Between a cash stipend and local perks, jobseekers and remote workers can get up to $9.5k by moving to Fond du Lac County.
Moving can be a pretty expensive process. Between buying or renting a place, packing everything up, and physically moving it to the new location, the costs add up. But moving could be a lucrative opportunity for new residents moving to Fond du Lac County, because the Envision Greater Fond du Lac Chamber of Commerce is offering about $9,500 to new residents who move to the county.
The chamber has partnered with MakeMyMove, an online platform that connects people with communities willing to pay them to move there, and has launched two programs—one for people actively seeking an in-person job and the other for remote workers—to attract new residents to Fond du Lac County. The program aims to help build community in Fond du Lac County, the 40th-largest county in the state, by ensuring participants live there for at least a year and seek full-time, in-person employment within the county.
Participants in the programs can receive up to $9,500 in cash and discounts and rewards that are available to program participants, including gym memberships and tickets to events throughout Fond du Lac County.
Where is Fond du Lac County?
Named for its location at the southern tip of Lake Winnebago, Fond du Lac County, which means “bottom of the lake” in French, is located in eastern Wisconsin. Fond du Lac County lies between Sheboygan County to the east and Green Lake County to the west, with Winnebago County to the north and Washington and Dodge Counties to the south. The county has one airport, Fond du Lac County Airport, but no commercial airlines fly there.
Why is Fond du Lac paying people to move there?
Like many places worldwide, Fond du Lac County has an aging population and limited population growth. According to the U.S. Census’s 2025 population estimates, more than 20% of Fond du Lac County’s population is over 65, and the county has seen a population decrease over the last five years.
Envision Greater Fond du Lac has also said the county faces an “extreme workforce shortage” and that within the next decade, one in four Fond du Lac County residents will be over 65. The chamber said the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this shortage, and the program helps plan for the county’s future.
The goal of the programs is to bring younger workers, as well as their families, into the community and the local workforce, and to showcase what Fond du Lac County has to offer through the perks that are given to program participants.
Who is eligible for the programs?
Fond du Lac is currently running two programs in partnership with MakeMyMove—one for remote workers and one for people currently seeking employment. Eligibility requirements are largely the same for both programs. The program requires participants to be 18 years or older, currently reside outside of Wisconsin, have an annual household income of $55,000 or more, and pass a criminal background check. Anyone interested in applying for either program can check to see if they’re eligible on MakeMyMove’s website.
How much are they paying people to move there?
Participants can earn up to $9,500 by moving to Fond du Lac, but not all of it is cash. Altogether, out-of-state workers who move to Fond du Lac through the program can receive up to $5,500 in cash and $4,000 in local perks, including access to local entertainment, like a VIP experience at Fond du Lac Festivals, and local fitness and golf memberships.
What is included in the programs?
While the two programs serve different types of workers, they offer the same incentives to join and move to Fond du Lac County. In addition to $5,500 in cash given to participants as part of a relocation stipend, the program also offers perks worth about $4,000.
The perks include a food, dining, and local flavor amenity package that includes wine tastings and a welcome dinner; an agriculture and farm experience amenity package that includes a picnic on a bison farm and a catering tour and dinner; a family youth and opportunities package, which includes a Boys & Girls Club fee waiver and a bowling experience; a dental savings program, along with other packages.
The program also includes memberships and packages with local organizations, such as the South Hills Golf & Country Club, Rolling Meadows Golf Course, Fond du Lac Family YMCA, and the Marian University Athletic Department.
What does it cost to live in Fond du Lac?
It could be a great financial decision for out-of-state participants who choose to move to Fond du Lac County, as the cost of living is 10% lower than the national average, according to Payscale. Compared to the rest of the state, the cost of living in Fond du Lac is 11% lower, according to RentCafe. On average, rent in Fond du Lac is $1,269 per month, and the cost of a home is $385,127.
Where does the funding for the programs come from?
Envision Greater Fond du Lac sees welcoming new remote workers, jobseekers, and families as residents as an investment in its future economy and has received a $346,000 state talent attraction grant to help bring new residents to the county. Envision Greater Fond du Lac has partnered with MakeMyMove, and the online platform is also contributing $120,000 of their own funding toward the program.
Are there other programs like this in Wisconsin?
Fond du Lac County isn’t the only area in Wisconsin trying to boost its economy and population by bringing new employees into its workforce and community.
Crawford County, in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, offers grants of up to $30,000 to people who live out of state and want to move to the county. Grant sizes range from $10,000 to $30,000, depending on the type of housing that program participants move into. Participants must have a minimum household income of $55,000 and intend to make Crawford County their permanent residence.
Another Wisconsin community also partnered with MakeMyMove to operate a program that attracts remote workers and jobseekers to Black River Falls, a city in western Wisconsin. The Black River Falls programs offer out-of-state participants who move to the city up to $8,000 in cash and perks.
