Matthew McConaughey – Texas
LA is home to Hollywood, historic sports franchises like the Lakers and Dodgers, Disneyland, beautiful beaches, and near-perfect weather. But between the high cost of living, natural disasters, and a polarizing social culture, it’s far from perfect.
A-List celebrities call La-La Land home because of the many projects filmed there. But, with productions being more limited, and more meetings being done virtually, these celebrities have found there is no longer a need to stay in Tinseltown. See which of the biggest stars in Hollywood have decided to leave Los Angeles for greener pastures…
Robert Pattinson – United Kingdom
Matthew McConaughey had already sold most, if not all, of his homes in the Hollywood area by the year 2014. Coincidentally, it was that year that he won an Oscar for his role in The Dallas Buyers Club, which may have been a sign of things to come.
In 2015, he joined the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin after years of attending sporting events for the school. McConaughey has even become such a Texas icon at this point, that there were even rumors that he may run for governor of Texas in 2022, but the actor dismissed those.
Rosario Dawson – New Jersey
Hailing from London, Robert Pattinson lived in Los Angeles for a number of years after gaining worldwide fame for his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga. He also had a pivotal role as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Eventually, however, he decided to move back home.
When he ended up going back to England, he dated British singer FKA Twigs for a while. Despite his decision to go back to the United Kingdom, Pattinson still has seen no shortage of high-profile movie roles. He is set to play the newest iteration of Batman in The Batman in 2022.
Gigi Hadid – Pennsylvania
Dawson just moved to New Jersey recently for good reason. The actress wanted to live closer to her boyfriend, NJ Senator Cory Booker, who she hadn’t physically been with for almost all of the pandemic.
Though she hadn’t seen him since February, the couple decided to take their relationship to the next level and move in together in Newark. Dawson was born in New York, so she’s also now much closer to her roots.
Gwen Stefani & Blake Shelton – Oklahoma
Supermodel Gigi Hadid chose to move to her family’s farm in rural Pennsylvania during the lengthy pandemic. She was joined by her boyfriend singer Zayn Malik, her sister Bella, her mom, their brother Anwar, and his girlfriend Dua Lipa.
Most of the famous Hadid family has since returned to their usual homes, but Gigi, Zayn, and mom Yolanda have remained on the farm. That’s a lot of star power under one roof, especially out in the country.
Sandra Bullock – Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Texas
In another pandemic move, singer and TV personality Stefani and her three kids shipped out to Shelton’s ranch all the way out in Oklahoma. They return to Los Angeles for work regularly, but Shelton wishes it didn’t have to be that way.
He actually spends part of every year back at his ranch in his native state because he feels trapped in city environments. The ranch even has a Hawaiian-inspired home, which he had created to help coax Stefani into spending more time there.
Kate Walsh – Australia
Sandra Bullock seems to prefer to stay away from the spotlight whenever she can, opting for more of a quiet life. The Oscar-winning actress splits her time between various properties located in the states of Georgia, Louisiana, New York, and Texas, for the most part.
Her most permanent residence is in New Orleans – Bullock bought a home in the Big Easy’s Garden District with her then-husband Jesse James. She still lives there today with her two kids and boyfriend, Bryan Randall.
Rachel McAdams – Canada
Similar to Efron, actress Walsh also took a trip to Australia before quarantine went into effect around the world. She visited Perth, fell in love and saw a future there – when the pandemic hit, staying seemed obvious.
So when she wasn’t allowed to travel to the US when her trip was supposed to end, she didn’t mind at all. In fact, she wants to bring the industry to Western Australia and has talked about how the entertainment industry is due for expansion beyond LA.
Bill Johnson – Mexico
McAdams is originally from London, Ontario – as she grew up, she bounced back and forth between American and Canadian productions and has lived all over. Later in life after achieving relative success, she lived in Los Angeles.
McAdams now lives in Toronto, nearby where she grew up. McAdams doesn’t even own a car these days – the actress just rides her bike everywhere around town and is often spotted at restaurants throughout the city.
Rob Schneider – Arizona
Actor and film producer Johnson rented out his home in the Los Angeles area and relocated to the beach town of Careyes on the west coast of Mexico with his wife and two children. This was partially due to the pandemic.
Per his wife Leah Forester, they just wanted to be in a healthy, supportive and serene environment and felt that Los Angeles wasn’t that. Their new home helps them feel like they have a greater sense of control in their lives.
Busy Philipps – New York
Schneider announced he was leaving California for Arizona via Twitter. He wrote a lot about everything that he used to love about the state, but that his heart is broken now due to all that’s happening there.
For one, he didn’t like the state’s response to the coronavirus and questioned not only its economic impact but its impact on mental and physical wellness. Now he’s living in a location where he can enjoy a greater sense of peace and privacy.
Zac Efron – Australia
Busy Phillips, best known for roles on Dawson’s Creek and ER, is one of several celebrities to opt to move to New York. However, she and her family live in the city rather than the countryside, where relocating celebrities in seek of anonymity often flock.
In this case, the move from Los Angeles was due to concerns about the consistent wildfires and smog. The numerous fires in the area finally put her over the edge after she had been complaining about the environmental, physical, and mental toxicity of the city.
Hugh Jackman – Australia
Efron visited Australia and loved it so much that once the pandemic hit, he just decided to stay. Since then, he has been living in Byron Bay, which is on the east coast of the continent and south of Brisbane.
He reportedly canceled his flight back home when his visa extension was approved by the government. The actor has been seen with Aussie model Vanessa Valladares after the two met at the restaurant she works at, so Efron has an incentive to stay.
Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban – Australia, New York, Tennessee
Jackman, perhaps better known as Wolverine from the X-Men film series, lives in Melbourne, Australia. While he may still have a residence in Los Angeles, he’s back in his home country and has no immediate plans to return to LA.
He enjoys the more relaxed vibe and better quality of life for his wife and children in Melbourne. According to him, it’s a great place to raise a family, which he felt was always a concern in Los Angeles.
Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds – New York
While actress Kidman and musical artist Keith Urban still keep a home in Beverly Hills, they also have two homes in Australia. Additionally, the power couple has a mansion in Nashville, and a $10 million condo in Manhattan.
Despite their wide array of home choices, they spend most of their time in Tennessee, and little to no time in Los Angeles these days. This decision of principal residence may be due to the fact that Tennessee has a 0% income tax rate.
Joe Rogan – Texas
In 2010, Reynolds and ex-wife Scarlet Johansson filed for divorce in Los Angeles. When his relationship with Lively got serious, they decided to start over by purchasing a mansion on a large lot for $5.7 million across the country in New York.
The couple now raises their three kids there. Taxes in New York are arguably just as bad as in California in many aspects, but at least the happy family has nearly 12 acres and a barn to enjoy together.
Elon Musk – Texas
Joe Rogan is a comedian and one of the biggest podcasters, who lived in Southern California for more than 25 years. However, he announced in recent years that he wanted to go somewhere in the middle of the country where he could have a little bit more freedom, so he settled on Austin, Texas.
Some of the issues that drove him out Los Angeles included the economy, homelessness, overpopulation, and philosophical differences with the local and state government. In 2022, many artists pulled their music from Spotify, which streams Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, because of guests that he has interviewed.
Tom Hanks – Greece
Tesla billionaire Elon Musk had been on the fence about where he wanted to call “home” after he ripped the state government for their handling of the pandemic. But it wasn’t until November of 2020 that he announced a move to Texas – along with his entire company.
He had two different Tesla facilities built in both Nevada and Texas after getting fed up with his California location, but he considers his primary residence to be in the city of Austin, Texas. Musk has also in recent years sold his four homes in Bel Air, for a total of $62 million.
Neve Campbell – United Kingdom
Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson were some of the first big names to have their COVID diagnosis made public. Luckily, both have recovered from their bouts with the virus, but fans were shocked when the news initially broke.
In the meantime, the couple has obtained citizenship in Greece. The country welcomed Hanks, Wilson, and their children in because they helped raise money for the victims of a deadly fire outside of Athens in 2018.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle – Santa Barbara, California
Campbell talked about her decision to leave Hollywood, and move to Europe on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She chose to do so after her early career success led to constantly being followed and harassed by fans and paparazzi alike.
Longing for anonymity, Campbell moved to London. While she may have moved to one of the only locations in the world that can rival, or even exceed, the cost of living in Los Angeles, the tradeoff has seemingly paid off for Campbell.
Chris Hemsworth – Australia
The royal couple initially raised eyebrows when they left the United Kingdom and moved to Los Angeles early on in 2020, but they quickly decided the city wasn’t working for them. They ended up relocating north to Santa Barbara, CA in July of 2020.
The two moved into a quiet and private community and hope their new neighbors won’t pry too much. While the cost of living in Santa Barbara isn’t low, it pales in comparison to the price of living in LA in the heart of it all.
James & Kimberly Van Der Beek – Texas
The Australian-born actor announced he was moving back to his native country in 2015. He was able to do so because he didn’t have to be in Hollywood to secure movie roles after making a name for himself in several superhero films.
He spent around seven years in Los Angeles, building up his resume before heading back home. He now lives in a quiet, coastal town on the other side of the globe and travels whenever necessary for work.
Dana Brunetti – Italy
James became famous for his roles in Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues as a teenage heartthrob – he and Kimberly are part of a family of seven now. They went on a 10-day road trip from LA to get to their new home, and have never been happier.
They look forward to getting in touch with nature, which they found difficult to do living in Los Angeles, where it’s hard to get away there without sitting in traffic. Kimberly did say she’ll miss her old city, though.
Mark Ruffalo – New York
A producer on the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, Brunetti can now call himself an Italian citizen. He’s of Italian descent to begin with, so it wasn’t too surprising for fans who knew him to hear the big news.
He was inspired to look into alternate citizenship after reading Neil Strauss’ Emergency. The book details how Strauss got citizenship on the island of Saint Kitts as a backup plan for an imminent apocalypse.
Theo Von – Tennessee
Ruffalo got his start in Hollywood by living in the heart of the entertainment industry. However, he and his wife, Sunrise Coigney, relocated about a decade ago to the quieter countryside of upstate New York.
They live on approximately 50 acres, where they raise their three kids. His wife even opened her own shop in town that offers clothing and home goods, so it doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere anytime soon.
Gene Simmons – Washington
Von is a versatile comedian, podcaster, TV personality and actor. He used to live and work in Los Angeles, but like many others in the entertainment industry, Von has his sights set elsewhere these days.
He recently moved the production of his podcast “This Past Weekend” to Nashville. Von was born in Louisiana, so perhaps the move was to be closer to his southern roots while also saving money by getting away from California’s taxes.
Julia Roberts – New Mexico & San Francisco, California
A KISS band member is on his way out of California, too. Simmons and his family are planning to sell the Los Angeles mansion (worth approximately $22 million) that they’ve lived in for more than 35 years.
Washington doesn’t have any state income taxes, which likely attracted him. As California’s income tax rates continue to rise, more high-earning individuals will likely leave the state just like Simmons.
Kim & Kanye West – Wyoming
Julia Roberts moved up to the Bay Area in the last few years, catching a lot of her friends off-guard with the sudden choice to move from Southern to Northern California. She moved into a rental property in San Francisco while her family’s new $8.3 million home is being built.
In the past, the Roberts family had lived on a ranch in Taos, New Mexico, which is a small town in the northern part of the state. Roberts and her husband Danny Moder liked raising their three children there because the paparazzi was few and far between.
Lou Ferrigno – Pismo Beach, California
Rumors began swirling that the Kim and Kanye were on their way out of California after Kanye purchased two $14 million ranches in Cody, Wyoming. The purchases were due to his desire to move his apparel company to Wyoming to save on business costs.
Wyoming has no state income taxes, which would save the family around $15 million if they lived there for half of each year moving forward. However, with their divorce having been finalized, now it’s certainly unclear if either of them will end up in Wyoming long-term.
Meryl Streep – Connecticut
Ferrigno is another celebrity to stay in California, but move away from LA. He was fed up with what he described as the dramatic decline of the city – his wife even mentioned a story where people in the neighborhood made her feel uncomfortable.
They’re moving nearly 200 miles northwest and settling along the central coast. They’ll save around $1 million by trading in their old house in pricey Santa Monica for their new place in picturesque Pismo Beach.
Dante Harper – Sonoma, California
Streep, one of the most respected actresses ever with earnings well into nine figures, now lives in Connecticut with her husband. She’s originally from New Jersey but spent years in Los Angeles over the course of her legendary career.
While they own several homes, the one in Connecticut sits on 90 acres surrounded by large stone walls and a privately owned lake. Also, the main home is blocked by two barns, a cottage for the caretaker and an art studio.
Josh Brolin – Georgia & Simi Valley, California
Dante, also known as DW in the entertainment industry, started out as an independent filmmaker. In March of 2020, the screenwriter and WGA board member moved north with his partner to a farm in Sonoma, of all places.
He got worried about COVID in January. At the time, he was stressed because nobody was taking the virus very seriously, which was part of the reason why he wanted to leave densely populated Los Angeles.
Renee Taylor – New York
The last of the celebrities on this list to move elsewhere within California, Brolin and his wife, Kathryn Boyd, sold their $6.55 million home in the Brentwood area. In its place, they took on two properties on different sides of the country.
The new California home is in Simi Valley, which is about 40 miles northwest and over the mountains from Los Angeles. They also own a $3.5 million property in Atlanta, Georgia, which is (oddly) far more expensive than their Simi Valley residence.
Jeff Daniels – Michigan
Taylor, a screenwriter and actress who has been in the industry for more than fifty years, sold her home in Beverly Hills after living there for an impressive 43 years. Instead, she decided to move to the East Coast.
Unfortunately, her husband Joseph Bologna passed away in 2017. It wasn’t quite as much fun for her to live in Los Angeles anymore after her spouse was no longer by her side, which is pretty understandable.
John Mayer – Montana
Daniels left Los Angeles a long time ago after initially making a name for himself in the industry. In 1986, he decided to move back to his hometown of Chelsea, Michigan – eight years before “Dumb & Dumber” even hit theaters.
He and his high school sweetheart always put their family first, so going back home was an easy decision for them to make. The couple ended up raising their now three grown-up kids there, away from the lights of Hollywood.
Elijah Wood – Texas
While the heartthrob singer and musician eventually ended up back in Los Angeles, Mayer left in 2013 following a serious and scary throat surgery. He moved all the way out to Paradise Valley, Montana to recover.
The change of scenery clearly impacted Mayer positively when he got back to making new music. The title of his next album turned out to be “Paradise Valley”, named after the tiny town in the Treasure State.
Kyle Chandler – Texas
Wood, of Lord of the Rings fame, left Hollywood for Austin, selling his Santa Monica property for nearly $2 million in the process. The house only had three bedrooms, which shows how crazy the real estate prices are in Los Angeles.
In Austin, he feels more like a local and enjoys a more relaxed lifestyle. Wood has stayed busy with acting, DJing, and philanthropy – not to mention raising his first child with partner and film producer Mette-Marie Kongsved.
Chris Harrison – Texas
Chandler likes to keep away from the narcissism in Hollywood, so he opted to raise his family on a 33-acre estate just outside of Austin. He has two children with his wife, Kathryn, but otherwise lives a relatively private life.
Before moving to Texas, he and his family lived in Los Angeles for almost two decades. Now, they share their giant property with four dogs and five miniature donkeys, condisering Chandler met his future wife at a dog park, the animals make a lot of sense.
Debby Ryan & Joshua Dun – Texas
There are reports that Harrison, the host of The Bachelor since way back in 2002, is packing his bags and moving to Austin. He has a house being built in the Barton Creek area, which is southwest of downtown.
Fans of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and other spinoffs need not worry, though. Harrison has claimed he’s not leaving the show, even if he is indeed moving away from hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
Tommy Lee Jones – Texas
Actress Ryan recently married Dun, the drummer for Twenty-One Pilots in an impromptu wedding held in Texas, which was a signal of things to come. Ryan spent part of her childhood in Texas, which may help explain her affinity for the area.
She has since put her home in Hollywood Hills up for sale. It’s located in the mountains above the Cahuenga Pass, the bachelorette pad sits on a quiet little-known cul-de-sac and was offered for around $1.5 million.
John Travolta – Florida
Born in Texas, Jones is yet another celebrity with ties to the Lone Star state – recently, he moved out to his ranch in San Antonio. The actor already has several other properties throughout the state, too.
While he started his acting career in New York after graduating from Harvard, where he played football and was roommates with Al Gore, Jones eventually ended up on the west coast. In 1975, he moved to Los Angeles in an effort to advance his career.
Donald Trump – Florida
Travolta now lives in Jumbolair in north-central Florida. While this is seemingly an odd place for a celebrity of his status, Travolta’s property is designed with his love for aircrafts in mind – plus, he enjoys the peaceful environment.
He’s a certified private pilot, and owns five planes that he uses for both business and personal reasons. There are two private runways right next to his house, complete with hangars to store his expensive toys.
Joey Diaz – New Jersey
The 45th President of the United States has commercial and residential properties all over the country. However, he decided to sell his Beverly Hills estate for $13.5 million in 2019, leaving him with just one other residence in the state.
Trump is expected to make his Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago his residence when he leaves office. In fact, he has already changed his legal residency to Florida, and is expected to be living there full-time.
Actor, comedian, and podcaster Joey Diaz ended his show, “The Church Of What’s Happening Now”, and left Los Angeles for good. As it turns out, je just wasn’t happy living there anymore after so many years.
Although he was actually born in the island nation of Cuba, Diaz emigrated to New Jersey at a very young age. Now he will finally be returning to his adopted home after almost 40 years based on the west coast.