Kansas
Incentives: Tax waivers and student-loan reimbursement
Yes, an entire state—well, much of it—will pay you to live there. Rural Opportunity Zones in 77 of the state’s 105 counties offer new residents state income tax waivers for as long as five years. And 70 of those 77 rural counties also offer student-loan repayments of as much as $15,000, says Kansas Commerce Department spokesperson Matt Keith. Among other requirements to get the tax waiver, you must have lived outside of Kansas for five or more years prior to moving. To be eligible for student-loan repayments, you must have established residency in a ROZ county after a specified date and have an associate’s, bachelor’s or post-graduate degree, among other requirements. The program has been so popular that some counties have waiting lists, Keith says.
Several ROZ counties have additional incentives of their own to lure new residents. For example, Lincoln, which has a population of 1,297 and describes itself as the “size of a dime with the heart of a dollar,” is giving away free lots to the first 21 applicants who build homes in one of the town’s new subdivisions. You can get a free lot, a free building permit and free water and sewer hookup in Marquette—which despite having a population of only 643 boasts a community garden, art galleries and a motorcycle museum. Osborne, a town of 1,421, is offering free lots in a new subdivision and a five-year property tax rebate. Plainville, population 1,903, is offering free lots for the construction of new homes as well as a 10-year property tax rebate.
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