Make YOUR Move to East Central Indiana
Get paid to live a life you’ll love in East Central Indiana.
Whether you’re talking to a transplant or a lifelong resident, you’ll hear the same thing – East Central Indiana provides the ultimate package.
This nine-county region offers affordable housing, friendly communities, a plethora of restaurants, a great arts scene, excellent job opportunities and so much more. In other words, residents never have to settle in one category to have another.
“(East Central Indiana offers an) awesome quality of life, and I say that – I’ve been here 10 years, but I didn’t grow up here, and I’m in my 40s,” says Corey Murphy, president of the New Castle-Henry County Economic Development Corp. “This is a fantastic place to live and raise a family. The outdoor recreation is just phenomenal – state parks, the Cardinal Greenway, the quaint downtowns. Really, you drive an hour in any direction, and you can fill several days.”
Like Murphy, people from all over are choosing East Central Indiana for their next chapter, whether they’re looking for a fresh start, changing careers or moving to be closer to family.
Gifts Galore
Relocating to this region comes with some pretty great perks. Several of the region’s communities, such as Muncie, Richmond, Marion, Henry County, Jay County and Fayette County, offer incentives to remote workers who choose to relocate to their area. Through a program called MakeMyMove, these communities showcase their city or county on makemymove.com, where they explain the eligibility requirements and the specific incentives they offer applicable relocatees.
Muncie, for example, offers a $5,000 stipend for relocation, along with nonmonetary benefits, such as access to a coworking space and Ball State University’s (BSU) library, a pass to BSU’s recreation center, and employee pricing on BSU athletic tickets, among other things.
“Muncie has so much to offer. My favorite thing about the community is just how many opportunities there are to make an impact,” says Michele Owen, director of communications for the City of Muncie. “A lot of the people who are moving are very community-minded and really passionate about getting engaged with the community and being able to give back in different ways.”
Through MakeMyMove, Muncie expects to attract 45 remote workers in 2023, while Henry County and Richmond are hoping to attract 20.
Rich Resources
Once people relocate to East Central Indiana, the perks keep on coming. For example, the region boasts Forge Your Path, a guide to a slew of local resources found within the region’s nine counties. These include everything from information on restaurants and outdoor recreation to child care, hospitals, education institutions and job opportunities. Not only do these resources help people explore their new communities, but they also help them connect with others.
“It’s pretty easy to get involved in Jay County. If you just raise your hand, you’ll be on the team, and that’s one of the things we’ve talked about. We want to make sure we find ways to get the movers involved in the community,” says Travis Richards, executive director of the Jay County Development Corp.
Bright Futures
One other great thing about moving to East Central Indiana? It offers those who relocate plenty of opportunities. For example, once here, individuals who want to broaden their education can take classes at institutions like Ball State University or Indiana Wesleyan University. Or, if they eventually want to change jobs or career paths, the region is home to several great companies, and that list continues to grow.
For example, CANPACK, a leading manufacturer of beverage packaging, recently invested $380 million in Muncie to build a manufacturing facility. This investment will create approximately 345 new jobs. Plus, American Woodmark, a cabinet manufacturer in Gas City, recently expanded and created another 145 new jobs.
“On a regional basis, there are all kinds of opportunities – Ball State University; IU Health, which is a large regional health system; our local hospital (in Henry County), which is independent and employs 800 people; and major corporations in the community. There are employment opportunities,” Murphy says.
Get to Know East Central Indiana
Want to learn more about living and working in East Central Indiana? Check out the latest edition of Livability East Central Indiana.
