Would you move to another city for $5,000?
That question, posed in late January by a nonprofit economic development agency in Columbus, Georgia, has people across the U.S. looking up U-Haul rates.
The cash offer comes with an additional $2,400 in other incentives (including coffee with the mayor) and a few strings attached.
Successful applicants must prove they can move to Muscogee County, home of the second-largest city in Georgia, with at least $75,000 a year in annual income. They must also be 18 years old, able to work in the U.S. legally, live in the county for at least a year and move from at least 75 miles away.
The greatest barrier to claiming the prize may be the competition. Applications show people living in San Francisco, Seattle, Buffalo and Palo Alto, California are ready to pack their bags.
Hundreds have already proved they meet the income requirement, Tabetha Getz, executive director of Columbus 2025, said Tuesday.
“Remote work isn’t going anywhere,” said Getz. “We’re looking to put Columbus on the map for people looking for a great place to live with a lower cost of living.”
The relocation campaign is being funded by private contributors to the nonprofit, not local government.
The program, initially crafted to attract 10 newcomers, may be expanded.
“Based on the robust pipeline of applicants we think we can definitely increase that number,” Getz said.
Other cities have successfully used the same strategy including Tulsa, Oklahoma, which has offered $10,000 and attracted more than 2,400 newcomers in recent years, according to media reports.
Getz said the “Make My Move” campaign is a small part of a larger talent attraction effort designed to “move the region forward on big goals … jobs, talent and quality of life.”
The city is neighbors with Fort Moore, a large Army base straddling the Georgia-Alabama border. It also boasts the world’s longest urban whitewater rafting along the Chattahoochee River and the world’s largest Lunch Box Museum.
But Columbus, with more than 200,000 residents, hasn’t grown much recently. Columbus 2025, which has a $3 million annual budget, is shooting for a 4% population increase by 2026.
“We are looking forward to increasing our growth to continue retaining and attracting talent to be competitive in economic development,” Getz said.
