Americans Are Leaving the U.S. in Record Numbers

For the first time since the 1930s, more Americans are leaving the U.S. than moving in—a quiet exodus reshaping the nation’s identity. The Wall Street Journal’s Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson uncovered that over 180,000 Americans moved abroad last year, with numbers rising sharply since the pandemic, driven not by politics but by affordability, healthcare costs, and a desire for better quality of life. Remote work enabled a seismic shift: families from the Midwest and South now run businesses from small towns in Portugal, Spain, and Mexico, while others flee school shootings and burnout. The LeBlancs, a Los Angeles couple, moved to Lisbon after years of saving through short-term rentals, cutting their expenses in half and gaining time with their kids—walking them to school, ditching long commutes, and paying less for healthcare and education. Yet this wave isn’t universally welcomed; rising rents in places like Ponta do Sol have sparked backlash from locals. Meanwhile, a booming industry of relocation services—targeting women, Trump critics, and the wealthy—has emerged to meet demand. The story forces a reckoning: America, long defined as a land of immigration, may now be becoming a country of emigration, challenging its foundational narrative. This isn’t just a trend—it’s a structural pivot. The U.S. doesn’t track how many citizens leave, but the data that does exist reveals a profound shift.