Where are Americans looking to move to and rent in Spain?

Spain is becomingly increasingly popular with Americans looking to move abroad, particularly since the introduction of the digital nomad visa in the last few years, as well as the current political climate in the States.

Between 2022 and 2024, Spain's American population grew by more than 10,000 people and now totals more than 50,000.

Historically, Madrid has been the most popular place in Spain for Americans to move to, whether that’s because of work or the draw of other Americans in the same city, it’s not clear.

This is unlike Brits and the other northern Europeans who typically choose the southern costas or Spain's islands to move to.

EXPLAINED: How Americans can move to Spain

But now that many Americans are working remotely or are self-employed they have more freedom to choose where they want to live.

According to new data released by property portal Idealista, Americans have been searching for rental homes in many areas of the country and they come out ahead of all nationalities in many different regions.

The first province they come out on top for searches is perennial favourite among many nationalities – Valencia. Here international demand for rental homes makes up 17 percent of total searches in the region, and of these searches from overseas 14 percent are from the USA.

Similar to the draw of Madrid in previous years, Americans are choosing a province with a major city over the smaller beach towns near Alicante, for example.

The second province where Americans top overseas rental property searches for, ahead of other foreigners is a bit of a surprise – the province of Granada, in eastern Andalusia. International demand here makes up 14.5 percent of overall searches for rental properties, and of these 13 percent come from the United States.

It’s likely US nationals are looking in the city of Granada itself given its history and strong Andalusian culture.

READ ALSO: The reasons why Spain is a top choice for American digital nomads

The third Spanish province where Americans are the main group of foreigners looking to rent in is Madrid, which comes as no surprise given Americans' traditional interest in the Spanish capital. Here, rental searches from abroad make up 9.1 percent of the total in Spain and, 13 percent of these searches are from the US.

Foreigners don’t tend to choose northern Spain as their base when they move here, preferring to follow the well-trodden paths of those before them which are usually sunnier and warmer, but Americans are in fact the number one foreigners searching for rental properties in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country.

Here, international demand for rental properties is 8.6 percent and Americans make up 19 percent of this. San Sebastián is the capital and largest city in Gipuzkoa, so we can safely assume that most of the searches are concentrated here. As Spain’s top foodie city, with plenty of history, architecture and a stunning beach, it’s easy to understand why Americans would be drawn here.

Next in joint place are Lugo province in Galicia and Seville in Andalusia, where in both cases 8.1 percent of the rental searches are from foreigners. In Lugo, Americans make up 12 percent of these rent seekers, while in Seville they make up 14 percent. Those searching in Galicia are more than likely after a rural life surrounded by nature with the ability to fully integrate into local culture, while those searching in Seville are possibly attracted by its status as the capital of Andalusia – famed for Spanish icons – flamenco, tapas and heat.

Córdoba province comes in next, where foreigners make up 7.9 percent of searches and 14 percent of these are Americans. Like Seville, Córdoba is famed for iconic Andalusian culture and also has lots of history left over from the Moors. Also similar to Seville, Americans may be shocked by just how hot it is in the summer months. Córdoba consistently records some of the hottest temperature in the whole country.

And that's not all. The data reveals that when it comes to international internet searches for Spanish rental properties, Americans are easily the nationality that takes the most interest overall, and are the most open to the possibility of living in a Spanish province with a small foreign population.

Demand for rental properties by Americans is also higher than any other nationality in the provinces of Salamanca, Asturias, Cantabria, A Coruña, Segovia, Vizcaya, Ciudad Real, Ávila, León, La Rioja, Toledo, Burgos, Navarre and Albacete.

Most of these provinces are in Spain's interior or along the northern coast. They are far less touristy and popular territories, and therefore rents are generally considerably lower.

There are also several provinces in Spain where searches by Americans come in second or third place in terms of rental searches by foreigners, such as Barcelona, Cádiz, Castellón, Valladolid, Huesca or Guadalajara.

What's clear is that Spain is an attractive choice for many US nationals who are considering leaving the States currently, and their interest in España and all of its 50 provinces is far more varied that among most foreign nationals.

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