One family ditched California for an Indiana town that offered them $5,000 cash, an unlimited golf membership, and coffee with the mayor

• Americans are increasingly leaving big cities in states like California for affordable enclaves.
• Indiana towns are offering cash and other incentives for those willing to leave city life behind.

An increasing number of big-city types are leaving behind their sky-high rents for smaller, cheaper towns. But those who settled in states like Indiana aren't just saving money — they're making money.

A program touted by cities in Indiana and other less populated states offers thousands of dollars in relocation grants for those willing to pack it up. MakeMyMove allows potential residents to apply for perks, including cash, recreational passes, health stipends, and childcare support. The site joins a growing number of companies incentivizing such moves.

City dwellers are increasingly moving to less-populated areas, driven partly by remote-work opportunities that opened up during the pandemic. San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles are the most common areas that Americans want to leave, according to a recent report by Redfin. Many settle in cities in Florida.

In February, Mariah and Chad Zingarelli decided to sell their home in Fresno, California, and move to Noblesville, Indiana, drawn by an ad from MakeMyMove, they told the Los Angeles Times.

The site offers a $5,000 relocation grant for families like the Zingarellis, who decided to move to the town of about 71,000 people. Other perks include coffee with the town's mayor, Chris Jensen, and memberships to a golf club and coworking space.

The Zingarellis, who run a social-media marketing firm, told the Times that while the town's family-friendly reputation was a big draw, the extras made it hard to look the other way. They found a four-bedroom house for $495,000 and moved three months ago, per the Times.

"We felt like the incentives would really jump-start our business," Mariah Zingarelli told the Times. "You're kind of getting paid to immerse yourself in the local community."

The site partnered with Indiana's Economic Development Corp. to help fund the program, which is available to those who move from out of state, have a remote job, and make about $50,000 a year, according to the Times. The Times also reported that about 22,000 people had applied for relocation through the site in the past two years, resulting in 400 moves to Indiana — and 350 expected soon.

Cities in other states including Poplar Bluff, Missouri, are hawking their freebies on the site.

"Rural America is attractive to some people," Matt Winters, Poplar Bluff's city manager, told the Times. "It takes me five minutes to get to work every morning, and that's if I'm not in a hurry."

It's too soon to say whether exoduses away from states like California will stick. Some of those who recently left California already say they're coming back: One couple who moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, recently told Insider that their day-to-day expenses, such as dining out, were still high, and they were struck by the lack of diversity in the area.