How to Move to Another State With Little Money

Moving costs money up front. The way to make it work is to pick a place where the monthly math pays you back fast, and to collect any cash a town will give you for coming. 10 programs we track pay cash, up to $50,000.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated October 2026.

1. Start with the monthly number, not the moving bill

The median listed home in the New York metro costs about $4,078 a month in principal and interest. In the cheapest states the median home runs a fraction of that. A move that costs a few thousand dollars can pay for itself in the first months of lower housing costs. Compare the two numbers before you price movers.

State	Price level	Median listed home	Monthly payment
Arkansas	86.9	$318,743	$1,752
Mississippi	87.0	$292,250	$1,606
Iowa	87.8	$284,900	$1,566
Oklahoma	87.8	$296,643	$1,630
Louisiana	88.2	$270,000	$1,484
South Dakota	88.6	$375,000	$2,061
Alabama	88.8	$325,000	$1,786
North Dakota	89.0	$370,700	$2,037

The eight states with the lowest BEA price levels, 2024. Median listing: Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA.

2. Apply for cash before you move

Some towns pay new residents to move. Most ask you to apply first and then move within a set window, usually 6 to 12 months, so apply before you sign a lease or a moving contract.

Program	Where	Cash
100 Homes Program (City of Jackson down payment assistance)	Jackson, MI	$50,000
Come Home to River Country	Crawford County, WI	$30,000
Choose Topeka Relocation Incentive	Topeka, KS	$15,000
Hamilton Talent Attraction Program (TAP) reverse scholarship	Hamilton, OH	$15,000
Driftless Bound	Vernon County, WI	$12,500
Creative Professionals Talent Recruitment Initiative	Appleton and the Fox Cities, WI	$12,500
Ascend West Virginia: Morgantown Area	Morgantown Area, WV	$12,000
Ascend West Virginia: Greenbrier Valley	Greenbrier Valley, WV	$12,000
Ascend West Virginia: Eastern Panhandle	Eastern Panhandle, WV	$12,000
Ascend West Virginia: Greater Elkins	Greater Elkins, WV	$12,000

Cash amounts as published by each program, checked October 30, 2026. All 104 programs, with rules.

3. Keep your income moving with you

Most of these programs require a full-time remote job or self-employment with clients elsewhere. If your employer allows remote work, get that in writing before you apply. If not, the programs that accept local jobs are the exception, so check each program page for its rules.

4. Move less stuff

Interstate movers price by the weight of your shipment and the distance, so every box you leave behind lowers the bill. Sell or donate what you would replace anyway, and get written estimates from more than one licensed mover. The federal regulator lists what a mover must give you in writing: FMCSA, Protect Your Move.

5. Rent first if you can

Renting for the first year lets you learn the neighborhoods before you buy, and it keeps your cash free for the move. Some programs pay renters too, at a lower amount than buyers: Choose Topeka, Start Fresh in West Memphis and Discover Southwest Michigan all list a renter amount.

See the cheapest places to live in the US, or take the quiz and tell it you work remotely. It boosts towns that pay you to move.

Questions people ask

Can I move to another state with no money?

You need some cash for the move itself. Cash relocation grants and lower monthly housing costs can cover part of it quickly, but grants pay once you live there, and some pay in installments: Ascend West Virginia spreads its cash over 24 months.

Which towns pay the most cash to move?

100 Homes Program (City of Jackson down payment assistance) pays $50,000 in cash. The full list, with rules, is on our towns that pay you to move page.