Moving across the world to a new country takes a lot of courage, and many people do it with the hopes of a fresh start and a better life. According to Pew Research Center, 53.3 million immigrants were reported living in the United States in January 2025, many coming from European countries.
While there are many differences between American and European culture, Europeans are fond of many things the United States has to offer. On Reddit, Europeans who moved to the United States opened up about the exact reasons they love living in America compared to Europe.
From finances to nature and more, Europeans shared 13 ways life got better when they moved across the pond.
Here are all 13 reasons they gave
“People who earn a lot of money can potentially earn A LOT more money in the US.” – futurus196
“Americans are really good at: Eh, f*ck it. Let’s do it! And then they’ll do it, doesn’t matter what it is, because there’s a sense of community that’s uniquely American. Invite the neighborhood to a pool party, call your friends last minute for a Saturday grill, pile up in car for a road trip to NYC or Vegas, organize a legendary bachelor party… It’s fun-loving spontaneity and a sense of adventure that I have not found anywhere else.” – CaaaathcartTowers
“I also like the outdoors and nothing beats the fresh morning air in Florida, I was tired of built up cities where you could not even open your car window at the lights or else you die from the diesel fumes. It’s still crazy for me to see plants that my mom would have in a pot on the window sill in Romania grow here in the ground to be 10x the size.” – ratonbox
“I think culture is easier to integrate and way more diverse than Europe, plus high salaries and more choices of climates. You literally cannot find a place in Europe with good job market and warm weather.” – djmanu22
“I’m British but used to live in Munich, Germany. I had very well paid jobs in both countries. I’ve travelled all over the world. However, from the moment I stepped foot in the US (first as a tourist) I fell in love. I’m now living in SoCal and I just love the lifestyle. I love the weather, the beaches, the way of life. Also, being British over here is pretty cool, you generally always get a great reaction to your accent. I had plenty of opportunities elsewhere but I also know I will here. The US is at the epicenter of western culture, I love what the country stands for. No place is perfect, the US certainly not, but the positives far outweigh any negatives.” – SDunited
“Nobody said it, I think one important aspect it’s friendliness, open mind culture in America and an unlimited things to do and see if you have the money of course. Rich western European countries are socially inept compared to America. People are cold and unapproachable and [in] America it’s the opposite. And America it really feels like a dream, never get bored, lots of indie culture, epic nature, national parks, amazing road drives ex. Pacific Coast, awesome states and cities like California, NY, LA, SF, or small towns…” – User Unknown
Standard of living came up a lot
“Family here and in Spain. No one here wants to go back because the standard of living here is better. Bigger house, your own yard, higher salaries, etc. Additionally kids have a much better future. Unofficially unemployment rate for those 18-30 is 50%.” – LolaStrm1970
“Better salaries, better social life (I love how kind and open Americans are, in my experience anyway), better opportunities, better healthcare (covered by my employer and it’s incredible). I also think the university system is way better here and top 20 universities in the US are better than any university I could go to in the UK minus Oxbridge. I’ve lived in the US, UK, EU, Asia and Middle East, and I love the US the most and believe that people take it for granted. It’s beautiful.” – User Unknown
“On a big level, prices in US are lower without VAT and the inflation % is very low by comparison. Unemployment is extremely low in U.S. and it’s easier to find housing, rent out your home, and easier to find servicemen to fix things. On a small level, I have more (and cheaper) water, electricity, and gasoline. That means I can have air conditioning, a clothes dryer, and more. Simply put, I’m more comfortable in U.S. Final reason, I can drive to 5 different grocery stores in 5-10 min away, and the stores offer SO much variety because they have more shelf space. It’s a beautiful place to see a grocery store in the U.S. lol ” – Traveler5023
And a few that go deeper than expected
“US has its flaws. But after staying for a few years I found out it’s really dynamic with great people from all over the world. The culture is mostly open to foreigners and I’ve never been discriminated against. It is easier to integrate. It is also more meritocratic so you can come as an outsider and do really well. You can have a really good quality of life here and earn great money that lets you e.g. save for retirement and potentially retire early. That’s actually our plan. One day we’ll retire back to Europe, however, we won’t be relying on social security since we don’t believe those systems will be in a good shape. We’ve also received outstanding health care here, even compared to back home, my wife gave birth to our little one and everything was pretty great.” – Proper_Duty_4142
“As much as the healthcare costs an exorbitant amount of money, I’ve been able to access treatments out here that I don’t think would be as readily available in my home country. Other than that, my people are here. There’s nothing for me in my country of origin.” – Pour_Me_Another_
“People who are focused on work, money and those who gain a lot of personal validation from personal financial success over other aspects of life particularly tend to favor the US. The concept of having ‘enough’ tends not to feature as highly in their worldview.” – jamesemelb
“I find Germany so boring… yeah, you can travel and have tons of vacations. But your day-to-day life is dull, I can’t tell for other European countries. The USA has a more rollercoaster approach to life; there are many ups and some downs, but you are always looking forward to the ride.” – Zealousideal_Ad9966
What this list actually says about America
Reading through all 13 of these, the recurring theme isn’t wealth or weather or career opportunity, though those come up a lot. It’s something harder to quantify: a sense that things feel possible here in a way that can be difficult to find elsewhere. The spontaneous pool party invitation. The sense that outsiders can integrate and succeed on their own terms. The sheer scale of the country, from the grocery store aisles to the national parks. None of it is universal, and plenty of Europeans would make an equally compelling case for staying home. But for these 13, the trade was worth it, and their specificity is what makes the list worth reading.
This article originally appeared in January. It has been updated.
