Topeka Will Pay You $15,000 to Move There and Buy a House

Kansas Capital Wants New Residents

Topeka, Kansas has a problem most cities would envy: plenty of jobs, not enough workers. So since 2019, the city has been doing something about it.

Move to Shawnee County, take a job with a participating employer, and Topeka will hand you cash to help cover the move. Homebuyers can get up to $15,000.

Renters qualify for up to $10,000. More than 500 people have already taken the deal, and the program is still running.

Homebuyers Get Up to $15,000

The biggest payouts go to people who buy a home in Shawnee County.

If you relocate and purchase property, Choose Topeka will give you up to $15,000 to offset moving costs, closing expenses, or whatever else you need.

The exact amount depends on your employer and situation, but homebuyers consistently get the top tier.

The money comes as a direct incentive, not a loan, so you never have to pay it back as long as you meet the program requirements.

Renters Still Get Up to $10,000

Not ready to buy a house? You can still get paid.

Renters who move to Shawnee County and take a qualifying job receive up to $10,000.

The money can go toward security deposits, first month’s rent, moving trucks, or anything else that helps you settle in.

Most participants end up somewhere between $8,000 and $10,000 depending on their employer’s contribution level.

About 60 Employers Participate

The program works because local companies want it to work.

Around 60 employers in Shawnee County have signed on, and they help fund the incentives alongside local economic development money.

The list includes healthcare systems like Stormont Vail Health, financial companies, manufacturers, tech firms, and government agencies.

Each employer sets its own incentive amount within the program guidelines, so payouts vary by job.

Over 500 People Took the Deal

Since Choose Topeka launched in 2019, more than 500 people have relocated to claim incentives. They came from 47 different states and several countries.

Some moved from neighboring Missouri or Nebraska. Others came from California, New York, and Texas.

The program has steadily attracted workers even through the pandemic, though the pace picked up once remote work rules tightened and people started job-hunting again.

You Must Move From Outside Shawnee County

This is not a bonus for locals. To qualify, you have to be relocating from outside Shawnee County.

If you already live in Topeka or the surrounding area, you cannot claim the incentive.

The whole point is bringing new workers and residents into the region, not rewarding people who were already planning to stay.

One Year Commitment Required

There is a catch, but it is a reasonable one. You have to live and work in Shawnee County for at least 12 months after receiving the money.

If you leave your job or move away before the year is up, you may have to pay back part of the incentive.

The requirement keeps people from grabbing the cash and disappearing, which protects the employers funding the program.

Employers Help Pay for It

Choose Topeka is not funded entirely by taxpayers.

Participating employers contribute money toward each incentive, usually splitting the cost with the Greater Topeka Partnership and Joint Economic Development Organization.

This means companies have skin in the game and are motivated to actually hire and retain the people they recruit through the program.

Remote Workers Had a Moment

During the pandemic, Choose Topeka expanded to include remote workers.

If you had a job anywhere and could do it from home, Topeka would pay you to do it from Kansas instead. That window has mostly closed.

The program now focuses on people taking jobs with local participating employers, though some remote-friendly companies in the area still qualify.

Kansas Cost of Living Is Hard to Beat

The incentive money goes further here than it would in most places. Kansas has one of the lowest costs of living in the country.

Housing in Topeka runs well below the national average, and so do groceries, utilities, and transportation. A $15,000 relocation bonus in Topeka stretches a lot further than the same amount in Denver or Austin.

Other Cities Copied the Idea

Topeka was not the first city to pay people to move, but its program helped spark a trend. Tulsa, Oklahoma launched Tulsa Remote with $10,000 incentives.

Northwest Arkansas offered $10,000 plus a bike. West Virginia started Ascend WV with similar cash offers.

The competition for workers has spread across the country, and Topeka is still in the game with one of the higher incentive caps.

How to Apply for Choose Topeka

Start by finding a job with a participating employer. The Choose Topeka website lists all the companies in the program.

Once you have a job offer, you submit an application through the Greater Topeka Partnership.

They verify your eligibility, confirm you are moving from outside the county, and process the incentive once you relocate. The whole thing takes a few weeks if your paperwork is in order.

Visit Topeka, Kansas

If $15,000 to relocate sounds tempting, you might want to see the place first. Topeka sits along the Kansas River about an hour west of Kansas City.

The Kansas State Capitol offers free tours, and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site marks where the landmark Supreme Court case began.

The Topeka Zoo and Gage Park give you a feel for the neighborhoods.

For Choose Topeka program details, visit the Greater Topeka Partnership offices at 719 S Kansas Avenue or check their official website for participating employers and application steps.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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