Look How Much Berrien County Is Paying Chicagoans To Move Here

I guess it's true. Timing is everything. I used to be a Chicagoan back in the day. While I did have a job here, nobody threw extra cash and other perks at me to move here. That was then, this is now.

Cornerstone Alliance is kind of like Southwest Michigan First, It's a Berrien County non-profit, economic development group, and they're trying to attract Chicagoans to move to Berrien County; not retirees, but people in the workforce, specifically remote workers.

Their logo features the slogan. "Move To Michigan. Remote Working. Perfect Living."

Part of what's driving this effort is a Harris Poll that says "40-percent of adults living in urban areas have indicated they would consider moving to a more rural area". The easiest target is those living in Chicago because of its proximity, about 90 miles.

According to Moody on the Market, the incentives include "up to $15,000 towards a new home for those who meet the criteria, and a choice of over $5,000 in additional (first year) perks." Those perks include memberships and passes to health clubs, parks and rec and other thing for a year.

Now, if someone is to the point of wanting to raise a family, the idea of living outside Chicago could have a certain appeal. There are not too many open spaces in the Chicago city limits, and traffic - don't even go there. One of the factors that may not be immediately obvious is the time difference. Being on Eastern time, would allow a person working Chicago hours (Central time) an extra hour of sleep, not to mention not having to commute, since they'd already be a remote worker. You also have believe the cost of living is cheaper here, certainly the price of gasoline is.

It's not for everybody. Someone in their 20's, without kids, probably finds life in a hip city like Chicago quite attractive. The group has a modest goal of attracting some twenty people, but they say that's the equivalent of a small business.