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It’s a question being asked on Beacon Hill now as area politicians push for legislation that would provide a stipend to people who move to the more rural part of the state.
State Rep. Eric Lesser (D-Longmeadow) has proposed a bill that would pay people up to $10,000 to move to Western Massachusetts.
The money is meant to cover relocation expenses.
First proposed in 2019, the bill has seen new attention this fall as talk of a proposed east-west commuter train has heated up.
Western Massachusetts is not the first area with a dwindling population and eye toward economic growth that has considered paying people to live there. In fact, there are a handful of places that already have programs established to pay you if you decide to live there.
According to CNBC’s Grow, places that will pay you to move there include:
- Hamilton, Ohio - $10,000 off your student loans (if you have a degree in one of the STEAM sectors)
- Maine - Money off of your student loans every month
- Newtown, Iowa - $10,000 to move there and another $3,000 “welcome” gift
- North Platte, Nebraska - Up to $5,000 in matching funds if a local employer offers a moving-to-the-state bonus
- Topeka, Kansas - $15,000 if you buy or build a home in the city - $10,000 if you rent; other parts of Kansas will take $15,000 off your student loans if you move there
- Tulsa, Oklahoma - $10,000-$11,000 to move there for work
- Vermont - $10,000 over two years for remote workers willing to relocate to Vermont
- Alaska doesn’t necessarily pay people to move there, but it does pay people to stay there. Each year, Alaskans receive about $1,000-$2,000 per resident.
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