Brick street in downtown Paducah lined with historic buildings and autumn trees, Paducah

Move to Paducah (Remote Workers Incentive Program): get paid to move to Paducah

Paducah, Kentucky offers $5,000 cash. Status: taking applications.

$5,000CashAs published by the program$5,000 cash in two $2,500 payments (on establishing residency and at one year); $6,500 total with perks

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

Who it's for: Remote workers
What you commit to: Stay 24 months, Income $40,000+
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

$6,500Total valueCash plus perks
$244,450Typical home for saleMetro

Who qualifies

A full-time remote job or self-employment with clients elsewhere
Household income of at least $40,000
Staying at least 24 months

In the program's words

21+, work full time for an employer whose offices are all 100+ miles away (or self-employed), live 100+ miles from Paducah when applying, establish residency within 3 months, stay one year beyond the 12-month program; not in another publicly funded program.

Perks: Sprocket coworking (6 months free, 6 months 50% off); Paducah Young Professionals membership; cultural and educational amenity passes

Run by: City of Paducah (Planning Division)

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$32,811 a year less
The typical home in the Paducah metro costs $244,450, against $742,000 in New York. That's about $32,811 a year less on the mortgage^1,2.
Renting instead$886 a month
A 2-bedroom runs $886 a month in Paducah, against $1,997 in New York, utilities included³.
Program cash$5,000
The program adds $5,000 in cash, $6,500 in total value.

Full cost of living in Paducah

Is it worth it?

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

Buying a home$32,811 a year less
The typical home in the Paducah metro costs $244,450, against $742,000 in New York. That's about $32,811 a year less on the mortgage^1,2.
Renting instead$886 a month
A 2-bedroom runs $886 a month in Paducah, against $1,997 in New York, utilities included³.
Program cash$5,000
The program adds $5,000 in cash, $6,500 in total value.

Full cost of living in Paducah

Living in Paducah

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

Other Kentucky programs

5 programs in Kentucky were active when we checked on October 30, 2026.

Get paid to move to Kentucky: every program

Programs in other states

Questions people ask

How much does Move to Paducah pay?

$5,000 cash: $5,000 cash in two $2,500 payments (on establishing residency and at one year); $6,500 total with perks. Source: https://www.makemymove.com/get-paid/paducah-kentucky (accessed 2026-10-30; site (C) 2026).

Who can apply to Move to Paducah?

Is Move to Paducah still open?

Open when we checked on October 30, 2026. MakeMyMove listing shows QuickApply and Apply Now (site (C) 2026); City page describes the 2025 restructure to a $5,000 cash award and links to the application. 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, Paducah metro.
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 · Paducah

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