Live and Work Local in Emporia: get paid to move to Emporia

Emporia, Kansas offers $5,000 cash. Status: taking applications.

$5,000CashAs published by the program$5,000 cash relocation payment; package listed at up to $6,700

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

Who it's for: People taking a local job
What you commit to: Stay 12 months, Income $55,000+
Visit before you move: Not mentioned
How we checked: MakeMyMove listing

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

$6,700Total valueCash plus perks
$296,000Typical home for saleStatewide

Who qualifies

A remote job is not required
A track for people who take a local job
Household income of at least $55,000
Staying at least 12 months

In the program's words

Must take a new full-time local job paying at least $55,000 (current job at least $20,000), live outside Kansas now, be 18 or older, and live in the community at least 12 months. Remote, gig and self-employed workers are not eligible.

Perks: First week of free childcare, zoo membership, lawn service, golf package, spa day, Gazette subscription, Chamber membership, local gift cards

Run by: Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce; State of Kansas

Read the official rules and apply

Listed on MakeMyMove, which handles applications for this community; the community has no program page of its own that we could find. 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$32,233 a year less
The typical home in Kansas costs $296,000, against $784,778 in Boston. That's about $32,233 a year less on the mortgage^1,2.
Renting instead$1,116 a month
A 2-bedroom runs $1,116 a month across Kansas, against $2,370 in Boston, utilities included³.
Program cash$5,000
The program adds $5,000 in cash, $6,700 in total value.
Everyday prices10% cheaper than average
Everyday prices in Kansas run 9.9% below the US average. In the Boston metro they run 8.3% above the US average⁴.

Cost of living in Kansas

Is it worth it?

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

Buying a home$29,412 a year less
The typical home in Kansas costs $296,000, against $742,000 in New York. That's about $29,412 a year less on the mortgage^1,2.
Renting instead$1,116 a month
A 2-bedroom runs $1,116 a month across Kansas, against $1,997 in New York, utilities included³.
Program cash$5,000
The program adds $5,000 in cash, $6,700 in total value.
Everyday prices10% cheaper than average
Everyday prices in Kansas run 9.9% below the US average. In the New York metro they run 12.6% above the US average⁴.

Cost of living in Kansas

Living in Emporia

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

Other Kansas programs

20 programs in Kansas were active when we checked on October 30, 2026.

Show 16 more

Get paid to move to Kansas: every program

Programs in other states

Questions people ask

How much does Live and Work Local in Emporia pay?

Who can apply to Live and Work Local in Emporia?

Is Live and Work Local in Emporia still open?

Open when we checked on October 30, 2026. MakeMyMove page 2026-10-30: currently recruiting, Apply Now. Confirm with the program before you plan a move.

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Notes on the numbers

1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, Realtor.com via FRED, Kansas 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

$5,000 cashTaking applications · Emporia

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