This colorful river city is calling all remote workers.
The Kentucky city of Paducah is offering an incentive package worth thousands of dollars, luring professionals to call the area home.
City officials unveiled the Remote Workers Incentive Program, which covers moving costs and waives payroll tax for a year.
It also covers $1,200 worth of tickets and memberships for a variety of cultural and educational institutions in the town.
Paducah’s official city website says the package of incentives is valued at nearly $6,500 (if you make an annual starting salary of $100,000).
The only catch is you have to actually live in the city of Peducah.
‘Congratulations on your decision to relocate, I’m so glad you’re considering Paducah, Kentucky,’ Mayor George Bray says in an invite video.
A vibrant downtown with a creative community awaits new residents, he adds.
Downtown Peducah, where city officials have unveiled the Remote Workers Incentive Program
The incentive package covers relocation costs including movers, packing supplies and transportation, as well as a $70 monthly internet allowance for one year.
Free tickets, passes, training and experiences at cultural institutions such as the Carson Center for the Performing Arts, Paducah Symphony Orchestra, Maiden Alley Cinema, Market House Theatre and the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce are also part of the deal.
Mayor Bray, who described the initiative as a top priority since taking office, said $100,000 has been set aside in the city budget for the program, which he discovered could bring new people to town since the pandemic popularized remote work.
Paducah’s population has already shown signs of growth, rising 8% in the most recent census, Bray notes.
He said that that newcomers were already being drawn to the city, even without incentives, as they looked for lower cost of living and good quality of life.
‘It’s very charming, we don’t have a Target and we don’t have a Trader Joe’s – we have small local shops,’ Paducah realtor Sara Gipson told the Daily Mail.
‘Our crime rates are low, our schools are good, the cost of living is very reasonable,’ she said, adding that she’s seen a large number of people moving in ‘from all over the place.’
Gipson says the average home price in the city is $250,000.
Paducah’s official city website says the package of incentives is valued at nearly $6,500
A flood wall by the river is painted with more than 50 murals by local Robert Dafford that tell the town’s story
Boating on the river is a huge pastime in Peducah, Kentucky
Peducah realtor Sara Gipson (pictured)
‘Currently, I’ve got a couple from Colorado that are looking to buy property,’ said Gipson.
‘People are able to come out here and buy with cash for a house and live a much more simple life.’
To qualify for the program, applicants must live at least 100 miles outside of Paducah, work full-time for a company with no offices within that radius, and provide written documentation confirming they can work remotely or from a co-working space in town.
In addition, successful applicants must commit to living in Paducah for at least one year beyond their participation in the incentive program.
Paducah, easily accessible by highway and waterway, sits where the Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland and Mississippi rivers meet, and is considered a hub of connectivity and culture.
‘Paducah really attracts artist to come and create a live-work space,’ Gipson told the Daily Mail.
‘Our downtown has really come to life. We’re building new condos and people are refurbishing hundred year-old buildings with condos above and retail below.’
Outside of the artist community, there are job opportunities working on the river or in the local schools, she added.
A vibrant downtown with a creative community awaits new residents in Paducah
Paducah has a thriving arts scene and many people have live-work spaces
The city has been included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its arts scene
Paducah is a walkable city with plenty of open spaces
Paducah offers beautiful parks and a trails for walking or biking
Paducah has a perfectly preserved historical downtown district in the heart of town.
Art galleries, local shops, cafes and restaurants with classic Southern menus line the streets.
Paducah’s food is so good the city is even featured in You Belong Here, a culinary docuseries premiering at the Tribeca Festival this month.
Top Chef star and semi-finalist for a James Beard Award Sara Bradley is from Paducah and owns a restaurant there called Freight House.
The restaurant uses all locally sourced ingredients and pairs dishes with various Kentucky bourbons.
Local artist Robert Dafford painted more than 50 murals along a flood wall by the river – they tell the story of the town’s history. The outdoor gallery is free and open 24/7.
Paducah offers year-round festivals and events, including art fairs, live music performances and markets that showcase the area’s creatives.
The city has been included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), a global network of municipalities recognized by UNESCO for their commitment to using creativity and culture as drivers of sustainable urban development.
Chef Sara Bradley is from Paducah and owns her own restaurant there
Chef Sara Bradley owns the Freight House restaurant in the town
The Market House Theatre offers productions, live performances and classes for all ages
Paducah is a stop for many traveling performance groups who put on shows downtown
Paducah’s many art galleries have both rotating and permanent installations
In May, the West Kentucky Film Commission launched a regional office in Paducah.
‘Film is a catalyst for tourism – it invites people to discover the places they see on screen,’ Alyssa Phares, executive director of the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau, said in a statement.
‘By joining this regional effort, Paducah is not just attracting productions, we’re creating new opportunities to showcase Western Kentucky’s culture, creativity and hospitality to the world.’
The Cinema Systers Film Festival, the only all-lesbian film festival in the US, was founded in Paducah in 2016 and runs to this day.
The Lower Town Arts District is a hub of creativity. The tree-lined streets are filled with Victorian homes that house artists’ studios and galleries, such as the popular Aphrodite Gallery, Dixie Leather Works and Cowango Studio.
The Paducah School of Art and Design has its own galleries and rotating exhibitions.
The National Quilt Museum serves as a tribute to textile art, and visitors can check out work from the best quilters and fiber artists.
Rotating exhibits appear alongside a permanent collection, which includes a life-size polar bear quilt by Susan Carlson and a Harry Potter quilt – complete with owls, wands and potions – by Cynthia England.
Downtown, which is filled with art galleries, is decorated with lights for the holidays
Paducah boasts many tempting food and drink spots
Paducah, Kentucky, has a thriving arts scene and plenty to do outdoors
The town sits on the Ohio River where kayaking is popular with residents
Paducah also has a rich musical history.
Hotel Metropolitan, built in 1908, once offered safe lodging for black performers like Duke Ellington and B.B. King and is now a museum offering tours of where they stayed.
In March, Paducah announced the grand opening of the newly restored Williams Family Symphony Hall, which the city poured $16 million into.
The city also launched the Riverfront Redevelopment project to improve its waterfront and create more riverboat docking.
Outdoor enthusiasts can walk and bike a five-mile paved trail connecting downtown to the river.
The city was also a civil war site – the Battle of Paducah was fought on March 25, 1864, when a Confederate cavalry forcefully moved in to capture Union supplies. Casualties during the raid totaled 90 Union soldiers and 50 Confederates.
There are other relocation deals on offer across the country aimed at attracting newcomers.
Jacksonville, Illinois, offers a perk-packed incentive package worth $9,300 to move.
New residents will receive $5,000 in cash after their first year and other benefits include $300 in ‘Chamber Checks’ from the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Three months of fiber broadband service, a complimentary teeth-whitening package, a one-year driving range pass and a three-month gym membership are also on the table.
In Kansas, Topeka offers applicant incentives of up to $15,000 to move to the Sunflower State.
The city offers $10,000 in funds for rent and up to $15,000 for a home purchase.
Moreover, those transitioning out of the military and former Topeka residents will be provided with $5,000 if they accept a job that pays at least $50,000 a year – the minimum time required for a stay.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, is looking to bring in remote workers by offering them $10,000 for rent or to purchase a home through the Tulsa Remote program.
Since the program’s start in 2018, more than 3,000 people have been accepted – generating more than $300 million for the city’s rapidly growing job market.
