5 cities that will give you a house or land for free (2024)

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Jordan Pandy

2024-04-10T17:17:57Z

5 cities that will give you a house or land for free (1)

Some towns and cities want people to move there so badly that they give things away for free.
Some places are offering free homes or land.
Here's a list of cities across the country that give free property to movers.

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A decent plot of land can be hard to come by.

According to the latest data from the Realtors' Land Institute, sales of American land increased 1.2% from 2022 to 2023, while its cost jumped 1.9%. Home prices hover around record highs in most of the US, while mortgage rates haven't dampened enough to make Americans feel they can easily afford homes.

At the same time, dozens of cities across the US offer incentives for people to move there. Perks include $10,000 cash, such as in Tulsa, free childcare, and access to coworking spaces.

Some towns, meanwhile, are offering movers land or entire homes at low or no cost. Smaller spots — mostly Midwestern towns with small populations — are establishing programs for current and future residents to acquire a home or land to build one on for free. In Kansas, multiple cities are giving away land, and one city in Iowa has an entire community full of lots up for grabs.

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These cities' programs, which may help generate property-tax revenue or revive sometimes-blighted areas, are designed for whoever wants to take advantage of them — whether they're already a resident of the area or moving from somewhere else.

Here are a few places across the country that are offering land or property to movers.

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Elwood, Nebraska

5 cities that will give you a house or land for free (5)

In Elwood, Nebraska, the city's chamber of commerce has free lots for acquisition in what the city is calling Wheatfield Addition.

Lots are 110 feet by 115 feet and are part of a homeownership program that allows recipients to build owner-occupied homes. The lots are free, but potential homeowners need a $500 deposit, which is refunded at the completion of the home.

Elwood, which is 230 miles from Omaha, Nebraska, is also offering down-payment assistance and a 10% payment of the construction cost up to $25,000.

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Lincoln, Kansas

5 cities that will give you a house or land for free (6)

With a population under 1,200, Lincoln, Kansas, is providing plots of residential land to residents as long as they build a home on it.

Each lot — which ranges from 14,000 to 35,000 square feet — has access to streets, water, and sewage. They're not far from downtown, the local high school, and the hospital.

There are criteria that must be met for applicants as well as for the homes. The minimum footprint must be 1,300 square feet for a one-story house and 900 square feet for a two-story house, and each house should have a two-car garage and be on a permanent foundation.

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Manilla, Iowa

5 cities that will give you a house or land for free (7)

Manilla, Iowa, a city 100 miles west of Des Moines, is in the second phase of its Sunrise Addition project, which provides single-family lots to qualified individuals.

Participants must build a home on the property, and the city is making it easy for them. Utility hook-up fees will be waived, and there's a five-year 100% tax abatement, according to the city.

Six lots have yet to be claimed, while 22 homes have already been built.

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Mankato, Kansas

5 cities that will give you a house or land for free (8)

Mankato — a city in the north of Kansas with a population of less than 1,000, according to the US Census — has 26 residential lots available.

According to the city's chamber of commerce, applicants must be pre-approved by a lending institution and interviewed by the city council.

The homes must be a minimum of 1,200 square feet, and construction of the home must start within six months of acquiring the lot.

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Monessen, Pennsylvania

5 cities that will give you a house or land for free (9)

According to the US Census, the population in Monessen, Pennsylvania, decreased by about 10% from 7,720 in 2010 to 6,876 in 2020.

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2021 that 10% of Monessen's homes were abandoned, so the city started to do something about it: give an incentive to buy the vacant homes.

Mayor Ron Mozer told Business Insider in April that vacant homes that had accrued large amounts of back taxes could have their debt forgiven by the city if buyers present plans to rehab the properties. The renovations must be worth at least three times the amount of the back taxes.

Buyers must first go through the trouble of tracking down the homes' owners.