While your local neighborhood may be festooned in red, white and blue ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, a good portion of your friendly neighbors may be secretly pining to move their lives abroad.
Over a third of Americans (including foreign-born residents), and over half of Millennials, would consider taking a break from the country and moving abroad, according to a new survey from TransferWise.
TransferWise conducts an “Anchor Index” survey, which looks at how strongly people are tied to the U.S. as their permanent place of residence. The survey was conducted online in May among 2,090 U.S. adults and found that Millennials are the most likely generation to pick up and hop the pond: 55% of those aged 18-34 say they’d consider moving away.
Don’t be fooled–the drive to leave isn’t just about adventure, though that could be part of it. A higher salary is the most likely reason a Millennial would up and leave.
However, it doesn’t look like many people are going to act on those desires anytime soon. Only 14% of residents would consider a move within the next five years.
The biggest reason people would stay within the 50 states is that it’s simply home. Fifty-nine percent of U.S. born residents say that is the primary factor keeping them here. Foreign-born residents say the same thing, though at a slightly lower proportion–48%. Only about a quarter of foreign-born residents say they dream of returning to their home country.
Regardless of staying or leaving, the vast majority of respondents (84%) believe the U.S. could be made more appealing by providing more affordable healthcare, lower taxes and improved education.