Getty Images
Americans are more interested than ever in moving abroad, and a new study highlights residents in which states are most eager to flee the U.S.—and where they want to go.
The study from Argentina Expat, which caters to expats living in and doing business with Argentina, crunched Google Trends data from August 2024 to August 2025 across all 50 U.S. states and Washington DC, ranking which states had residents doing the most online searches for terms such as “golden visa” and “citizenship by investment.”
All state-level data was then normalized by Google Trends to account for population differences, providing a proportional measure of interest.
The final index score was normalized on a 0-100 scale, where the state with the highest search volume was assigned a score of 100.
Argentina Expat founder Ognjen Pavlovic says that interest in moving abroad has skyrocketed in the U.S.
“Up until a few years ago, the main customers for these [golden visa] programs were Russians, Chinese, Arabs, rich Africans,” he tells Realtor.com®. “But there has been more and more interest from wealthy Americans.”
While divisive politics plays a role in Americans wanting to get out of Dodge, the high cost of living is also key.
The average retired American household spends around $5,000 a month to live, according to the Federal Reserve’s 2023 consumer expenditure survey. Yet retired workers will collect an average Social Security check of just $2,005.05 as of June 2025, according to the Social Security Administration.
“Americans are researching how they can move abroad, what it will cost, and what the benefits are,” says Pavlovic. “Especially older people—free and cheaper health care is always a popular reason to want to relocate.”
The states where people are most interesting in leaving
Topping the rankings was Washington, DC, which had double the amount of interest in leaving as the next place on the list.
The District of Columbia has a fairly high international population, and with a median household income of $108,210 (145% above the median national), residents of the capital are more likely to have the means to snag a golden visa (minimum investment amounts vary per country).
Elizabeth Burke, a DC resident who has been planning her retirement abroad for years, says she isn’t the only Washingtonian itching to pack up.
“It’s the political environment,” she tells Realtor.com. “In six months, we have had thousands of federal employees lose their jobs. Thousands of people flooding the job market is making the ability to find a comparable job extremely difficult.”
Additionally, according to a survey by The Washington Post/Schar School, 79% of residents either somewhat or strongly oppose the recent President Trump-ordered federal takeover of the city.
Burke says the feeling in the city is that it has become “a police state.”
While she had previously set her sights on Portugal—the country Americans most want to move to—she has recently changed her plans, opting for Mexico, saying a Portugal visa have become too difficult to obtain.
Either way, she is adamant that DC will be in her rearview mirror when she retires.
The next places with residents most interested in moving (ranked) are: Washington, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Oregon. (Virginia and Maryland have many DC suburbs where residents are likely to work in the capital.)
The top nine states (plus D.C.) all have median incomes well above the median national—and all are considered blue states.
“The top of the list is dominated by coastal, high-income states, suggesting a strong link between wealth, political affiliation, and the desire for an international option,” says the report.
Beyond all having liberal-leaning politics and a higher income level, the top states are dominated by industries with workers who are more likely to be able to work remotely or have international offices.
“Many people in these states are working in tech, finance, global fields,” says Pavlovic. “They have contacts in other countries and have visited other countries. They’re international-minded.”
Additionally, these are states where home valuations have skyrocketed, so a home sale could be more likely to fund a move abroad—with plenty left over.
“If the average American sells the average house, they can buy a golden visa in many other countries, and they’re getting much more for their money, and would still have quarter of a million dollars to live on and invest,” explains Pavlovic.
The median national home price was $439,450 in July, according to the latest Realtor.com housing market trends report. For many countries, $250,000 is the typical threshold to buy into a real estate or investment-linked golden visa.
The states with residents least interested in leaving the U.S. are Kentucky, Montana, Mississippi, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
All except North Dakota have a median household income below the national, and all except Montana have a median home list price below the national. This means that the populace is less likely to have the cash or ability to sell a house that would fund a golden visa.
Where do people want to go?
There was one clear destination winner: Portugal. Searches for the European coastal country dominated in all but four states.
“Portugal’s popularity has been fueled by its relatively straightforward path to European Union residency and its appeal to American expats,” says the study.
However, among Texans, the United Arab Emirates was the most searched area. Nevada and Arkansas residents went for Spain, and those in New Mexico pined for Malta.
“Americans tend to prefer Europe,” says Pavlovic. But that is starting to change, as European home prices and cost of living can oftentimes be as pricey as the U.S.
Increased searches for Argentina (+110%) and Thailand (+80%) show that Americans are casting their net wider these days. Paraguay saw a breakout surge of interest in August, but currently doesn’t have a golden visa program, says the study.
Here are the top 10 states whose residents showed the most interest in moving abroad, ranked:
District of Columbia
Index score: 100
Median home list price: $597,999
(Realtor.com)
Washington
Index score: 51
Median home list price: $659,475
California
Index score: 45
Median home list price: $750,000
Colorado
Index score: 43
Median home list price: $599,000
(Realtor.com)
Massachusetts
Index score: 42
Median home list price: $797,000
Vermont
Index score: 41
Median home list price: $525,000
Virginia
Index score: 40
Median home list price: $461,973
(Realtor.com)
Maryland
Index score: 40
Median home list price: $450,000
New York
Index score: 38
Median home list price: $671,500
Oregon
Index score: 38
Median home list price: $577,000
(Realtor.com)