Some towns and cities want people to move there so badly that they give things away for free.
Some places are offering property to free homes or land.
Here's a list of cities across the country that give free property to movers.
A decent plot of land can be hard to come by.
According to the latest data from the Realtors' Land Institute, sales of American land increased 1.2% from 2022 to 2023, while its cost jumped 1.9%. Home prices hover around record highs in most of the US, while mortgage rates haven't dampened enough to make Americans feel they can easily afford homes.
Some towns, meanwhile, are offering movers land or entire homes at low or no cost. Smaller spots — mostly Midwestern towns with small populations — are establishing programs for current and future residents to acquire a home or land to build one on for free. In Kansas, multiple cities are giving away land, and one city in Iowa has an entire community full of lots up for grabs.
These cities' programs, which might help generate property tax revenue or revive sometimes-blighted areas, are designed for whoever wants to take advantage of them — whether they're already a resident of the area or moving from somewhere else.
Here are a few places across the country that are offering land or property to movers.
Elwood, Nebraska
Elwood, Nebraska.
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In Elwood, Nebraska, the city's chamber of commerce has free lots for acquisition in what the city is calling, Wheatfield Addition.
Lots are 110 feet by 115 feet and are part of an homeownership program that allows recipients to build owner-occupied homes. The lots are free, but potential homeowners will need a $500 deposit, which will be refunded at the completion of the home.
Elwood, which is 230 miles from Omaha, Nebraska, is also offering down payment assistance and a 10% payment of the construction cost up to $25,000.
Lincoln, Kansas
Lincoln, Kansas.
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With a population under 1,200, Lincoln, Kansas, is providing plots of residential land to residents as long as you build a home on it.
There are criteria that must be met for applicants as well as for the homes. The minimum footprint must be 1,300 square feet for a one-story house and 900 square feet for a two-story house, each house should have a two-car garage, and be on permanent foundation.
Manilla, Iowa
Manilla, Iowa.
Courtesy of the City of Manilla.
Manilla, Iowa, a city 100 miles west of Des Moines, is in the second phase of its Sunrise Addition project, which provides single-family lots to qualified individuals.
Participants must build a home on the property, and the city is making it easy for you. Utility hook-up fees will be waived and there is a five-year 100% tax abatement, according to the city.
Six lots have yet to be claimed, while 22 homes have already been built.
Mankato, Kansas
Northern Kansas.
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Mankato — a northern Kansas city with a population of less than 1,000, according to the US Census — has 26 residential lots available.
According to the city's chamber of commerce, applicants must be pre-approved by a lending institution and interviewed by the city council.
The homes must be a minimum of 1,200 square feet, and construction of the home must start within six months of acquiring the lot.
Monessen, Pennsylvania
Former President Donald Trump stopped at Alumnisource, an aluminum recycling company, in Monessen during his campaign in 2016.
Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
According to the US Census, the population in Monessen, Pennsylvania, decreased 10% from 7,720 in 2010 to 6,876 in 2020.
Vacant homes that have accrued large amounts of back taxes can have their debt forgiven by the city if buyers present plans to rehab the properties, mayor Ron Mozer told Business Insider in April 2024. The renovations must be worth at least three times the amount of the back taxes.
Buyers most first go through the trouble of tracking down the homes' owners.
