reality is that there is a lack of talent in the US, and as far as that applies, talent is in the driver’s seat. If workers see value in small towns in the US, then when they think so, these programs continue to succeed,” he says.
Remote UX designer and small business owner Aj O’Reilly moved in with his wife, young daughter, Minneapolis-St dog. From the pole area to Noblesville. He says the town provided the perfect balance between close-knit community and convenient amenities.
“I was actually looking for something that allowed me to actually build a community and meet people and dive deeper into it, and St. Paul was really cool, but it was too big to build a community,” says O’Reilly.
He says programs like Makemymove make sense given that state and local governments are keen to provide financial incentives to businesses.
After visiting Noblesville, he and his wife bought the invisible home site through video tours from real estate agents alone. “We wanted to live in Noblesville.”
Lesser-known towns offer untapped possibilities
States like Indiana are getting bad raps, and Colby Free, a remote worker in the tech industry, says he recently moved to Noblesville with his family. In fact, there are great parks and neighborhoods in the little-known area. You need to find the “hidden gem.”
“These locations may not be well known, but they have strong communities. You can’t find better and more affordable prices in places like this,” Fry says. luck. “If you really want to stay calm, build a nest and build something for the future, then go ahead and move on.”
Due to its proximity to Indianapolis, the average housing cost in Noblesville is close to $369,000. Zillow. That’s slightly higher than the national average of around $357,000.
Other Makemyvove areas have much lower housing costs, but the secrets of affordability may be catching up. Average home value Mayfield, Kentuckyabout $143,500, which is 11% since last year.
“We encourage all Americans to take stock of their community. You get one life, so you can live it where you move. There’s a better life out there,” says Hock.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com.
