One Kansas city is taking a unique approach to find some new residents - and if offering to pay people to move in.
Topeka, a city of about 125,795 people nearly 60 miles west of Kansas City, is offering eligible newcomers up to $15,000 to buy a home as it looks to attract skilled workers.
Through the Choose Topeka program’s Boomerang initiative, eligible homebuyers can receive up to $15,000 to purchase a home in Shawnee County, which includes Topeka. Those who rent instead can qualify for up to $10,000, according to the program’s website.
The typical market value for a home in the state’s capital is nearly $195,300, Zillow reported last month. Monthly rent in Topeka typically ranges from $840 to $1,230, with housing costs roughly 45 percent to 51 percent below the national average, according to Zillow.
But not everyone can cash in on the offer. Applicants must secure a job with a Shawnee County-based employer paying at least $50,000 a year and apply before permanently relocating. Those seeking the homebuyer incentive must also provide proof of a qualifying home purchase in the county.
Topeka’s top employers include the State of Kansas, followed by Stormont Vail Health, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Topeka Public Schools USD 501 and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported in 2024.
The program is open to eligible U.S. citizens and legal residents, as well as qualifying military service members transitioning out of the armed forces.
It also has restrictions on how the money can be spent. Homebuyers must put most of the $15,000 incentive toward purchasing a primary residence in Shawnee County, although they can use $5,000 for any purpose.
“If you have a friend or loved one who’s leaving military service. And you’re like, hey! move to Topeka, there’s a program that can give them 5,000 dollars to help them relocate here and help them find their American dream right here in Topeka,” Bob Ross, President of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, told WIBW in April.
The program launched in 2019 after a survey found that 40 percent who worked in Topeka lived outside the county.
“This is a community where you can find a great job, go to great public schools,” he said. “You can really buy a home or send your kids to college, and those are really aspirational goals that people across the country desperately want, and oftentimes we may take for granted here,” Ross said. “And so we are excited to shine a light on the fact that the American dream is alive and well, right here in the capital city.”
For those considering a move, the city offers plenty to explore outside of work. Visitors and residents can tour the State Capitol, visit the landmark Brown v. Board of Education site or browse murals, shops and galleries in the NOTO Arts District. There are also lakeside trails, a zoo and quirky attractions like Truckhenge, where six vintage trucks are planted nose-first in the ground.
Topeka isn’t the first U.S. city to offer financial incentives to attract new residents.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, previously offered eligible remote workers $5,000 to relocate, along with additional perks, although applications for that program have closed.
Orlando, Florida, offers homeowners rebates of up to $10,000 to build accessory dwelling units, sometimes called tiny homes or granny flats, on their properties. The units must be rented to eligible tenants at affordable rates, making the rebate a housing incentive rather than a relocation bonus.
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