New expats will almost always be curious about how many Americans live in Mexico.
This is a re-post of something I wrote a while back. I should point out that the stats that I used in this article are from a reliable source (U.S. Consulates throughout Mexico) but that as pointed here, there is a problem in the question of who actually registers with the consulates – i.e. it’s not Americans as we would normally define it.Â
In any case, the point remains that while there are a few pockets of major, well-known “expat communities†throughout Mexico, there are also many, many Americans and Canadians living quietly in unsuspecting places blending in with the general population:
Have you noticed recently that more and more of your neighbors are heading abroad, for extended vacations, retirement or to change residence permanently?
Have you ever wondered where they’re all going?
Numbers are really hard to pin down exactly, and even the U.S. government generally feels it can’t find very accurate information. But already 10 years ago, the U.S. government estimated that nearly 4 million U.S. citizens were living abroad permanently.
Of these, it was estimated that about a million were living in Mexico. That’s over 25%, and by far the country with the most!
Of course, both numbers have probably increased drastically over the past decade. Even counting for inaccuracies, the point is clear that most Gringos have been heading down south of the Rio Grande.
Other than the obvious point that Mexico is right next door, there are many, many motivations for us as Americans to choose this country as their new home, full-time or part-time. These include the low cost of living, high-quality, modern services, and a rich history and culture.
But even within Mexico, we’re left with the question, where exactly are those 1 million? Mexico is a big country. Many of the tourist favorites are home to large expat populations. Some very high numbers have been cited for places like Lake Chapala, with up to 60,000 Americans, Puerto Vallarta with 50,000, and Cancun and the Riviera Maya with a similar number. Some people feel the numbers are lower, but as stated above, it’s difficult to confirm. Many commentators base their opinions on what they have seen when visiting, which is inaccurate when it comes to pure statistics, as we will see below.
 In these places there are enough Americans that you feel a presence, everywhere. While this feeling is boosted by enormous waves of visitors in certain seasons, even during low seasons, you walk around and see Gringos everywhere. You see Americans in the grocery store, you make American friends and hang out at bars where you find plenty of American regulars. There are also many residents – vacationers, retirees and others – who own Mexico real estate to enjoy on a full-time and part-time basis.
Some places near the border, like Tijuana in the north-east, are also home to a large number because of proximity. One estimate for Baja California and the Tijuana area totalled well over 100,000. (update: It’s in this case that we probably have to consider for Mexicans born in the U.S.!)
This still totals to less than 300,000, or 30%, counting very generously. So, where are they all?
Estimates, again from 2001, counted about 450,000 in Mexico City and nearby areas, and some sources have cited as many as 600,000! This now counts for a really big chunk of those who are left. If this number is true, it would be the largest population of Americans outside the U.S. – about 15% of all American expats! (According to the very loose estimates we are working with here.)
But if you’ve ever been to Mexico City, you probably didn’t see many Americans around, if any at all. One commentator doubted even a much lower estimate for this very reason – he had lived in Mexico City for half a year and had not seen many Americans, “in the churches, the stores, on the street, etc.”Â
On the other hand, it’s important to remember that Mexico City is huge. The metropolitan area is about 25 million, or about the population of Texas – a bit less than that of Canada. Even the very generous estimate of 600,000 would be only a bit more than 2% of the population; hardly a drop in the bucket. It’s also possible that in Mexico City, there is less swelling by tourist arrivals, and therefore there would be considerably less visual presence.
This contrasts heavily to Puerto Vallarta, for example, where 50,000 would be around 20% of the city and the nearby tourist towns – a sizable, and very visible presence, which is the reality of the situation when you visit there. This is even more marked on Lake Chapala, where most of the expat population is in and around two small towns, with a substantially smaller population than Puerto Vallarta. (See listings for Lake Chapala here.)
The other factor is that there is no “expat community†or expat bars, etc., within Mexico City where all the Americans cluster. A similar case can be made for a city like Morelia.
So, to answer the question – where are all the Gringos? While the unofficial statistical answer is possibly Mexico City, in that city you really don’t feel like you are in an expat community – which can be either a good thing or a bad thing depending on your preference. If you want the atmosphere of being in a real expat community try places like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta, etc.
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Thomas Lloyd graduated from Purdue University Krannert School of Management with a degree in Management/Financial Option Investments. He has been living, investing, and working professionally in Mexico for over 16 years. In the summer of 2009, he received the first federally applied Mexico Real Estate Degree and Mexico Professional Real Estate License S.E.P. #5978657. He is the president of Top Mexico Real Estate. Contact him at (512) 879-6546.
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