Maryland Town Will Pay You $20K to Move There

A small town in Maryland is offering an incentive of up to $20,000 to get people to move there. Cumberland will pay 10 newcomers $10,000 in cash, reports Fox Business. And they can receive another $10,000 for down payments or renovations to existing houses under the "Choose Cumberland Relocation Program," per the Washington Post. The newspaper describes the town—located on the Potomac River in Allegany County, about two hours from Baltimore—as "picturesque."

"It's really to attract people who will benefit your community," says Cumberland City Council member Laurie Marchini. "It's not a social services program—it's to bring people in who are employed." The town has a population of about 19,000, less than half of what it was in its heyday before glass factories, a tire plant, and other businesses closed. Town leaders hope the general shift toward remote work will encourage newcomers to settle there. (The idea of a cash incentive isn't a new one.)