Slower Sundays
Find my cities

Moving to Elkins, West Virginia

Elkins pays new residents up to $12,000 through Ascend West Virginia: Greater Elkins. Here is what life costs in Randolph County, home of Elkins, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $12,000Paid to move hereAscend West Virginia: Greater Elkins
  • $144,800Typical home value1Randolph County
  • $821Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 26,882Population-3.8% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to Elkins

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in West Virginia

Made the move: Matt in Elkins

A real move, as reported in the news. Slower Sundays is not affiliated with this person or the program.

From the news

Matt moved to Elkins from Louisville, Kentucky in 2023

“For us, Elkins was the 'vending machine' for all our outdoor activities and interests”

Matt, a software engineer, wanted out of big-city stress in Louisville and researched remote worker incentives before choosing Ascend and Elkins in 2023. He describes the town as a launch pad for his outdoor hobbies and praises how invested locals are in their community.

Source: WV Living Magazine, November 2024

Did you know?

Elkins has hosted the Mountain State Forest Festival every October since the first one on October 30, 1930, except for a break from 1941 to 1949.

Source: WV Public Broadcasting, October 2018

A fact about Elkins

What it costs to live in Elkins

Randolph County next to West Virginia and the US.1
MeasureRandolph CountyWest VirginiaUnited States
Typical home value$144,800$162,600$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,024$1,255$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$821$872$1,413
Typical household income$52,757$59,608$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners75.0%74.9%65.2%
Households with broadband83.5%86.1%91.0%
Average commute, one way21 min27 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $796 a month2.

Jobs and work in Randolph County

  • 8,790Jobs at local employers2023, +2.3% vs 2022
  • 650Employer businesses2023
  • 1,593Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 83.5%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

50.9% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 21.1 minutes, and 19.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3.

Remote jobs you can do from Elkins

1 of Elkins's 1 program requires a full-time remote job. These are current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in Elkins

Notable places in Randolph County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Alpena Gap Recreation Site
  • Bear Heaven Recreation Area
  • Beaver Dam Wildlife Management Area
  • Dolly Sods Picnic Area
  • Valley Bend Wetland Wildlife Management Area

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Davis and Elkins Historic District
  • Wees Historic District
  • American Mountain Theater

Colleges and universities

  • Davis & Elkins College

Thinking about Elkins? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

Get the guide

Moving to Elkins: questions people ask

Does Elkins pay you to move there?

Yes. Ascend West Virginia: Greater Elkins: $12,000 cash. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in Elkins?

In Randolph County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $144,800 and median gross rent is $821 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). West Virginia: $162,600 and $872. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $796 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Elkins a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Randolph County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population fell 3.8% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Elkins?

83.5% of households in Randolph County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). 1 of the 1 local program requires a full-time remote job.

What is there to do in Elkins?

Notable places in Randolph County include Alpena Gap Recreation Site, Bear Heaven Recreation Area, Davis and Elkins Historic District, Wees Historic District, Davis & Elkins College. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Other West Virginia towns that pay you to move

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page