But in recent years, it looks like the stars feel like they have had enough of the place and are relocating somewhere where life isn’t as hectic and the tax policies go a little more smoothly down one’s throat. This is our second collection of celebrities who moved to greener (and often less humid) pastures.
Jamie Lynn Sigler
Just like everyone else on this list, “The Sopranos” HBO actress Jamie Lynn Sigler made the decision to leave Hollywood for somewhere better. The mom of two feels calmer in Austin. She says there is a new outdoor appreciation and love of nature there. Hey, nature is great, we can't blame her.
In New York and L.A., she didn’t have that. She shared with “People” that she is viewing “The Sopranos” for the first time. She said it’s “bittersweet.” She also opened up about her struggles with multiple sclerosis and how living with it is a little easier in Texas.
Daniel Day-Lewis
After beating the all-time record by winning three Best Actor Oscars, Daniel Day-Lewis bid Hollywood farewell, surprising everyone with his 2017 retirement announcement. The famous method actor got into cobbling. He was a shoemaker apprentice in Florence and lived there temporarily. He has a place in Greenwich Village.
His wife Rebecca Miller and their two sons split their time in Manhattan and in Ireland. He has dual British and Irish citizenship and has a farmhouse in Ireland, in a village called Annamoe. He said he loved London but left because the press harassed him. In Wicklow, it’s an Irishman’s paradise.
Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels was not enthralled with Hollywood, so he moved back to his hometown, Chelsea. His Michigan roots were calling so he upended his family in 1986 and took the plunge. He said it worked great for his kids and high school sweetheart Kathleen who he married in 1979. He told “People” magazine that he was never captivated by the entertainment industry.
“I never bought it,” he said. He did not trust fame and he knew it would be fleeting, so he moved. Lately, he’s been racking up Tony nominations with three now, but previously won two Primetime Emmys and five Golden Globes.
Post Malone
Rapper Post Malone relocated to the L.A. area after growing up in Texas to become a big star. He rented a massive 11,200 mansion in Beverly Hills and stayed there until 2019. He bought a $3 million Salt Lake City compound. He told Joe Rogan that the move to Utah brought him peace of mind. L.A. was bad for his creative process.
His massive home is like an oasis, sprawling to almost 13,000 square feet and set on 7 acres. Luxury perks include a wine cellar, a home gym, and a basketball court. He’s adding an underground shelter to wait out the apocalypse.
Neil Young
In the ‘60s, a natural haven in Laurel Canyon attracted a community of musicians. Joni Mitchell, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, David Crosby, Frank Zappa, and even other celebs like Jack Nicholson chose to make the natural wonder of this canyon their home. Neil Young legendarily recorded “After the Gold Rush” after having met the musicians who made up "Crazy Horse" there.
“Southern Man” was actually written and recorded on the west coast. His Topanga Canyon home was located near Laurel Canyon on Sky Line Trail. It included a recording studio. He sold the 1,500-square-foot retreat and relocated to Redwood City.
Scott Foley
The “Scandal” and “Scrubs” star used to call Los Angeles home, but has since relocated himself and his family to Connecticut. Scott Foley sold his $4.5 million Hidden Hills single-story spread sitting on over an acre of land and surrounded by trees, which sounds like a dream.
The secluded home has a barn with room for three horses and an elaborate treehouse. On “Live With Kelly and Ryan” Foley said that after living in Los Angeles for 30 years, he is moving his wife and three kids to Connecticut. His wife is from East Coast, making it an easier move.
Haylie Duff
Haylie Duff joined two other young Hollywood families in a neighborhood outside of Austin that she loves. After living in Los Angeles for 20 years, you can say that it was a big move. Now she has new things to deal with, like scorpions, spiders, and other crawly things. But Austin is a hip city and it’s worth it.
The “Napoleon Dynamite” star hails from Texas. She told Nicki Swift that Los Angeles felt like the right thing then, and this is right now. Her daughters love the extra space. She likes that she can live nearby her dad in Texas.
Larry Ellison
While Los Angeles may be a very sought-after place to live, if you have your own island, L.A. starts looking like a little 'meh' place to put down roots. He practically owns the entire island of Lanai in Hawaii, so now he’s going to live there. He was a part of the 2020 rush out of the state.
Of the island’s 90,000 acres, Larry Ellison purchased 87,000 for $300 million in 2012. In 2020 Ellison announced that he would be working from the island of Lanai. He also announced that Oracle, his California company, will henceforth be headquartered in Austin. He has been there since.
Busy Philipps
Busy Philipps and her hubby Marc Silverstein decided to leave their property in the Hollywood foothills for cleaner air in New York state. The 2020 wildfires triggered Philipps’ desire to live in the wide-open lands of the Hudson River Valley, a great place for the couple’s two daughters to grow up.
The Dawson’s Creek actress and rom-com filmmaker left their historic Hollywood home with a dining room that can double as a ballroom for four and a half acres in Upstate New York. It looks like whoever bought the house from them will now have to start hosting some balls.
Pauly Shore
If you appreciate this comedian, you are probably an ‘80s kid. Pauly Shore started as a standup at The Comedy Store in L.A., growing up in Beverly Hills. By 1989 he was a VJ at MTV. The stoner surfer dude who invented “the weasel” starred in movies too. It made sense for his life to keep living there, but then things changed.
He lost his mother, Mitzi Shore, owner of The Comedy Store, in 2018. Shook by grief, he checked out of Los Angeles and into Las Vegas. Now he’s revving back and has made La Jolla his home, according to ABC local San Diego News.
Graham Stephan
Raised in Los Angeles and never imagining he would leave, Celebrity real estate mogul Graham Stephan followed the trend of those who want out because of taxes, homelessness, and increased crime. Stephan said his girlfriend was afraid to walk to the grocery store.
The multimillionaire YouTuber opted to keep his L.A. property, so moving to Vegas had a lot of “cost benefits,” like being only a car drive back to L.A. for work. He was 18 when he got his real estate license but became famous via YouTube. He said the breaking point of going remote freed him from California dependency.
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly famously left Hollywood behind completely after marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Crowned Princess Grace of Monaco, acting was now beneath her, and Alfred Hitchcock would have to look elsewhere for a muse. It was assumed that her new prince did not allow the former actress to make movies.
Her 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier was one of the most illustrious weddings ever. It was elaborate and extravagant. She had apparently tried to get back to acting, but the Monaco palace thwarted those efforts. In any case, Monaco is far from the entertainment capital and Princess Grace wouldn’t return.
Sandra Bullock
Much like several other people on this list, who share her passion and her kind of funds, this A-lister loves to collect properties. She has mansions, swanky L.A. condos, a beach cottage, a plantation house in Georgia, and a beautiful gothic Victorian estate in New Orleans, some of which are rentals. But that’s not all.
Sandra Bullock is most at home in her Texas property — a 5,000-square-foot Lake Austin-area house that she discovered in 1997 while filming “Hope Floats.” The “Speed” actress has several other properties in Austin, plus a compound in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, but the lake house is her favorite.
Jim Morrison
The Doors' leadman was sick of Los Angeles, frustrated with his sexualized image, and looking for an escape. Drinking too much was one way but moving to Paris to live with his girlfriend Pam Courson was another. He grew his hair and beard to grizzly proportions and gained weight. Bandmembers remember his decline.
He sadly died at 27. Morrison, who glorified and romanced the City of Angels with songs like “L.A. Woman,” is forever in France, in the Père-Lachaise cemetery, alongside other famous personalities, in one of the world’s most visited graves. He only lived at the Rue Beautreillis apartment for a year.
Steve Perry
Before asking, “Who is Steve Perry?” think back to “The Sopranos” grand finale when Tony chooses “Don’t Stop Believin’” from the band Journey. Yep, that’s him, the band’s lead singer. Perry used to live in Los Angeles and tour with the band.
But one day in 1998, he bailed out on it all, and quit what he called “the Journey merry-go-round.” He was fed up with playing large venues and touring. The whole lifestyle that comes with being an integral part of a legendary band was becoming too much. He moved south to the beautiful seaside cliffs of Del Mar.
Kat Von D
Leaving “Casa Von D” behind was a sad goodbye for tattoo artist extraordinaire Kat Von D. She spent years restoring the Victorian Queen Anne mansion and was deeply attached to it. She even made a documentary film about the restoration process. She and her husband, musician Rafael Reyes, decided to move out to the countryside in small-town Indiana.
She will keep her tattoo shop in L.A. but not the historic Hancock Park property. Like Joe Rogan and Rob Schneider, Kat and Reyes became fed up with California. The native Californian said that ridiculous taxing, corruption, and government overreach drove her away.
Robert Pattinson
The “Twilight” star lived in Los Angeles for several years. He thought he would never return to London, but that is exactly what happened after he came to the conclusion that he “might be done with Los Angeles.” He has retained a splendid Hollywood Hills Spanish hacienda-style estate he purchased in 2014.
An estate that, as you can probably guess, he no longer lives in. Now he is calling London home. He began living in an apartment while filming “Batman.” He and his new girlfriend Suki Waterhouse, who is a model, and a musician, shares occasionally photos of the new flat on Instagram.
Michael Jackson
A documentary film titled “Leaving Neverland” refers to Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. Leaving the dark matters in the documentary aside, the estate is quite impressive. As one of the earlier celebrities to migrate to the Santa Barbara area, Jackson left his Encino home and moved into Neverland Ranch when he was 30 years old.
The complex fills nearly 3,000 acres with nothing but wilderness around. The estate is a 13,000-square-foot mansion and he converted the grounds into a wonderland with animals, working trains, and even a Ferris wheel. Jackson left the property after the personal matters he was dealing with (which all went public) and never returned.
Ryan Kavanaugh
Triller CEO Ryan Kavanagh moved out of the Southland for Florida. He moved his business and himself from his hometown of Brentwood. It was nice when he was growing up, but Kavanaugh said, “I would never let my kids walk (alone) in Brentwood.” You can't expect a man to stay in a place where he feels his children aren't safe.
Another reason is that his parents already relocated to the other sunny state. Kavanaugh picked up a penthouse condo in Florida and got them closer to their grandkids. He said he wanted to get away from rising crime, homelessness, and California’s “anti-business” policies.
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne’s musical career has been based out of Los Angeles, moving to Beverly Hills over three decades ago with his success with Black Sabbath. He and his wife Sharon seemed permanently anchored there. For many years, she was co-hosting “The Talk,” taped from Los Angeles, but after stepping down, she is no longer tied to the place.
So, the Osbournes are packing it up. The heavy metal leadman told “The Mirror” that taxes are too high. He expressed sadness for leaving and a hope that taxes will lower. But moving his recording studio to his property in England sounds permanent.
Rob Schneider
Comedian, actor, and screenwriter Rob Schneider was a California native, but he pulled up his roots and replanted them in Arizona. Getting his start in comedy at "Saturday Night Live", his ire was inflamed by what they went through in the past few years. He left the sunshine state in 2020 with a farewell tweet with the hashtag, #CaliforniaYouBrokeMyHeart.
Like Joe Rogan, he felt betrayed by the government of California. He wants the government to leave him alone. He’s happy in his new state. He posted this photo with the caption, “Happy to be back in my new home, beautiful Arizona!”
George Clooney
In 1995, George Clooney purchased a home that Stevie Nicks had owned. It was a Studio City property of relatively modest proportions. Around the second season of “ER”, he upgraded it to a larger and more private home. He poured a million dollars into creating a chic yet cozy 6-bedroom villa for Amal and the twins.
The Clooneys later picked up a 25-room mansion on Lake Como in Italy, living there every summer. In Berkshire, U.K., the couple purchased a hideaway mansion, where they honeymooned. It’s on a private island and the Georgian estate has been the perfect place for the family to find privacy.
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson listed her posh Venice Beach house to move in with Sen. Cory Booker, who she began dating in 2018. She relocated to his Newark home in 2020, making the 3,000-mile trek across the country in an RV to get there, according to an exclusive interview with “People.”
The New York native was glad to be able to get a little further away from Los Angeles and move closer to home. The relationship did not last. In February 2022, it was announced that the New Jersey senator and the Hollywood actress could not make it work by FaceTime between busy workdays.
Jeff Bridges
It was the Northridge earthquake that first drove Jeff Bridges out of the L.A. area. He fled to the star-studded Montecito. He and his wife Susan Geston paid $6.8 million for the Spanish-style mansion and guest house. It wasn’t his only Montecito property, but then he sold off everything to leave in earnest. His new land is found in Montana.
The Dude loved the state ever since filming there in the ‘70s — it is where he met his wife. Unfortunately, “The Big Lebowski” actor has been fighting lymphoma but is winning the battle after chemo treatments shrunk it down.
Joe Walsh
Even if you don't know this man's name, you should be pretty familiar with his work. His “Hotel California” guitar solo is one of the world’s most recognizable song intros, even before Don Henley breaks in with “on a dark desert highway.” Joe Walsh moved to Los Angeles in 2013.
He built a recording studio in the Beverly Hills mid-century home. He sold a Studio City house for an Encinitas house. He was living in Encinitas for about five years. Walsh has two sons and an ex-wife who lives in San Diego. He says L.A. is like a job requirement.
Julia Roberts
Like many A-listers out there, Julia Roberts owns scores of real estate properties. The place she and her family call home, however, is Taos. The longtime ranch property is very special to the family. It is, in fact, where Roberts and her husband Daniel Moder married in 2002. She bought the 30-acre Arroyo Seco land in the ‘90s.
The “Pretty Woman” actress enjoys a relatively normal, private family life out there. She said her twins, who have limited, private social media accounts, found out she was famous on their own. They asked if she was more famous than Taylor Swift.
Ted Harbert
Former NBC broadcasting chairman Ted Harber announced that his work at the network was done and sold his Pacific Palisades home for $13 million. Harber was previously the president and CEO of Comcast, in charge of E!, and before that, he headed ABC Entertainment. There is almost no way of getting to such a position in the entertainment industry without living in L.A.
He tweeted his decision to move to Portugal to build a house. According to Yahoo News, Harbert told “The Wrap” in an email that he’s relocating to Portugal because “#americatoocrazy.” His Pacific Palisades Southern-style mansion on over two acres of canyon open space had five bedrooms and eight baths.
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner
Leaving Encino for the Florida neighborhood of Miami Bay Point, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner scaled down to a 10,400-square-foot waterfront cabana. The Ensino property in the San Fernando Valley was a 15,000-square-foot mansion with 10 bedrooms. Considering they only have two kids, we wonder what they do with all of those bedrooms.
The new home of the pop star and “Game of Thrones” actress is just as magnificent. It’s a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired layout with outdoor, open-area living spaces. Floor-to-ceiling windows and indoor gardens make it unique. The two are probably having the time of their lives raising their family there.
Julia Louis Dreyfus
Before Julia Louis-Dreyfus got the role of her life as Elaine on “Seinfeld” she did “Saturday Night Live.” The comedian is tremendously successful with a pile of Primetime Emmys. She was a longtime Los Angelina but in 1996 she moved away from the city. She didn’t move far, but the two-hour distance is significant.
In Montecito, she picked up a cozy beach retreat, a 3,000-square-foot seaside bungalow. She put her heart into it, renovating the entire property to make it energy efficient. The complete green overhaul includes upgrades like solar-heated water and eco-friendly appliances. It produces its own energy and is zero-waste.
Zac Efron
The “High School Musical” breakout star lived in a Los Feliz home nestled in the Hollywood Hills since 2013. Zac Efron purchased the zen-like compound for $4 million. In 2021, he ditched his sweeping views of the Southland for a place in Australia.
The native Californian from San Luis Obispo bought a patch of land in New South Wales, the Byron Bay area. He is happy to call Australia home. It helps that his girlfriend Vanessa Valladares, a model from Down Under, lives there too. He bought some land and is building his dream house amongst natural wonders like creeks and cliffs.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively
You don't need any more reasons to be jealous of these two but here we are. Blake Lively is from California, but when she and Ryan Reynolds (who is native to Canada, of all places) started dating, they grabbed an upstate New York home and almost 12 acres that it is set on.
It is better for raising their four kids and they have been living there since 2012. Their cozy seven-bedroom farmhouse located in Bedford is nestled into an upscale neighborhood that offers their kids a relatively normal life. The "Deadpool" actor and the "Gossip Girl" star absolutely adore it.
John Mayer
Pop singer John Mayer, who has practically invited scandal with his foot-in-mouth disease, tried to escape it when he moved out of Los Angeles and relocated himself to Paradise Valley — a gorgeous outpost in Montana backing up to Yellowstone National Park. He also underwent surgery on his vocal cords during his retreat to the country.
His latest album artwork featured the rugged countryside where he lives. He titled it "Paradise Valley” and now we know why. It’s an important place for Mayer, and he’s used it as a way to transform his uncouth image into something like a normal-folk dude.
Frankie Muniz
The greatest part about moving to Scottsdale for Frankie Muniz was that he found himself looking up, seeing the world instead of hiding his head in a hoodie, walking briskly down L.A. streets. “Malcolm in the Middle” was a major strain as a child actor, so after the series, he decided to peace out and headed to Arizona’s desert lands.
He did not want to act anymore, he wanted to be a race car driver. The move felt like destiny, he told “Steve-O’s Wild Ride!” In Scottsdale, he and his wife run a boutique called Outrageous Olive Oils & Vinegars.
Hilary Swank
This A-lister left a Pacific Palisades mansion behind and never looked back. Actress and Academy Award winner Hilary Swank sold the historic 1920 property for a Colorado ranch place. The Netflix “Away” actress and her husband Philip Schneider put down roots in the Rocky Mountain state.
On her birthday in 2021, Swank posted a collage of photos on Instagram showing her love for her new abode. She shared images with her dogs, her parrot, with a rainbow, and her family gathered around a cake full of lit candles. It looks like being away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles agrees with her.
Matthew McConaughey
The “Dallas Buyers Club” Oscar winner joined ABC’s morning show and revealed why he left Los Angeles and moved back to his home state of Texas. Matthew McConaughey was born and raised in Uvalde, Texas but moved out to Los Angeles in the ‘90s. It didn’t last long, and he moved back to Texas to settle down.
The first reason was to be near his mother. The rest of his family is also there. Seeing his mom almost every weekend is important to McConaughey, his wife Camila, and their kids. It just feels like home, he shared with “Good Morning America.”
Harrison Ford
The first time he laid eyes on Jackson Hole, it was like he recognized it, according to his biography. It’s an 800-acre ranch and he’s lived there for over twenty years. Before Han Solo and before he was Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford had a day job.
He was into construction then, and his move to his Wyoming farm brought him back to mending fences and such. Before his ranch property, half of which he set aside as a nature reserve, he had a Brentwood Colonial Revival-style mansion that he bought in 1983 for $1 million. He sold it for $8.2 million in 2012.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not last long in Los Angeles, but they tried. It is Meghan’s hometown, after all, but Harry reportedly hated living there. Nevertheless, they did want to try city life and decided to give Los Angeles a shot.
The couple was able to stay at Tyler Perry’s Beverly Hills mansion. But that did not last very long and they packed it up and moved to an exclusive area in Santa Barbara. It wasn’t a far move. And they fell in love with an exclusive and very private Montecito mansion, a 9-bedroom, 16-bath stunning Mediterranean-style home.
David Bowie
He did not live in Los Angeles for long. David Bowie relocated there in 1975 to get into the film industry. He had a pad in Bel-Air and also stayed at the New Mexico movie set for “The Man Who Fell to the Earth.” Barely a year later, he headed back, ditching those cinematic dreams.
The experience left him with an enduring revulsion. By 1999, it yet haunted him, saying it was, “Singularly the darkest days of my life.” A year after he left, he called it the “most vile piss-pot in the world.” He never lived in L.A. again.
Kyle Chandler
He was born and raised a Southern gentleman, so it is no surprise he and his family ended up in the South. They lived in Los Angeles for 20 years. But now, Kyle Chandler, his wife Kathryn Chandler, and their two daughters call a 33-acre plot of land just outside of Austin, home.
They share it with their four dogs and five miniature donkeys that roam the land. “Men’s Journal” quoted the star of “Bloodline” saying, “It’s cool. You build a fire on the property and just sit out there, and the dogs stay with you. It’s a good feeling.”
Calvin Harris
DJ Calvin Harris sold his Beverly Hills mansion for $25 million. The Scottish DJ, one of the world’s highest-paid record-spinners, is now a farmer too. What? Can't a man be a world-class musician AND grow his own carrots? The property is on the Spanish island of Ibiza.
He bought the 138-acre organic farm, the largest organic farm on the island, in 2022. Apparently, he enjoys working on the farm, even getting his hands in the dirt planting seeds, and doing other tasks. He is reportedly passionate about the ins and outs of farming, a big lifestyle change from his Beverly Hills days.
Zachary Levi
California was home to Zachary Levi. He grew up in Ventura. By 2013, he got his foot in the door with Marvel as Thor’s sidekick Fandral. He had a $1.4 million Studio City pad, but he sold it for a Texas dream. Purchasing a massive cattle ranch in Bastrop, just outside of Austin, the “Shazam” star wanted to build “a really dope place to live and play.”
It features a film studio, water slides, zip lines, and a clubhouse. He envisioned an arts community, where folks might “ride out the apocalypse.” He chose Austin because he said that 95 percent of people who live there love it.
Josh Brolin and Kathryn Boyd
Kathryn Boyd announced their move on Instagram. Talking about their “new adventure,” the former model said she and her Oscar-nominated Avenger hubby Josh Brolin, “Decided to skip out on our beloved Cali and move across the country.” She says they are thrilled to be moving into their “perfect” new place in Georgia.
The Atlanta property is right in Boyd’s hometown, making it even more perfect for her. She was pregnant with their second child when they moved there. She promised California she would be back, though for now, it seems like the two lovebirds and their family are happy where they are.
John Cleese
John Cleese moved to Los Angeles in 1990 after his first divorce. But the Monty Python icon found a better location and eventually left the city. He chose a 16-acre horse property in Montecito. It hosts all kinds of animals, “friendly animals,” as Cleese termed it when he moved there in 1999.
He had llamas, pheasants, dogs, alpacas, emus, cats, and chickens. The barn housed 24 horses. He left that property behind as well and went back home to the U.K. But then he left that behind as well and is living in the Caribbean, a place the comedian calls safe and beautiful.
Jhene Aiko
Not long after Jhene Aiko’s performance at the Superbowl, the hip-hop R&B artist listed her 1966 Encino home. She put it on the market for $3.65 million barely a year after purchasing it for $3.4 million. Aiko is a native Californian from Los Angeles but it seems like she isn't planning on living there forever.
She has a $2.5 million property in Pacific Palisades that she’s had since 2020. But with more and more Grammys coming her way, and an Album of the Year nomination, this young musical artist is going to be buying bigger and better plots of real estate. Where will she go next?
Mark Ruffalo
He did some time in Hollywood, but Mark Ruffalo escaped it all over a decade ago. Ruffalo and his wife Sunrise Coigney moved to the countryside. Picking up a 50-acre plot, they found a place to raise the kids. It was a tough blow that sent him there.
Besides the stress of the industry, and his best friend Michael taking his own life, his brother tragically passed away. He said he was fed up with L.A. “You’re an artist, but then all of a sudden you’re a product at the same time,” he explained. The city drained him of his love for acting.
Elon Musk
The American entrepreneur billionaire who, according to Robert Downey Jr., inspired Tony Stark, pulled out of California big time. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk not only sold four of his Bel-Air homes and moved to Texas, but he also uprooted Tesla headquarters and relocated it near Austin.
Now, according to “Business Insider,” the second-richest man in the world lives in a Boxabl Casita, a minuscule fold-out house that cost about $50,000. But Musk says he is renting the Boxabl in Boca Chica, Texas from Tesla. He offloaded everything tweeting, “I am selling all physical possessions. Will own no house.”
Logan Paul
YouTuber and Pokémon card collector Logan Paul is also a boxer and runs a podcast called “Impulsive.” On his show, he talked about his decision to move to Puerto Rico. He said he was ready to get away from L.A.’s crazy pace and to live in a tax haven. Not all his listeners were good with that, some called him a “rich gringo” and similar slurs.
He put his Calabasas estate, dubbed the “Team 10 Mansion” up for sale. That is where “Impulsive” was aired, so the move summarily ended the show. The last episode aired on October 10, 2019.
Tom Hanks
Mega A-lister Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson didn’t just leave their Pacific Palisades mansion behind, they went to Greece and procured citizenship. Hanks adores the nation, saying at the Golden Globes, “Greece is a haven.” To clarify, he added, that he has been to the most beautiful places in the world and that none of them top Greece.
The land, sky, and water were good for the soul, making it a healing place. Hanks’ family was granted honorary citizenship by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for their role in the 2018 wildfire that threatened Athens. The family lives on the Greek island of Antiparos.
Kate Walsh
She’s Dr. Addison Montgomery on “Grey’s Anatomy” and its spin-off “Private Practice.” Kate Walsh left Los Angeles in 2017. Her 4,500-square-foot Encino home was purchased in 2013. She put in lots of posh renovations, gutting the entire home inside and out. She left Hollywood to spend some time in Australia. She really loves where she is now.
It is a beach city called Perth, a slice of Western Australia, one of the most beautiful places Walsh has ever seen. The actress is dating a farmer from Perth. Perhaps she’s there for good if moving all her pets there means anything.
Gene Simmons
KISS frontman Gene Simmons, the heavy metal rocker with a really long tongue, left his mansion in Beverly Hills. He said noisy tour buses, earthquakes, fires, the tax rate, and more convinced him and his wife Shannon Tweed to jump ship. So, they bid adieu to their fairytale abode which sold for $16 million in 2021.
Simmons found an ultra-modern Las Vegas property, a 7,700-square-foot steel and glass structure with sharp rectangular lines. It didn’t last. The Vegas-area climate was too hot for the New York native. The old-school rocker turned his back on the desert and headed back to California.
Jared Padalecki
“Supernatural” hunter Sam Winchester is the role Jared Padalecki animated for many years. And that show ran for 15 seasons, so when we say many years we do mean MANY. He lived in the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles from 2009 to 2014.
His Spanish-style house was 3,800 square feet and sat on about a third of an acre. But as soon as the CW series was finalized, Padalecki moved to Austin. He adores the city, what others refer to as “the vibe,” sharing on Instagram that the place brings him warmth, happiness, and peace like no other place.
Tina Turner
This music legend has not had an easy road to stardom. In the 80s, an executive at Tina Turner’s record label threatened to fire her in a demeaning tirade with gender slurs and the “N-word.”
After being treated heinously by her label and her ex, she left Los Angeles, shifting her musical career to an Australian label based out of Europe. Then in 1994, Turner relocated to Zurich and relinquished her American citizenship. She bought a beautiful lake property called Chateau Algonquin. The pop legend learned German and became a citizen of Switzerland in 2013 until her passing in May 2023.
Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton built a chapel on his 1,400-acre lakeside property to marry “No Doubt” lead singer Gwen Stefani. He also proposed to her at the chapel at his Ten Point Ranch. His home and the sprawling property have a river running through and wooded areas. It's located in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, the country singer’s hometown.
You just can't get that kind of property in Los Angeles, now can you? He spends most of his time there when he is not hosting “The Voice,” where the couple met. It’s close to his restaurant, Ole Red, and his music hall, The Dog House, in Tishomingo.
Jake E. Lee
Once a guitarist for rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, Jake E. Lee grew up in Imperial Beach, in the San Diego area. He played in various bands but his most memorable accomplishment was when he joined Ozzy as a replacement for the tragic loss of Randy Rhodes. His musical career continued after parting ways with the Prince of Darkness in 1987.
But by the late 1990s, he wanted out of the music industry and out of L.A. Lee relocated to Las Vegas in 2003. He’s still playing guitar but he’s also into restoring classic cars and recording with his longtime band Badlands.
George Lucas
With over $6 billion in net worth, George Lucas owns a lot of expensive California properties. For the most part, he’s purchased in the southern and northern areas of the state, like the sprawling Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. Although he graduated from U.S.C., he did not stay in SoCal. As a resident, he has a fondness for Carpinteria.
In 2019, he got a 2-acre beachfront property next door to his other Carpinteria villa, both located about 11 miles from Santa Barbara. He first bought in the area in 2010 and is now expanding with the new acquisition of 1.7 acres of sand and shore.
Vera Farmiga
Not in L.A. anymore, Vera Farmiga lives on a farm in the Upper State area of Hudson Valley and fosters quite a unique hobby. She cares for Angora goats. She loves their company and even spins their wool and knits clothing. She says the click of the needles is like therapy. Farmiga could not stand living in Los Angeles.
She said she did not fit in there. She actually grew up in a Ukrainian community in New Jersey. Now she’s famous for her role as a paranormal investigator, then she was immersed in the cultural enclave, only learning English when she was six.
Matt Damon
Matt Damon sold his Los Angeles mansion in a trendy off-market transaction. He sold his Pacific Palisades mansion to the CEO of Warner Bros. for $18 million. The home’s 13,000 square feet offers seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. Luxury perks include billiards, a marble and mahogany kitchen, a gym, a temperature-controlled cellar, and a wet bar.
Damon and his wife bid their L.A. estate goodbye and moved into a swank Brooklyn Heights penthouse in N.Y.C., setting a record for the most-expensive residential property in Brooklyn. The couple’s townhouse is in the historic Standish building, one of the tallest, and they own the building’s rooftop too.
Kanye West
Kanye, now known as Ye, went big, as you would expect him to. He picked up almost 5,000 acres of gorgeous Wyoming country. It may have been the proverbial “last straw” on his marriage with Kim Kardashian when he decided to live there, but she still said it’s the most beautiful place in the world, located an hour out of Yellowstone Park.
That’s where he recorded much of his 2018 album “Ye.” When she filed for divorce rather than live there, Ye’s next move was to put the property up for sale and go back to L.A. and try to bargain with her.
Joni Mitchell
It was in Laurel Canyon where Joni Mitchell lived and wrote her influential “Blue” album. She was part of the legendary music scene that took place in the rustic corners of Laurel Canyon. Inspiration swirled there, and she was amongst bands like The Doors, The Byrds, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and even dated Graham Nash of that band.
The canyon was a step away from Ventura Boulevard and the Sunset Strip and is found at 8217 Lookout Mountain Avenue. By 1972, Mitchell removed herself from the Laurel Canyon scene and moved to British Columbia, back to her Canadian roots.
Neve Campbell
“Scream” franchise staple Neve Campbell moved to London to flee the City of Angels. In an interview with Stephen Colbert, she talked about why she made the move. She was at “The Late Show” to promote “Skyscraper,” starring Dwayne Johnson, but the conversation turned to why she left.
Campbell said Hollywood was overwhelming. In the U.K. she was able to be anonymous. When a Londoner asked what she does, they would just nod, smile, and say, “Oh, Okay,” after learning she’s an actress. That kind of interaction in the City of Angels would roll out in an incredibly different way.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal’s N.Y.C. pad is virtually paparazzi-proof. That’s why the building is a celebrity sanctuary swimming with A-listers. He purchased an apartment inside the fantastic 1882 Tribeca-area building after living in Los Angeles for ten years. The structure, formerly a bookbinding factory, was suited perfectly for being converted to wide-open living spaces with vaulted ceilings.
He bought his Hollywood Hills ranch-style home, boasting magnificent views and outdoor terraces, following his success with “Brokeback Mountain.” Dropping $8.6 million for 3,000 square feet of the Tribeca property made it significantly pricier than his L.A. pad. But the new place is slightly bigger and very posh.
Graham Nash
The Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young musician is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was part of Laurel Canyon’s hippie lore, living with not-yet-famous Joni Mitchell while she wrote “Blue.” Nash, also lived in Manhattan Beach. The British rocker got U.S. dual citizenship in 1978. But in 2018, he sold his longtime beach house, left a nearly four-decade marriage, and moved to New York.
He’s still rocking in the free world, but not with CSN, an irreconcilable rift with the late David Crosby ended that. Famously, he wrote, “Our House” with CSN, about the house he and Joni Mitchell lived in.
Elijah Wood
The face that will always be Frodo left Santa Monica to move close to the Austin scene. (Yes, there is a scene in Austin.) He bought an adorable Victorian mansion, replete with a white picket fence, and nearby Austin’s trendy locales. Really, the kind of house people dream about. The enchanting property has front and back porches and charming verandas.
It was built in 1890 but the indoor décor is posh and modern. It has two master bedrooms and is larger than his SoCal property, with 3,300 square feet altogether. He picked up the Texas gem for one million dollars in 2013.
Hugh Jackman
It cost Hugh Jackman $25 million for an N.Y.C. sky-rise penthouse apartment. But it was a deal, having been listed at $40 million. The 11,000-square-foot layout perched atop the West Village high-rise features five bedrooms and spreads across three levels of the building. Sounds like tha man has all the space he needs.
A bold spiral staircase connects the floors. The rooms are massive with vaulted ceilings. A private gym, terraces on each level with magnificent N.Y.C. skyline views, plus a gourmet kitchen and wine cellar are some of its perks. The Wolverine star and his wife Deborra-Lee love living near Broadway.
Lou Ferrigno
The original Incredible Hulk from the TV series, who, along with Arnold Schwarzenegger, flexed in the Venice Beach sun and won a Mr. Universe title, is Lou Ferrigno. His severe hearing loss did not hold him back from making it big. But in 2019, he had had it with L.A.
He cited a “dramatic decline” and put his longtime Santa Monica home up for sale. He and his wife Karla sold it and moved north. Karla said the final straw was greeting two armed robbers outside her window one morning who laughed at her when she threatened to call the police.
Rob Lowe
Actor and former bad-boy Rob Lowe has escaped the city by moving to the Santa Barbara area. He and his wife Sheryl Berkoff built a massive 10,000-foot compound on 3 acres of Montecito property. They lived there until 2018, having sold it for $45 million, but have not left the area. The couple purchased two Montecito homes in 2020.
They were living in one, a $5.2 million fixer-upper, according to “Dirt” magazine. But in 2020, they bought the 1925 “Stonehedge” estate, as it’s known in Montecito. The buying spree included L.A., picking up a Beverly Hills home for almost four million.
Becca Tobin
Becca Tobin took to “The Hollywood Reporter” to air her reasons for leaving Hollywood. In a guest column, the Disney+ actress said that L.A. is a “wonderful place,” but Austin was calling. She and her husband, along with industry friends were all discussing Los Angeles, the traffic, the expense of living there, and raising kids.
With so much remote work, they all decided to go check Austin out. All three families bought houses in the same neighborhood. Besides having to snake-proof the fence and the heat, she’s happy she left her Laurel Canyon home. Besides, she’s used to the heat, she’s from Atlanta.
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi
These women began their romance in a Hollywood Hills midcentury property nicknamed The Tree House for its spacious outdoor living quarters. The quaint 2-bedroom, 2-bath house has served as a Hollywood bungalow for many stars. But the couple sold Los Angeles and acquired a Montecito mansion.
They flipped that property shortly but did not disparage Montecito. Another property, a 9,200-square-feet kept them captive from 2008 to 2012, they married inside that house. They love buying property, DeGeneres says if she sees one, she grabs it up. Hey, if we had the passion, and we had the funds, we probably would have done the same.
James Van Der Beek
“Dawson’s Creek” star James Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly traded in their Beverly Hills home for a ranch in Texas. Now they live on 36-acre lakefront property with their six children. And they love it. James said he wanted to raise his kids closer to nature, and that’s exactly what they’re doing.
In an Instagram post, he captioned a photo of his kids and himself out in the natural wonder of their newfound land and shared that several health setbacks and his mother’s passing led to some drastic changes in their lives, and that is what brought them to their beautiful ranch near Austin.
Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin
When Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin married, they decided to live in Bieber’s Ontario home in Waterloo. The massive house that sits on 101 acres of land is the perfect place for raising children, should the young couple decide to try and expand their family. The lakeside property is 9,000 square feet with beautiful lake views.
It is in the province where Bieber is from thus holding sentimental value. He is not letting go of his $25.8 million Beverly Hills mansion. And, who knows, they may move back to Los Angeles, but for now, Ontario is the couple’s home residence.
Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes
The Los Feliz celeb-heavy area was also home to Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes before they left Los Angeles. As one of Hollywood’s most private couples, we only learned they lived in the 1926-vintage Mediterranean Revival estate when they moved out. It wasn’t listed, so it took tax documents to track the sale.
It was enveloped almost completely by the highest hedges in the neighborhood. Boy howdy can people be snoopy! The power couple relocated to San Marino, but it’s only a stopping place to move to Gosling’s birthplace, Ontario, Canada. A great place for their two daughters to grow up.
Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman left Los Angeles to live in Paris, France. She lived there for several years with her husband at the time, Benjamin Millepied, who was directing the Paris Opera Ballet. In 2016, she headed back to her Los Feliz home, a 1930s Laughlin Park property. France was a little too demanding on etiquette rules than Portman preferred.
Most recently, she moved from her Los Feliz, L.A. home to Australia. She has been living there since filming “Thor: Love and Thunder.” Sydney’s been home to her family recently, but she comes from neither Los Angeles, Paris, nor Sydney. She was born in Israel.
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman
This couple’s Australian farmhouse, nestled in the Outback, is a very special place for Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, and their kids. They're both from Australia but met in Los Angeles. After falling in love, the country singer and A-lister relocated Down Under. The property, sitting on over 100 acres of land, has an orchard with cows roaming.
It’s a working farm with cute animals. Kidman posted a nuzzling from one of her alpacas on Instagram. Kidman showed off her country estate to Vogue magazine. She loves the air, the simplicity, and the peace. Those things aren't so easily found in Los Angeles.
Drew Barrymore
Native Los Angelino Drew Barrymore left her home of 20 years and moved to the East Coast because co-parenting from L.A. to N.Y.C. was not working for her. So, she joined her ex-husband and kids in the Big Apple in her 6-bedroom, 6-bath home in the Hamptons.
The “E.T.” child actor who now has a fast-growing podcast, moved there in 2019. That’s where she finds her home, she said. It wasn’t about the house or the city, it is about being together as a family with her kids. So sure, she is miles away from her hometown, but if you ask her, she is just as home as long as she's around her family.
Harry Styles
A few years ago, in 2019, Harry Styles sold his large Hollywood Hills home for $6 million. It was more than $2 million more than he paid in 2016. Apparently wanting to get rid of it, he dropped the price several times and let the 4,000-square-foot home go. It seems the One Direction heartthrob wanted a better location.
He bought an apartment inside the celeb-favorite Tribeca neighborhood, dropping $8.7 million on a 3,000-square-foot slice of the Big Apple. Of course, it is not his only posh property. He’s got a mansion and several other properties in his hometown Hampstead, near London.
John Travolta
It was sad indeed that John Travolta sold his 20-bedroom mansion in Maine. He listed it just months after his wife Kelly Preston tragically passed away. The couple bought the 10,800-square-foot property right after marrying, marking Travolta’s LA exit. His success on Broadway with “Grease” brought him to the Southland originally.
The Maine mansion had a fantastic kids' playroom section with a library, a schoolhouse, a stage with props, and a diner, all accessed by four bedrooms. Now, he and his two kids live in a Florida estate, complete with a two-plane airport. The midcentury Ocala house sits on 19 acres of land.
Gigi Hadid
Born and raised in Los Angeles, the Mecca of the entertainment industry, you would think Gigi Hadid could call the place her forever home, but you'd be wrong. The supermodel has a working farm out in the Pennsylvanian countryside. It’s the perfect place to raise her daughter.
The rural paradise is located nearby her mother so help with the baby is right there. After moving there, Hadid said that the farm has really made her remember, and bring back to her life, the most simple pleasures, and that makes it more meaningful. Of course, materialistic pleasures are still aplenty too.
Chris Hemsworth
Hollywood was not Chris Hemsworth’s natural habitat. He said he felt “suffocated” living there. Being surrounded by billboards of himself was also tiring. Australia is home to Hemsworth, and now it’s home to his children and his wife too. “Moving to a kind of farm setup back here on the coast in Australia has been the best thing.”
He made the big move with his wife Elsa Pataky in 2014. The simple life amongst beaches and the countryside is perfect for them and the lovely family they built together. Settling in, the Thor actor said, “Wow, this is what life is about.”
Johnny Depp
Captain Jack Sparrow owns a lot of properties in a lot of places. He even bought himself a 45-acre village in France. He also owns an island in the Bahamas chain. His very own slice of the Caribbean has beaches named after his kids, and his mentors — “Gonzo” and “Brando.” What a dream.
Depp built a solar-powered ranch house with stunning views out every window. He bought a yacht to get him to and from paradise. Arriving at his personal sanctuary, he says his pulse drops “about 20 beats.” With his court woes, sources say he’s been retreating there often.
Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan wanted more space. Once, it took him four hours to drive a 20-minute distance. He sold his posh palace for $3.45 million and high-tailed it to Texas. Rogan complained on his podcast, bitterly about restrictions by California’s government and about its mismanagement in general.
Today, the podcaster is one of the world’s top podcasts and attracts millions of views per day. In sum, he said, “Change is good,” and took off for a mansion on Lake Austin in 2020. He got a big bite of the Lone Star state after making a million dollars selling his L.A. estate.