America has seen a growing trend in recent years of people fleeing blue states for red states. But in Joe Biden's America of 2022, many are fleeing the country altogether. International firms report a growing number of Americans are now relocating to Europe, citing housing costs, inflation and crime. The most popular destinations for displaced Americans are Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece and France.
Chuck DeVore, Vice President of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, knows a thing or two about relocating. He spent most of his life in California before moving to Texas about a decade ago. He notes that a large number of Americans leaving for Europe happen to be Californians. "Polls show that for conservatives, they don't like the taxes in California, they don't like the cost of living in California, but they really don't like the politics there...and that's the number one reason people say they want to leave," he tells KTRH.
Politics aside, there are legitimate advantages in housing and jobs for those who relocate overseas. "First of all, housing is much more affordable in Europe," says DeVore. "European nations are all losing population---they're not at replacement level---so you end up with more housing stock available."
"Also, after the last two years of the pandemic, there's a lot more acceptance of working remotely," he continues. "So for people who can do that, moving to Europe is now the same as living 30 miles from the office and not coming in to the office."
The promise of cheaper housing, work flexibility, and safer communities is a powerful draw for Americans looking to get away from the problems here at home. But DeVore warns that the grass isn't always necessarily greener on the other side of the ocean. "Remember, no matter where you live the U.S. government is still going to tax you if you're a U.S. citizen," he says. "And then you have to navigate the tax laws in the new country in which you're living as well...so this can get pretty complicated, pretty quickly."