Come Home to River Country: get paid to move to Crawford County

Crawford County, Wisconsin offers $30,000 cash. Status: taking applications.

$30,000CashAs published by the programUp to $30,000 per household in forgivable assistance earned by staying in the county; larger awards for owner-occupied homes

Taking applicationsOpen when we checked on October 30, 2026Apply on the official site

Who it's for: A remote job is not required
What you commit to: Income $55,000+
Visit before you move: Not mentioned
How we checked: News report

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays.Checked October 30, 2026.How we check programs

Not statedTotal valueCash plus perks
$389,900Typical home for saleStatewide

Who qualifies

A remote job is not required
Household income of at least $55,000

In the program's words

Households living outside Wisconsin with at least $55,000 income; targets education, health care, manufacturing and skilled trades plus young families and mid-career professionals.

Perks: Separate private $10,000 for participating teachers

Run by: Driftless Development, Inc.; WEDC Talent Recruitment Grant ($500,000)

Read the official rules and apply

Confirmed by a 2025 or 2026 news report; the program has no current official page we could read. Programs change often: confirm the amount and deadline with the program before you plan a move.

Is it worth it?

The grant is the headline. The bigger number is usually what you stop paying every month.

Buying a home$30 a year more
The typical home in Wisconsin costs $389,900, against $389,450 in Chicago. Buying here costs about $30 a year more on the mortgage than in Chicago^1,2.
Renting instead$1,236 a month
A 2-bedroom runs $1,236 a month across Wisconsin, against $1,648 in Chicago, utilities included³.
Program cash$30,000
The program adds $30,000 in cash.
Everyday prices6% cheaper than average
Everyday prices in Wisconsin run 5.9% below the US average. In the Chicago metro they run 3.6% above the US average⁴.

Cost of living in Wisconsin

Is it worth it?

The grant is the headline. The bigger number is usually what you stop paying every month.

Buying a home$23,219 a year less
The typical home in Wisconsin costs $389,900, against $742,000 in New York. That's about $23,219 a year less on the mortgage^1,2.
Renting instead$1,236 a month
A 2-bedroom runs $1,236 a month across Wisconsin, against $1,997 in New York, utilities included³.
Program cash$30,000
The program adds $30,000 in cash.
Everyday prices6% cheaper than average
Everyday prices in Wisconsin run 5.9% below the US average. In the New York metro they run 12.6% above the US average⁴.

Cost of living in Wisconsin

Living in Crawford County

Home values, rent, local jobs, things to do and remote jobs you can bring: our guide to moving to Crawford County.

Other Wisconsin programs

9 programs in Wisconsin were active when we checked on October 30, 2026.

Show 5 more

Get paid to move to Wisconsin: every program

Programs in other states

Questions people ask

How much does Come Home to River Country pay?

$30,000 cash: Up to $30,000 per household in forgivable assistance earned by staying in the county; larger awards for owner-occupied homes. Source: https://www.pdccourier.com/area-news/crawford-county/ddi-receives-500000-trg-grant/ (undated article; reports WEDC grant announced 2026-05-08).

Who can apply to Come Home to River Country?

Households living outside Wisconsin with at least $55,000 income; targets education, health care, manufacturing and skilled trades plus young families and mid-career professionals.

Is Come Home to River Country still open?

Open when we checked on October 30, 2026. Prairie du Chien Courier-Press: DDI 'has started the Come Home to River Country program', aiming for 25 households over three years. Confirm with the program before you plan a move.

Find the cities that fit your family

Answer a few quick questions and get your shortlist, ranked on what you care about. Free, no account.

Find my cities

Notes on the numbers

1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, Realtor.com via FRED, Wisconsin statewide; we do not have town-level data for this program yet.
2Mortgage: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Census table
4Everyday prices and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024.

Sources for this page

$30,000 cashTaking applications · Crawford County

Apply