Tired Of Illinois? Arkansas Is Paying People To Move There

Being paid is not enough for you? Did I mention that they'll throw in a mountain bike? I know that Tulsa, Oklahoma and Topeka, Kansas have similar initiatives, but I don't see them offering up mountain bikes. Advantage: Arkansas.

With all the financial difficulties and stunning amount of outbound migration that Illinois has going on, we (as a state) may have to think about paying some of our people to stay here. Especially when you see other states basically holding an envelope of cash, waiting to give it to you when you arrive.

If you're intrigued by the idea, it might be a good idea to get moving on your application for Northwest Arkansas' Life Works Here initiative. Judging by the response the initiative has gotten, spots are filling up fast.

FindingNWA.com has some details:

Northwest Arkansas is a great place to work, live and play: for recent grads, families, career changers, entrepreneurs, artists and more. We’re offering top remote working talent – maybe you? – a $10,000 cash incentive to move to the region. In addition to $10,000, incentive recipients will be gifted a street or mountain bicycle to help you take advantage of the 162 miles of paved trails, the 37-mile Razorback Regional Greenway and the 322 miles of world-class mountain biking trails.

Maybe you're thinking that a place must be an absolute dump to offer people cash and bicycles to pull up stakes and move there. As it turns out, Northwest Arkansas is anything but a dump.

TravelAndLeisure.com has this to say about the area:

Northwest Arkansas is already rated as one of the best places to live in the U.S. thanks to its low cost of living, outdoor activities, world-class arts institutions, and a per-capita income that’s 14% higher than the national average.

Earlier, I mentioned the response to the offer from Northwest Arkansas being pretty well received. Fox News reports that 26,000 applications have been coming in from all 50 states and more than 115 countries.

Interested? Click here to fill out an application.