States with the most relocation incentives
Key facts
- #1 Maryland: 7 programs
- #2 Pennsylvania: 7 programs
- #3 Kentucky: 6 programs
- 31 states ranked across the United States
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Maryland 7 programs
- 2Pennsylvania 7 programs
- 3Kentucky 6 programs
- 4Indiana 5 programs
- 5Kansas 5 programs
- 6New Mexico 5 programs
- 7Texas 5 programs
- 8Arizona 4 programs
- 9West Virginia 4 programs
- 10Arkansas 3 programs
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Maryland (7 programs) is well clear of Arkansas at #10 (3 programs).
- Small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Some states and communities offer incentives to attract workers, such as relocation grants and remote-worker programs. The count shows where such programs are most common in our catalog.
How to use it
If you could move, check the program's rules, which often depend on your job, income and how long you stay.
The top 25
- 1
Maryland
7 programs
- All state programs
- 23
- Retraining and tuition
- 8
- American Job Centers
- 30
- 2
Pennsylvania
7 programs
- All state programs
- 33
- Retraining and tuition
- 9
- American Job Centers
- 64
- 3
Kentucky
6 programs
- All state programs
- 37
- Retraining and tuition
- 25
- American Job Centers
- 73
- 4
Indiana
5 programs
- All state programs
- 30
- Retraining and tuition
- 10
- American Job Centers
- 71
- 5
Kansas
5 programs
- All state programs
- 24
- Retraining and tuition
- 13
- American Job Centers
- 23
- 6
New Mexico
5 programs
- All state programs
- 21
- Retraining and tuition
- 9
- American Job Centers
- 25
- 7
Texas
5 programs
- All state programs
- 36
- Retraining and tuition
- 25
- American Job Centers
- 170
- 8
Arizona
4 programs
- All state programs
- 19
- Retraining and tuition
- 10
- American Job Centers
- 48
- 9
West Virginia
4 programs
- All state programs
- 13
- Retraining and tuition
- 4
- American Job Centers
- 18
- 10
Arkansas
3 programs
- All state programs
- 22
- Retraining and tuition
- 14
- American Job Centers
- 21
- 11
Florida
3 programs
- All state programs
- 19
- Retraining and tuition
- 11
- American Job Centers
- 97
- 12
Louisiana
3 programs
- All state programs
- 20
- Retraining and tuition
- 11
- American Job Centers
- 56
- 13
Massachusetts
3 programs
- All state programs
- 44
- Retraining and tuition
- 28
- American Job Centers
- 24
- 14
Michigan
3 programs
- All state programs
- 19
- Retraining and tuition
- 9
- American Job Centers
- 87
- 15
New York
3 programs
- All state programs
- 47
- Retraining and tuition
- 13
- American Job Centers
- 87
- 16
North Dakota
3 programs
- All state programs
- 21
- Retraining and tuition
- 14
- American Job Centers
- 9
- 17
South Carolina
3 programs
- All state programs
- 25
- Retraining and tuition
- 15
- American Job Centers
- 39
- 18
Alaska
2 programs
- All state programs
- 15
- Retraining and tuition
- 9
- American Job Centers
- 14
- 19
Alabama
1 programs
- All state programs
- 21
- Retraining and tuition
- 14
- American Job Centers
- 44
- 20
Colorado
1 programs
- All state programs
- 17
- Retraining and tuition
- 8
- American Job Centers
- 44
- 21
District of Columbia
1 programs
- All state programs
- 12
- Retraining and tuition
- 4
- American Job Centers
- 2
- 22
Illinois
1 programs
- All state programs
- 16
- Retraining and tuition
- 5
- American Job Centers
- 82
- 23
Maine
1 programs
- All state programs
- 27
- Retraining and tuition
- 17
- American Job Centers
- 11
- 24
Minnesota
1 programs
- All state programs
- 23
- Retraining and tuition
- 11
- American Job Centers
- 54
- 25
North Carolina
1 programs
- All state programs
- 15
- Retraining and tuition
- 6
- American Job Centers
- 87
Full ranking
All 31 states that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | State | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | 7 programs | – |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 7 programs | – |
| 3 | Kentucky | 6 programs | – |
| 4 | Indiana | 5 programs | – |
| 5 | Kansas | 5 programs | – |
| 6 | New Mexico | 5 programs | – |
| 7 | Texas | 5 programs | – |
| 8 | Arizona | 4 programs | – |
| 9 | West Virginia | 4 programs | – |
| 10 | Arkansas | 3 programs | – |
| 11 | Florida | 3 programs | – |
| 12 | Louisiana | 3 programs | – |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 3 programs | – |
| 14 | Michigan | 3 programs | – |
| 15 | New York | 3 programs | – |
| 16 | North Dakota | 3 programs | – |
| 17 | South Carolina | 3 programs | – |
| 18 | Alaska | 2 programs | – |
| 19 | Alabama | 1 programs | – |
| 20 | Colorado | 1 programs | – |
| 21 | District of Columbia | 1 programs | – |
| 22 | Illinois | 1 programs | – |
| 23 | Maine | 1 programs | – |
| 24 | Minnesota | 1 programs | – |
| 25 | North Carolina | 1 programs | – |
| 26 | Oklahoma | 1 programs | – |
| 27 | Oregon | 1 programs | – |
| 28 | Tennessee | 1 programs | – |
| 29 | Virginia | 1 programs | – |
| 30 | Wisconsin | 1 programs | – |
| 31 | Wyoming | 1 programs | – |
How this ranking works
A state's score is the number of open or rolling programs in the relocation category of our benefits catalog for the state, such as relocation grants, remote-worker incentives and housing help.
The category also holds local job and housing programs, so it shows where states and communities are trying to attract workers, not that each program pays you to move. Programs are from our benefits catalog and counted only when open or rolling. The catalog is built by research and is not a complete list of every program, so read the counts as a guide.
Sample bar: states with fewer than 0 jobs are not ranked.
Sources: NextChapter benefits catalog: open and rolling relocation programs. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which state ranks first: states with the most relocation incentives?
- Maryland has the most programs that help people move there: 7 programs in our relocation catalog.
- How many states are ranked?
- 31 states have at least 0 states, so the list has 31 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- A state's score is the number of open or rolling programs in the relocation category of our benefits catalog for the state, such as relocation grants, remote-worker incentives and housing help. The category also holds local job and housing programs, so it shows where states and communities are trying to attract workers, not that each program pays you to move. Programs are from our benefits catalog and counted only when open or rolling. The catalog is built by research and is not a complete list of every program, so read the counts as a guide.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “States with the most relocation incentives,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/states-with-the-most-relocation-incentives
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/states-with-the-most-relocation-incentives">States with the most relocation incentives (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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