One family ditched California for an Indiana town that offered them $5,000 cash, an unlimited golf membership, and coffee with the mayor

• Americans are increasingly leaving big cities in states like California for affordable enclaves.
• Indiana towns are offering cash and other incentives for those willing to leave city life behind.
• One family shared with The Los Angeles Times the perks they cashed in on in Indiana.

An increasing number of big city types are leaving behind their sky-high rents for smaller, cheaper towns. But those who settled in Indiana aren’t just saving money — they’re making money.

A program touted by cities in Indiana and other less populous states offers thousands of dollars in relocation grants for those willing to pack it up. MakeMyMove.com allows potential residents to apply for perks including cash, recreational passes, health stipends, and childcare support. 

City dwellers are increasingly moving to less-populated areas, driven in part by remote work opportunities that opened up during the pandemic. San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles are the most common areas that Americans want to leave, according to a recent report by Redfin. Many settle in cities in Florida. 

In February, Mariah and Chad Zingarelli decided to sell their Fresno, California, home and move to Noblesville, Indiana, drawn by an ad from MakeMyMove.com, they told The Los Angeles Times.

The site offers a $5,000 relocation grant for families such as the Zingarellis, who decided to move to the town of about 71,000 people. Other perks include coffee with the town’s mayor Chris Jensen and memberships to a golf club and co-working space.

The Zingarellis, who run a social media marketing firm, told the Times that while the town’s family-friendly reputation was a big draw, the extras made it hard to look the other way. They found a four-bedroom house for $495,000 and moved three months ago, per the Times.

“We felt like the incentives would really jump-start our business,” Mariah Zingarelli told the Times. “You’re kind of getting paid to immerse yourself in the local community.”

The site partnered with Indiana’s Economic Development Corp. to help fund the program, which is available to those who move from out of state, have a remote job, and make about $50,000 a year, according to the Times, which reported that about 22,000 people have applied for relocation through the site over the last two years, resulting in 400 moves to Indiana — and 350 expected soon.

Cities in other states are hawking their freebies on the site, including Poplar Bluff, Missouri. 

“Rural America is attractive to some people,” Matt Winters, Poplar Bluff’s city manager, told the Times. “It takes me five minutes to get to work every morning, and that’s if I’m not in a hurry.”

It’s too soon to say whether the exoduses away from states like California will stick. Some of those who recently left California already say they’re coming back: One couple who moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, recently told Insider their day-to-day expenses such as dining out were still high, and they were struck by the lack of diversity in the area.