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Moving to Ottawa County, Kansas

Ottawa County pays new residents up to $10,000 through Live and Work Remote in Ottawa County. Here is what life costs in Ottawa County, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $10,000Paid to move hereLive and Work Remote in Ottawa County
  • $166,000Typical home value1Ottawa County
  • $809Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 5,744Population+0.3% since 2020

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

Get paid to move to Ottawa County

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 Ottawa County

Did you know?

About four miles south of Minneapolis, Rock City has sandstone spheres up to 20 feet across spread over an area roughly the size of two football fields.

Source: Kansas Geological Survey (GeoKansas, University of Kansas), read November 2026

A fact about Ottawa County

What it costs to live in Ottawa County

Ottawa County next to Kansas and the US.1
MeasureOttawa CountyKansasUnited States
Typical home value$166,000$217,200$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,513$1,689$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$809$1,060$1,413
Typical household income$74,018$74,275$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners77.2%67.2%65.2%
Households with broadband88.2%90.7%91.0%
Average commute, one way24 min20 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $912 a month2.

Jobs and work in Ottawa County

  • 971Jobs at local employers2023, +19.4% vs 2022
  • 135Employer businesses2023
  • 490Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 88.2%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

64.0% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 23.8 minutes, and 27.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 7 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Ottawa County

1 of Ottawa County'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 Ottawa County

Notable places in Ottawa County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Luke Park
  • Ottawa County State Park
  • Ottawa State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area
  • State Lake

Thinking about Ottawa County? 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 Ottawa County: questions people ask

Does Ottawa County pay you to move there?

Yes. Live and Work Remote in Ottawa County: $10,000 cash; Live and Work Local in Ottawa County: $10,000 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 Ottawa County?

In Ottawa County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $166,000 and median gross rent is $809 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 $912 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Ottawa County a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Ottawa County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population grew 0.3% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Ottawa County?

88.2% of households in Ottawa 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 Ottawa County?

Notable places in Ottawa County include Luke Park, Ottawa County State Park. 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