Perry County pitches newcomers belonging, not just relocation cash

Perry County is trying to sell more than a relocation check. The county’s MakeMyMove package is worth more than $9,200 for qualifying remote workers, led by $7,000 in cash, but the pitch now leans just as hard on the promise that newcomers can plug into local life, not just rent a house and log on.

The incentive bundle reaches into everyday needs and social connections at once. It includes three months of PSC Fiber broadband internet and a waived installation fee, a one-year membership to Everybody’s Fun and Fitness Gym, farm-to-table dinner tickets, a Perry County welcome basket, one month free for each family member at New Directions Fitness Center, a Himalayan salt relaxation session at The Salt Room, a free cup of coffee from Behind The Times Bakery, and an opportunity to join the county’s Quality of Life Committee. MakeMyMove named Perry County one of its Top Community Award winners for 2024 and one of America’s Most Welcoming Places, a nod to a recruitment strategy shaped by Perry County Development Corporation staff and by Shiraz Mukarram, the corporation’s marketing and special initiatives manager.

Mukarram’s role underscores the county’s larger message: the real draw is not only the money, but the introductions that follow. The county says warm welcomes from residents, business owners and civic groups help new arrivals decide whether they will stay. That point matters in a place where the numbers remain small and the housing market is still relatively affordable. Perry County had 19,170 residents in the 2020 census, with estimates rising to 19,320 in 2024 and 19,389 in 2025. Census QuickFacts also puts the county’s median gross rent at $682 and the median value of owner-occupied homes at $163,400, figures that help explain why recruiters are emphasizing both affordability and community ties.

The county is also using its landscape and institutions to make the case. Perry County Convention and Visitors Bureau says the county has more than 60,000 acres of Hoosier National Forest and about 40 miles of Ohio River border, while county tourism materials point to hiking, boating, fishing, kayaking, festivals and the Tell City Train Depot visitor center. Those are not just visitor talking points; they are part of the everyday selling proposition for people deciding whether to move, work remotely and raise a family here. The county’s bachelor’s degree attainment rate stands at 16.6% in the latest Census data, another sign that workforce recruitment and local retention still matter.

The pitch has a human example, too. Candace and her family relocated from Virginia in 2023 and, on Perry County’s MakeMyMove page, are held up as proof that a newcomer can find a place to thrive and feel a sense of belonging. Perry County was organized in 1814, the last county in Indiana created before the Territory of Indiana applied to Congress for an enabling act, and that long local history is now being repurposed as part of a modern recruitment effort. PCDC said its 2023 work included an updated strategic plan, READI-related projects and the launch of the MakeMyMove program, and a later Southwest Indiana Development Council post said the county’s impact snapshot showed gains tied to workforce outreach, housing demand and regional visibility.