6 US cities that are paying people thousands of dollars to move there

In 2017, the North Platte chamber of commerce began offering up to $10,000 to anyone who moves there for a job. New employees must agree to remain at their companies for at least 3 years.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, 25-year-old law school graduate Audrey Bellew said that she used the money to pay for her move. The grant also helped with living costs while she studied for the bar exam and prepared for a job at a local law firm.

The city hopes the program will help the region fill its hundreds of job openings.

Launched in 2008, Challenge Detroit offers paid fellowships for out-of-state college graduates to move, live, and work in the city. Every year, about 30 fellows are chosen to work with local companies and nonprofits, with the option to settle down in the city after the 12-month-long program finishes.

Fellows make $36,000 for the year, plus benefits.

Located about an hour drive from Des Moines, Marne is providing free land to new residents who want to build a house there. Often valued in the tens of thousands, the lots average about 9,600 square feet.

Funded by donations, the program began a decade ago to attract more workers to the town. The rest of the state is not struggling as much. Iowa's unemployment rate stands at 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 3.8%.

Cottonwood Falls has instituted a unique financial incentive program for new, eligible residents. For up to five years, Kansas will waive their income taxes.

Designated as a Rural Opportunity Zone, the town is in one of 77 counties that the state has authorized to offer deals to newcomers. The deals vary.

People who move to Colby, a city in Thomas County, can apply for both the income tax waivers and up to $15,000 in student loan repayments. The same goes for Oberlin, Eureka, and Stockton.

Starting in January 2019, Vermont will pay $10,000 over two years to a small number of remote workers who relocate there — money that will help cover costs for relocation, computer software and hardware, internet access, and membership to co-working spaces. Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill into law in late May.

By attracting out-of-state tech workers, the grant program hopes to revitalize Vermont's aging workforce. As The Burlington Free Press notes, the state is aging faster than the rest of the US, and has the third highest median age in the country.

The statewide program is not limited to Burlington newcomers, but since the city is the largest in Vermont, it may be an attractive place for new residents.