6 U.S. States Where You Can Get a Free House or Land (Yes, Free!)

The American Dream may be different for everyone, but there's one common element in every version. It all starts with owning a home or a chunk of land. The rising cost of real estate has made this dream feel out of reach for generations of Americans. However, if you know where to look, you'll find that homes and land are more than affordable … they're free.

Even though a free house or land might sound too good to be true, it's a reality in several states across the country. In an effort to combat dwindling populations and boost local economies, many small towns and even some larger cities offer programs that provide free land or homes.

These programs aren't quite a modern-day version of the 19th-century homesteading acts that encouraged settlers to head west. The requirements are new and different, but if you have the same pioneering spirit, you can build your own version of the American dream. Here are the six states where you can make it happen and keep more money in your wallet.

When you think of American homesteading, Kansas might be one of the first states that comes to mind. And with multiple towns offering programs and incentives, the Sunflower State could be the leader in the free land movement.

In Marquette, you can get a free building lot in the Westridge Addition, which boasts beautiful sunset views. The towns of Tribune and Horace also participate in a free land program, this one aimed at new businesses that want to create jobs and spur economic growth in Greeley County.

If small-town living in the heart of the Midwest sounds like your cup of tea, Nebraska has free land opportunities for individuals and businesses alike.

Curtis, Nebraska, with a population of just over 800, is looking to build its community. In addition to its potential $1,750 family incentive, it's offering a free lot of land to anyone willing to construct a single-family home on it. The city also provides free land for industrial or commercial use, funded by various state and local programs.

Iowa is yet another Midwestern state with a free land deal. In this case, you only need to commit to building a home on your new property to qualify.

Manilla, a charming little town in the Hawkeye State, is offering single-family lots at no cost to qualified individuals who build new homes. This deal is a part of the Sunrise Addition Phase II project, which is designed to attract new residents to Manilla. Extras, like utilities on site with no hookup fees and a five-year tax abatement, are included in the deal.

It's not only small towns in the Midwest that offer free land. Buffalo, New York, a famous city on the Canadian border with a population of nearly 280,000, has a pretty incredible opportunity for those willing and able to do home renovations.

Buffalo will sell vacant, city-owned properties to you for under market value (past sales have been for as little as $1), provided you renovate the property and live there for three years. While not technically free, this is still an amazing deal in a vibrant city.

Colorado offers some of the most breathtaking vistas in America — and free land. The town of Flagler is running a "free land incentive" to attract new businesses that would like to set up shop against a backdrop of majestic mountains.

Flagler has dedicated more than 400 acres of land for commercial and industrial development. The catch is that the land is currently used for agriculture and lacks infrastructure, such as roads and utilities. Businesses that claim some acres are responsible for building out that infrastructure.

The Land of Lincoln has its own unique take on the free land incentive. Grafton, Illinois, a scenic town situated on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in the St. Louis metropolitan area, runs a land reimbursement program.

You can purchase a lot for $5,000. If you build a home on that lot within three years, the city of Grafton will reimburse you for the land purchase.

Home ownership may be a shared dream, but the concept of free land in exchange for building infrastructure and boosting a local economy has long been a part of American culture. The original Homestead Act of 1862 turned over 270 million acres of public land to private citizens who were willing to help populate a remote area.

Maybe that's why the free land and house programs found in these six states feel so uniquely American. Westward expansion is in our collective DNA, with the thrill of setting out for parts unknown and becoming a pioneer in a strange new land. These modern opportunities may not send you westward (especially if you take advantage of the home renovation deal in Buffalo), but the concept is much the same, and could be a smart move for hopeful homeowners.