A growing number of residents in the Seattle area are making the move abroad, and not for adventure, but for affordability. In the wake of tech layoffs, rising living costs, and a volatile economic and political landscape, retiring in King County is looking less realistic for many. In response, some are opting out entirely, settling instead in countries where their retirement savings stretch further and their monthly costs are slashed by half or more.
While there’s no definitive count of how many Americans are retiring overseas, the trend is gaining traction. According to Social Security data, nearly half a million retired U.S. workers received their benefits abroad in 2024 — a 7% increase from five years earlier. Europe accounts for more than a third of that total, and advisors working in the expatriate space say interest has never been higher, especially among people in their 40s and 50s who aren’t yet eligible for full retirement but see an opportunity to leave the U.S. workforce early by moving abroad.
In Washington state, this shift is amplified by local conditions. Housing prices in King County remain among the highest in the nation. Health care, food, and transportation all come at a premium. Even with careful financial planning, maintaining a middle-class lifestyle into retirement can be difficult.
That reality is pushing some residents to reimagine retirement altogether. In regions like Brittany in northwestern France, former Seattleites are finding homes listed at half the price of comparable properties in Western Washington. Monthly grocery bills are 40% lower. Phone plans, utilities, and insurance all cost a fraction of what they do stateside. Even with international moving expenses and visa hurdles, many find the long-term math hard to ignore.
While the barriers to entry, including immigration requirements and private health insurance costs, are real, they’re increasingly viewed as a one-time investment in a radically lower-cost life. And as more former Washingtonians trade their homes in Woodinville or West Seattle for smaller towns in Portugal, France, or Mexico, they’re part of a larger movement redefining what it means to retire “well.”
This post was based on information found on The Seattle Times.
