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Brick street in downtown Paducah lined with historic buildings and autumn trees, Paducah, KYGarret Shields / Pexels

Moving to Paducah, Kentucky

Paducah pays new residents up to $5,000 through Move to Paducah (Remote Workers Incentive Program). Here is what life costs in McCracken County, home of Paducah, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $5,000Paid to move hereMove to Paducah (Remote Workers Incentive Program)
  • $188,100Typical home value1McCracken County
  • $898Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 67,553Population-0.5% since 2020

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

Get paid to move to Paducah

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

Every program in Kentucky

Something to know about Paducah

Did you know?

Paducah joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Crafts and Folk Art on November 20, 2013, in recognition of its fiber and textile arts.

Source: WKMS (Murray State public radio), April 2023

A fact about Paducah

What it costs to live in Paducah

McCracken County next to Kentucky and the US.1
MeasureMcCracken CountyKentuckyUnited States
Typical home value$188,100$205,600$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,364$1,433$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$898$967$1,413
Typical household income$64,373$63,726$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners68.9%68.3%65.2%
Households with broadband89.1%88.6%91.0%
Average commute, one way18 min24 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $1,034 a month2.

Current home prices, rent and weather for Paducah

Jobs and work in McCracken County

  • 34,581Jobs at local employers2023, +1.2% vs 2022
  • 2,061Employer businesses2023
  • 5,014Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 89.1%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

58.5% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 17.6 minutes, and 29.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 170 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Paducah

1 of Paducah'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 Paducah

Notable places in McCracken County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Crawford Lake
  • Priester Lake
  • Barkley Park
  • Blackburn Park
  • Carson Park

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Paducah Downtown Commercial District
  • Hotel Metropolitan
  • Jefferson Street-Fountain Avenue Residential District
  • Paducah Market House District
  • Lower Town Neighborhood District

Colleges and universities

  • West Kentucky Community and Technical College

Thinking about Paducah? 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 Paducah: questions people ask

Does Paducah pay you to move there?

Yes. Move to Paducah (Remote Workers Incentive Program): $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 Paducah?

In McCracken County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $188,100 and median gross rent is $898 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Kentucky: $205,600 and $967. 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 $1,034 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Paducah a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in McCracken County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population fell 0.5% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Paducah?

89.1% of households in McCracken 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 Paducah?

Notable places in McCracken County include Crawford Lake, Priester Lake, Paducah Downtown Commercial District, Hotel Metropolitan, West Kentucky Community and Technical College. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Other Kentucky 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