Why So Many Americans Are Quietly Leaving the U.S. (And How to Plan Your Exit)

More Americans than ever are quietly dipping out of the United States.

Some are selling everything and starting over overseas. Some are just moving their laptops to a cheaper, safer country. Others are planning their exit in the background while they sit in traffic or doom-scroll U.S. news.

If you’ve been feeling that pull. There has to be more than this, you’re not alone, and you’re not imagining it.

In this post, I’m breaking down:

• What the data actually says about Americans leaving the U.S.
• The real reasons people are moving abroad (not just “it’s cheaper”)
• My own story as a solo mom who left with two kids
• A step-by-step roadmap to start planning your exit, even if it feels impossible right now

Who I Am (And Why I Left)

I’m Vetta.

I’ve been to over 60 countries, lived in a few, and I left the United States as a solo mom with two sons. One is now in college after being world-schooled on the road, and my youngest is still traveling with me.

When I first said I was moving abroad with my kid, people acted like I was doing something wild, irresponsible, or impossible.

But once I got out here, I realized something important:

I’m not an outlier.
I’m part of a wave.

Let’s talk about that wave.

Are Americans Really Leaving the U.S.? The Numbers

There’s no single perfect database of Americans overseas (the U.S. does a terrible job tracking us), but the best estimates line up.

• The Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO) estimates about 5.5 million U.S. citizens live abroadas of late 2024.
• The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) estimates 4.4 million U.S. citizens were living abroad in 2022.

So realistically, we’re talking somewhere in the 4½–5½ million range of Americans already living outside the U.S.

If overseas Americans were a state, we’d be mid-pack in population.

Then there’s the desire to leave.

• A Monmouth University poll in 2024 found that 34% of Americans, about one in three would like to settle in another country if they were free to do so. That’s up from just 10% when Gallup asked the same question in 1974.
• A 2025 Harris Poll (summarized by multiple outlets) found that 44% of Americans have seriously considered retiring abroad, and 14% are actively planning or considering a move overseas within the next two years.

So no - it’s not just you.

Millions are already outside the country, and tens of millions more are at least mentally pricing their exit.

Why Are Americans Leaving? The Big 4 Reasons

Every survey words it a little differently, but when you zoom out, the same big themes come up over and over:

1. Cost of living & money
2. Healthcare costs & access
3. Safety & overall quality of life
4. Politics, burnout, and “I can’t do this anymore”

The Harris Poll found that among Americans considering moving abroad, the top motivators were lower cost of living, better or cheaper healthcare, dissatisfaction with U.S. politics, and a desire for a better quality of life.

Let’s break those down.

1. When the Math Stops Mathing: Cost of Living & Money

In the U.S., a “good” salary disappears into:

• Rent or a mortgage
• Health insurance premiums and deductibles
• Childcare
• Car payments, gas, and insurance
• Debt payments

For a lot of people, it’s work → bills → repeat.

Meanwhile, popular expat destinations. Think Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Greece and more, often offer:

• Much lower housing costs
• More affordable food and transport
• Cheaper healthcare, even in private hospitals
• A lifestyle that’s more walkable and less car-dependent

Cost-of-living analyses frequently show that in many of these countries, a reasonable lifestyle can cost 30–50% less than in major U.S. cities, especially when it comes to rent and healthcare.

This is what people mean by geo-arbitrage:

Earn in a strong currency (often USD),
Spend in a more affordable country,
And suddenly your budget has room for savings, travel, and rest.

I’m not saying moving abroad makes you rich. But for many people, the same income that kept them stressed in the U.S. can stretch much further somewhere else.

2. Healthcare: The Breaking Point for Many Americans

Healthcare is a huge driver of this “quiet exodus.”

Let’s talk numbers first:

• In 2024, the U.S. spent the equivalent of over $14,800 per person on health care, according to OECD estimates, about 2.5 times the average of other wealthy countries.
• Total U.S. health spending hit about $4.9 trillion in 2023, around 17.6% of the entire economy.

Even with all that spending, people still struggle to afford basic care and prescriptions.

Now here’s my real-life comparison from living abroad:

• My son started having tooth sensitivity. In the U.S., a lot of parents would just hope it goes away because of the bill. Where we were, I took him to the dentist. They did an X-ray to check for damage.
  • The cost? Under $5.
• Later, I took him to the top international hospital for a full checkup:
  • Labs
  • Disease screening
  • Chest X-ray
  • EKG and other tests
  • Doctor consultation
  I paid about $117 total, out of pocket, with no insurance.

In the U.S., that same combo of tests could easily be hundreds, if not thousands depending on your insurance situation and deductible.

So when people say, “I moved abroad for healthcare,” it’s not exaggeration.

A lot of us just want to live in a place where taking your kid to the doctor doesn’t feel like a financial emergency.

3. Safety, Stress, and Political Exhaustion

Money and healthcare are the easiest to measure, but stress is the one people feel in their bones.

Recent U.S. polls show record levels of frustration with the direction of the country and deep political polarization.

When researchers ask why people are thinking about moving or retiring abroad, common answers include:

• Wanting to feel safer
• Being tired of the constant political chaos
• Needing better work–life balance and more time with family

For families, that can sound like:

• “I don’t want my kids doing active-shooter drills.”
• “I don’t want to work myself into the ground to afford basic things.”

For others, it’s simply:

“I’m tired of my whole life being work, bills, and anxiety.”

A different country doesn’t magically fix everything, every place has its problems, but for some people, the baseline stress level drops dramatically.

4. Remote Work & Digital Nomad Visas: The Exit Door Opened

The recent surge in Americans moving abroad wouldn’t be happening at this scale without remote work.

Studies in the last few years have found that millions of Americans moved within the country because remote work freed them up, and many more said they planned to move specifically because they can now work from anywhere with WiFi.

At the same time, more than 40–60 countries (depending on how you count) have rolled out some kind of digital nomad or remote-work visa, special residence permits for people who earn money from outside the country.

That combo | remote income + friendly visas, is what turned “maybe one day” into “I’m actually doing this.”

But there are two realities people need to understand:

1. Digital nomad visas are not just vibes and a laptop.
   They usually require:
   • Proof of a certain minimum monthly income
   • Health insurance
   • A clean background check
   • Sometimes tax or registration obligations
2. Tourist stamps are not a long-term plan.
   Countries like Thailand and others have started cracking down on people trying to live indefinitely on back-to-back tourist entries instead of getting proper long-stay visas.

If you’re serious about moving abroad, your lifestyle needs to be built on legal, boring paperwork, not just cheap flights and crossing your fingers at immigration.

The Hard Conversation: Gentrification & Being a Good Guest

There’s another piece of this story that matters: impact.

In cities like Mexico City and Lisbon, locals have protested rising rents and the flood of Airbnbs, and called out how foreign remote workers earning in dollars or euros can price them out of their own neighborhoods.

Some of that anger gets misdirected at individuals, but the core issue is real.

If you move abroad, you’re not just escaping your situation, you’re entering someone else’s home.

For me, trying to be a good guest looks like:

• Learning at least basic phrases in the local language
• Respecting local culture, norms, and laws
• Being conscious about housing choices (not just overpaying short-term because “it’s cheap to me”)
• Supporting local businesses
• Listening more than I talk

You can absolutely seek a softer life abroad and take responsibility for how you show up.

How to Move Abroad: A Step-by-Step Exit Roadmap

Okay, let’s get practical.

If you’re reading this thinking, “That’s me. I want out, but I have no idea where to start,” here’s a simple roadmap you can use as a starting point.

You do not have to do all of this overnight.

Step 1: Get Clear on Your “Why”

Write down your real reasons for wanting to leave.

Is it:

• Cost of living?
• Healthcare?
• Safety?
• Your kids’ future?
• Work–life balance?
• Political burnout?

Your why determines:

• Which countries should be on your short list
• What kind of visa you might need
• What trade-offs you’re willing to make

For example:

• If healthcare is #1, you’ll look at countries with strong public or affordable private systems.
• If costs are #1, your list may lean toward Latin America or Southeast Asia.
• If EU access for education is the goal, maybe Portugal, Spain, France, etc.

Step 2: Run Your Numbers (Not Your Feelings)

Feelings are valid. Visas and landlords care about numbers.

Start with:

• Your monthly income (realistic, not “manifested”)
• Non-negotiable expenses: debt payments, child support, obligations to family
• How much you can save toward an exit fund (even a few thousand helps)

Then compare that to cost-of-living in potential destinations:

• Rent for long-term apartments (not just nightly Airbnbs)
• Groceries and eating out
• Transportation
• Healthcare and insurance

In many popular expat destinations, people live decently on $2,000–$3,000 per month where they’d need far more in major U.S. cities.

Seeing the numbers on paper often turns “this is impossible” into “okay, this might be doable with a plan.”

Step 3: Build (or Shift to) Location-Independent Income

For most of us, moving abroad long-term requires income that isn’t tied to a physical U.S. office.

That might look like:

• A fully remote job with a U.S. or international company
• Freelance work (writing, design, tech, coaching, etc.)
• Teaching online (languages, skills, tutoring)
• Online businesses and digital products (like the ones I sell)
• A mix of several income streams

If you’re already working remotely but still paying U.S. prices for everything, that’s actually good news, you’re closer than you think.

Step 4: Shortlist Countries by Vibe and Visa

It’s easy to get lost trying to research the entire planet.

Instead, pick 3–5 countries and evaluate them on two things:

1. Vibe
   • Climate
   • Language
   • Food
   • Culture and lifestyle
   • How they treat foreigners and people who look like you
2. Visa reality
   • Can you legally stay longer than 90 days?
   • What kinds of visas exist for your situation?

Common visa paths for Americans include:

• Retirement visas (if you meet age & income/savings requirements)
• Long-stay “visitor” visas in some European countries
• Digital nomad / remote-work visas
• Education visas (language schools, university)
• Family or partner visas

Start by reading the official immigration site for each country. Blogs and TikToks are great context, but governments make the rules.

Step 5: Build Your “Visa Documents” Folder

This is the most boring part, which means it’s the most important.

Almost every long-stay visa will ask for some combo of:

• Valid passport with enough time left
• Recent bank statements
• Proof of income or savings
• Past tax returns
• Birth certificates (yours and your kids’)
• Marriage/divorce papers if relevant
• Criminal background checks
• Health insurance documentation

Start a digital folder now. Scan everything. Use clear file names.

Future you, filling out a visa form at 1 a.m. will be very, very grateful.

Step 6: If You Can, Do a “Test Run”

Before you move your entire life, do a test run if possible:

• Spend 1–3 months in your top city or country
• Rent a normal apartment, not just a resort
• Live like a local: grocery runs, public transport, walks, doctors, school, coworking

Then ask:

• Can I actually see myself parenting here?
• How do I feel in my body here vs. in the U.S.?
• Do I feel safer, calmer, more creative? Or stressed and isolated?

Data is useful. Your nervous system is data, too.

Step 7: Plan the Logistics of Leaving

Finally, the unsexy (but necessary) details:

• What happens to your U.S. address (mail forwarding, family address, virtual mailbox)?
• Do you keep your U.S. driver’s license and bank accounts?
• How will you handle U.S. taxes as a citizen abroad? (The IRS follows you.)
• What about health insurance during the transition?
• Do you need a cross-border financial planner or tax professional?

This is where qualified professionals are worth it, especially on taxes and residency rules.

Moving abroad is a project. Once you treat it like one, step-by-step, it stops being a fantasy and becomes a timeline.

You’re Not Crazy for Wanting More

Here’s what I want you to take away:

• You’re not crazy for wanting more than working, worrying, and trying to survive rising costs in the U.S.
• Millions of Americans already live abroad, and tens of millions more are at least entertaining the idea.
• It’s not just rich people and Instagram nomads, there are teachers, nurses, single parents, remote workers, retirees, and regular folks who just decided to try something different.

Is moving abroad easy? No.
Is it possible? Yes.
Is it worth exploring if your spirit is screaming for change? In my experience, absolutely.

If You’re Feeling the Pull, Here’s Your Next Step

If your nervous system lights up when you read this, that mix of fear and excitement… that’s your sign.

• Start by writing down your “why” and your numbers.
• Pick 2–3 countries and read their official visa pages.
• Make a folder and start collecting documents.
• And keep learning, not just vibes and pretty scenery, but the real logistics.

I’m Vetta. I’ve been to over 60 countries, lived in a few, and I left the U.S. as a solo mom with two sons, one’s in college now, and my youngest is still on the road with me.

If you’re feeling that pull, that shift, like there has to be more than working and worrying in the States…

Follow along and stick around here.

I share real talk on visas, money, and logistics so you can plan your exit and build a life abroad on purpose, not by accident.