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Moving to Manhattan, Kansas

Manhattan pays new residents up to $5,000 through Live and Work Remote in Riley County. Here is what life costs in Riley County, home of Manhattan, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $5,000Paid to move hereLive and Work Remote in Riley County
  • $237,100Typical home value1Riley County
  • $1,046Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 72,598Population+0.9% since 2020

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

Get paid to move to Manhattan

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

Every program in Kansas

Something to know about Manhattan

Did you know?

Konza Prairie Biological Station near Manhattan covers more than 8,600 acres of unplowed Flint Hills tallgrass prairie and keeps a herd of about 200 bison for research.

Source: KMUW (Wichita public radio), November 2023

A fact about Manhattan

What it costs to live in Manhattan

Riley County next to Kansas and the US.1
MeasureRiley CountyKansasUnited States
Typical home value$237,100$217,200$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,761$1,689$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$1,046$1,060$1,413
Typical household income$61,098$74,275$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners46.1%67.2%65.2%
Households with broadband91.9%90.7%91.0%
Average commute, one way16 min20 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $1,303 a month2.

Jobs and work in Riley County

  • 20,580Jobs at local employers2023, +1.9% vs 2022
  • 1,620Employer businesses2023
  • 4,174Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 91.9%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

60.4% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 16.3 minutes, and 48.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 243 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Manhattan

1 of Manhattan's 2 programs 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 Manhattan

Notable places in Riley County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Battery Park
  • Baldwin Creek Recreation Area
  • CiCo Park
  • Westwood Park
  • Fancy Creek State Park

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Yuma Street Historic District
  • Downtown Manhattan Historic District
  • Houston and Pierre Streets Residential Historic District

Colleges and universities

  • Kansas State University

Sports and recreation

  • Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium

Thinking about Manhattan? 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.

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Moving to Manhattan: questions people ask

Does Manhattan pay you to move there?

Yes. Live and Work Remote in Riley County: $5,000 cash; Live and Work Local in Riley County: $5,000 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 Manhattan?

In Riley County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $237,100 and median gross rent is $1,046 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Kansas: $217,200 and $1,060. 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 $1,303 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Manhattan a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Riley County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population grew 0.9% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Manhattan?

91.9% of households in Riley County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). 1 of the 2 local programs requires a full-time remote job, and 1 has a track for local jobs.

What is there to do in Manhattan?

Notable places in Riley County include Battery Park, Baldwin Creek Recreation Area, Yuma Street Historic District, Downtown Manhattan Historic District, Kansas State University. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Other Kansas 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