VEVAY, Ind. — Nestled in the southeast corner of Indiana, along the banks of the Ohio River, is one of the best small towns in the Midwest (per USAToday's readers). Vevay is the heart of Switzerland County, a community boasting scenic views, historic charm and an annual wine festival.
It was enough to attract tattoo artist and TV personality Kat Von D, who moved to Vevay in 2020 after purchasing the Benjamin Schenck mansion, built in 1874.
Then there's the legend of Fred the Goat, a beloved 4-H goat that ran off from his pen and roamed the hill behind Vevay for more than a decade. He became a household name, inspiring the commission of dozens of painted and decorated statues that can be seen throughout the town.
With a median home price of $230,000, Switzerland County offers an affordable, slow-paced lifestyle. But the community has experienced a steady economic decline brought on by a sharp population drop.
"We went from the 2010 census being one of the fastest-growing counties in Indiana to one of the fastest shrinking in the 2020 census," said Jon Bond, president of the Switzerland County Economic Development Corporation (SCEDC).
The county lost about 1,000 people in 10 years. That's why the SCEDC is offering a $5,000 cash incentive to remote workers looking for a new place to relocate to the community. The money is considered taxable income.
The program is geared toward qualified movers and is designed to bring new energy, talent and investment into the community. Switzerland County is partnering with Indianapolis-based MakeMyMove to make it happen — the first online marketplace for relocation incentives.
Watch our video to learn more about how this small Indiana town is encouraging remote workers to make the move:
More than 80 communities are actively recruiting and offering incentives through the platform. Nearly 200,000 applications have been submitted by people hoping to relocate through the platform since its launch in December 2020. More than 4,000 people have successfully relocated.
Switzerland County joins Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Macon-Bibb, Georgia; and Southwest Michigan as the newest partnering communities.
"There are tens of millions of remote workers and move-ready talent across the country, and they're looking for a new home based on the quality of life, affordability and amenities that they're looking for. That means it’s open season for communities across the country to start attracting them," said Evan Hock, co-founder of MakeMyMove. "We work with communities all across the Midwest, and the Northeast and throughout the South that are trying to grow their economies through talent attraction."
Hock drove down from Indianapolis on Monday to speak with us about the program. He said since their partnership began in May, 30 applications have already been submitted for Switzerland County's incentive program. The community's goal is five relocations by the end of the year.
Bond said the interest pouring in has been a pleasant surprise.
"It's been a great program to work with. They got right to work," Bond said. "I guess, particularly for remote workers who can live anywhere they want, they can get a quality of life here they can't get just about any other place and a community that would be happy to have them."
While most remote workers using the platform tend to be in their late 20s to 30s, the applications coming into Switzerland County are from those in their 40s. The prospective movers currently live in Florida, California, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The earliest targeted move date is September, Hock said.
"We launched a few years ago as an experiment to see are these people really mobile? And we've been blown away by the reaction," Hock said. "Just in Indiana — Indiana has the first statewide program in the country. About 34 communities across the state participate. We've moved 1,000 households, almost 2,000 people to Indiana just in a few years."
Housing inventory is low in Switzerland County, so the community spent the last few years focusing on new construction. Bond said he's optimistic that the investment will pay off and help to attract new residents.
"We're looking at our towns, where we've already got an environment. We're looking at where our houses are and where they're going up and where folks can find the community they're looking for at whatever level," Bond said. "We've got people looking for rural spaces and some who want to be in town, and we've got spaces for everybody."
Switzerland County is currently recruiting remote workers who:
- Are employed full-time and able to relocate while retaining their current position, or
- Are self-employed and able to relocate while retaining their current clients/portfolio
- Earn at least $50,000 annually
- Are 18 years or older
- Currently reside outside the state of Indiana
- Can relocate their primary residence to Switzerland County within 6 months
You can apply to relocate to Switzerland County through the incentive program here.
