American Retirees Are Moving to France, Italy and Costa Rica

Warm weather, a low cost of living and a relaxed pace have always been high on the list of criteria for people looking for a place to retire. But for an increasing number of Americans, the ideal destination has another ingredient: being outside the US.

“There’s this huge movement of Americans wanting to retire abroad,” says David Kuenzi, director of international wealth management at Geneva-based Creative Planning. The percentage of people older than 55 who want to leave the country has more than quadrupled since 1974, to 17%, according to polling from Monmouth University and Gallup. Experts on ...