Slower Sundays
Find my cities

Moving to Ottawa, Kansas

Ottawa pays new residents up to $6,000 through Live and Work Remotely in Ottawa. Here is what life costs in Franklin County, home of Ottawa, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $6,000Paid to move hereLive and Work Remotely in Ottawa
  • $198,700Typical home value1Franklin County
  • $1,042Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 26,299Population+1.2% since 2020

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

Get paid to move to Ottawa

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

Did you know?

Ottawa's depot is the north trailhead of the Prairie Spirit Trail, a 51-mile linear state park built on a former railroad corridor.

Source: Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, read November 2026

A fact about Ottawa

What it costs to live in Ottawa

Franklin County next to Kansas and the US.1
MeasureFranklin CountyKansasUnited States
Typical home value$198,700$217,200$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,669$1,689$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$1,042$1,060$1,413
Typical household income$77,207$74,275$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners72.2%67.2%65.2%
Households with broadband85.7%90.7%91.0%
Average commute, one way23 min20 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $1,092 a month2.

Jobs and work in Franklin County

  • 9,033Jobs at local employers2023, +1.9% vs 2022
  • 533Employer businesses2023
  • 1,803Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 85.7%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

65.9% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 23.4 minutes, and 24.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 120 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Ottawa

1 of Ottawa'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

Notable places in Franklin County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Forest Park
  • Mears Park
  • Wilson State Fishing Lake

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Historic Ottawa Central Business District

Colleges and universities

  • Ottawa University

Thinking about Ottawa? 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: questions people ask

Does Ottawa pay you to move there?

Yes. Live and Work Remotely in Ottawa: $6,000 cash; Build Your Career in Ottawa: $6,000 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?

In Franklin County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $198,700 and median gross rent is $1,042 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 $1,092 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Ottawa a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Franklin County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population grew 1.2% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Ottawa?

85.7% of households in Franklin 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?

Notable places in Franklin County include Forest Park, Mears Park, Historic Ottawa Central Business District, Ottawa 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