West Virginia is one of a handful of states offering programs that give workers financial incentives to relocate to places where they will have a lower cost of living.Chris Jackson for NPR hide caption CANAAN VALLEY, W.Va.
— When Ashley Eklin received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2022, her outlook on life changed forever."That was my pivotal moment," says Eklin, who was living in the Chicago area at the time."I decided to take a huge leap of faith and just chase some dreams."Those dreams included a change of geography.
A work colleague knew that Eklin had always wanted to live out East and suggested she look into Ascend West Virginia.If Eklin was willing to relocate to the Mountain State, the program would give her cash and other incentives to build a life there.
She was game — and after a lengthy application process, she was accepted."I literally had never been to West Virginia.I hadn't even visited, and I bought a house.
I didn't even see my house until the day I moved here," she says.That was three years ago.Eklin moved with her two "fur babies" to Inwood: population 3,400.
Located in the state's eastern panhandle, the region offers affordability within reach of the D.C.metropolitan area.
Four months ago, her fiancé, also from Illinois, joined her.It's been the perfect move, she says."I am developing my kayaking skills and taking some incredible photography on my hikes," and — far from the light pollution of a big city — "learning about astrophotography."Ascend West Virginia is one of dozens of relocation initiatives across the country that emerged around the time of the pandemic, when millions of Americans shifted to remote work and began looking for a change of scenery.
Programs in states including Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky have offered these workers financial incentives to relocate to places where they'll have a...