Officials in Pawnee City, Nebraska, are offering a $50,000 down payment to people willing to join their "beautiful community" and move to the rural settlement about a 90-minute drive from Lincoln and Omaha.
It is part of an initiative called "Vision 2030," a comprehensive plan that involves the construction of 25 new single-family homes on city-owned lots designed for "families, professionals, and retirees seeking a peaceful yet vibrant community."
Why It Matters
The rise of remote work during the pandemic fueled a "rural revival" in the years following the beginning of the health emergency, with many Americans—especially young people—moving to the small towns they were once abandoning for larger cities.
But recent data shows that this trend is reversing as companies are increasingly asking their employees to return to the office and with larger cities offering more job opportunities. New U.S. Census Bureau statistics analyzed by Realtor.com found that five of the top 10 counties nationally that have seen a population decline are in Mississippi.
Some small towns in rural America are trying to fight depopulation by offering incentives to newcomers, including cash or help with the down payment for a home, in the hope of revitalizing their communities and breathing new life into the local economy.
What To Know
Pawnee City had 930 residents in 2023, down from 944 a year earlier, according to Data USA. It is trying to fight this decline by offering potential new residents a massive incentive to relocate.
The $50,000 being offered comes from the proceeds obtained from two homes that it was able to build and sell thanks to a grant through the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund worth $650,000.
The down payment could be a great help for newcomers, who will get a brand new home.
The median sale price of a home in the town was $100,000 last month, according to Redfin, up 53.8 percent year-over-year. By comparison, a typical U.S. home was priced at $424,647 last month, up 3 percent from a year earlier.
The new homes being built by Pawnee City officials are all priced around $325,000.
But the real selling point, according to Pawnee City officials, is the quality of life on offer. Officials boast about the "affordable living, excellent schools, medical facilities, parks, trails, pickleball courts, excellent child care, and community events in Pawnee City."
Construction of the 25 new homes part of the Vision 30 plan began in December 2024, and the properties are expected to be move-in ready by July. There are income limits for those wishing to apply for down payment assistance, and applicants must qualify for a first mortgage.
Newsweek contacted Pawnee City Development for comment by email on Wednesday morning, outside of standard working hours.
What People Are Saying
Steve Glenn, the chairman of the Economic Development Council for the Pawnee City Chamber of Commerce, told Nebraska Public Media: "We think that housing is the secret sauce for small rural communities to grow, because in the virtual workplace, people can work from anywhere, and they just have to decide on a quality of life. And we know that the benefit of Pawnee City is a great quality of life."
What's Next
According to a news release published last week, over 50 families have already expressed interest in moving to Pawnee City. If you are interested, you can reach the town's interest form via this link.