Is now a good time to flee the US

1. Why people say they want to leave — anxiety, affordability and identity

Surveys and cultural reporting show a sharp rise in Americans contemplating permanent departure: young women and many younger adults report higher levels of stress and a desire to emigrate, often tied to politics, safety, and cost-of-living concerns rather than a single crisis ^{[5] [6] [7]}. Public sentiment about 2026 is broadly pessimistic across economic, political and social dimensions, with majorities forecasting a difficult year — a mood driver that pushes consideration of leaving even while data on macro performance are mixed ^[2].

2. The macro picture: stable growth, sticky inflation, and a mixed labor market

Forecasters and institutions paint a complicated economic portrait for 2026: many expect modest to mediocre growth with pockets of acceleration driven by AI and investment, while inflation is likely to cool only slowly and labor markets look softer with hiring freezes in some white-collar sectors ^{[8] [9] [10]}. The Federal Reserve’s forecasts and private banks anticipate some rate easing but not a clear-cut rebound in wages for many households, meaning affordability pressures will persist even if headline growth continues ^{[1] [11]}.

3. Migration realities: leaving is culturally appealing but practically constrained

Interest in emigrating is high — polls show millions considering leaving and younger cohorts especially receptive — but translating desire into action requires navigating visas, taxes, healthcare, and often substantial upfront cost; firms selling “golden visas” and guides emphasize that leaving is a structured, often expensive undertaking, not a simple escape ^{[5] [4] [3]}. Government data and policy shifts also matter: official projections and analyses indicate net migration patterns and enforcement changes that reshape global and domestic mobility, making some destinations more accessible and others less so ^{[12] [13]}.

4. Risk matrix: when fleeing is defensible, when it isn’t

Leaving is defensible when driven by concrete, solvable factors — a confirmed job offer overseas, legal residency or citizenship options (investment or skilled visas), demonstrable healthcare or safety needs, or a well-modeled tax plan — all of which mitigate the logistical and financial risks cited by immigration advisers ^{[4] [14] [3]}. It is less defensible as a reaction to uncertainty alone: forecasters expect “mediocre growth” rather than collapse and multiple institutions warn that recession or crisis scenarios are not the baseline for 2026 ^{[9] [15]}.

5. Hidden agendas and the media market for “leave” narratives

Commercial actors — immigration firms, golden-visa promoters, and some partisan outlets — have incentives to amplify anxiety and sell departure as a solution; readers should treat promotional guides and soliciting firms skeptically and cross-check with neutral sources such as CBO, Pew, and mainstream economic forecasting ^{[4] [13] [16]}. At the same time, advocacy and academic sources highlight legitimate grievances and trade-offs, so dismissal of emigration motives as mere alarmism is also misleading ^{[17] [18]}.

6. Practical takeaways: plan, test, and hedge

For those seriously contemplating departure, the prudent course is to inventory immigration pathways, secure employment or financial buffers, consult tax and legal advisors about U.S. filing obligations and renunciation costs, and pilot the move (work remote from target, short-term residency) before irreversible steps; numerous how-to guides and firms outline the steps but underscore cost, paperwork, and health/education considerations ^{[3] [19] [14]}. For the majority whose worries are real but not immediate, domestic hedges — moving within the U.S. for affordability or changing employment — will often be lower-cost and reversible options ^{[20] [21]}.