When Davida Gaffney’s lease in Oakland, California, ended last spring, she had a “come to Jesus moment.”

The 42-year-old loved living near her sister in the city, but she struggled to find a place with the creature comforts she and her 13-year-old daughter wanted. Apartments with outdoor space and in-unit laundry cost more than $3,000 a month.

Dismayed by the real estate market and ready for a change, Gaffney googled “towns that will pay you to move.” She stumbled on a program in Rooks County, Kansas that would pay her $5,000 in cash to relocate and offered a number of other benefits, including an income tax waiver, a pass to state parks and a lunch with the area’s economic development director.

“The quality of life for me working at home, raising a kid on my own, having space to develo

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