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They'll pay you upfront, but will you pay for the rest of your life?
While 54% of Americans lived in rural places in 1910, that number fell to 19 percent by 2010, Zillow reported. To revive their communities, these places are hoping that everything from cash grants to paying off student loans and giving away free land will help draw a younger generation to them.
But it's not just small towns that hope to draw more people to them with these programs. Some cities like Baltimore and even entire states like Alaska will pay you to be their newest resident.
Tribune, Kansas will pay off $15,000 of your student loans. Marne, Iowa will give you free land if you build a house that's at least 1,200 ft2 on it. Baltimore, Maryland will give you a $5,000, 5yr forgivable loan and $10,000 down payment toward rehabilitating abandoned homes.
Tempted?
(Score: 5, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Saturday November 11 2017, @04:01PM (1 child)
You underestimate how much lower the cost of living is in a small town. Monthly rent can be less than $300, and houses cost only $50k. Some foods can be had pretty cheap too, direct from the farms. You may burn a lot less gas doing a lot less traveling, if you can slow your life down, stockpile a tiny bit more, so that you're not doing daily shopping trips, grabbing take out, or grocery runs. WalMart killed local businesses, now Amazon is killing WalMart, and you're saving even more gas.
One thing that drives people away from such places is sheer boredom. Dating prospects can be terrible. For years, most people with brains moved to the big city to escape that. Also, you have to leave to attend college, and then to apply what you learned, you need the sorts of jobs that are only available in a big city. It was and still is hoped that the Internet can equalize things. But we have the telecoms oligopoly screwing small towns, refusing to serve them or let them set up their own services. I was appalled that my grandfather's home town, still small today, not only doesn't have broadband, but not even decent cell phone service. Couldn't get a signal anywhere in town. My relatives there are stuck with dialup.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 11 2017, @11:36PM
The only thing cities have going for them is sheer volume. If you have low standards and just want to fuck, have at it.
In the city, it is hard to find somebody suitable for raising a traditional family. You'll waste so much time on dating apps unless your profile picture has you wearing a MAGA hat and holding a deer you've shot. With that, you filter out an additional 99.99% of the city people.
It's not easy if your expectations are: Both people will be virgins until marriage. Soon after marriage, there will be kids. The woman will be a full-time mother, and the man will support his family. A home will soon be purchased, preferably with a yard.