Hollywood might seem like the dream destination for every celebrity, but for many stars, the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles eventually loses its appeal. From sky-high taxes to a longing for family roots, plenty of famous faces have packed up their mansions and headed elsewhere.
Whether it’s the mountains of Colorado, the charm of Nashville, or the wide-open spaces of Texas, these stars found better lives far from the LA spotlight. Here’s a look at 17 celebrities who said goodbye to LA and why they made the move.
1. Chrissy Metz
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your happiness is simply move closer to what matters. Chrissy Metz, beloved for her role on This Is Us, traded the hustle of Los Angeles for the laid-back charm of Nashville, Tennessee.
She wanted less stress, a better quality of life, and to be closer to her family in Florida.
“Everything is 15 minutes away,” she said about Nashville. That kind of ease is hard to find in LA traffic.
2. Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill has always marched to the beat of his own drum, and his decision to leave LA was no different. The Oscar-nominated actor moved to a small town in San Diego with his wife, Olivia Millar, to raise their children away from the overwhelming pace of Hollywood.
“I wanted to leave LA and raise a family outside of Los Angeles,” Hill said plainly. Sometimes, the quieter the neighborhood, the louder the joy of everyday life.
3. Jeffrey Donovan
Jeffrey Donovan, best known as the smooth-talking spy in Burn Notice, fell hard for Colorado after meeting his wife there. He called the state “incredible” and found it far more suitable for raising his three children than the relentless buzz of Hollywood life.
The mountains, the fresh air, and the tight-knit communities made the decision feel natural. Colorado offered him something LA simply couldn’t match: real peace and breathing room for his growing family.
4. Ali Larter
Few things change your priorities faster than a global pandemic, and for Ali Larter, COVID-19 was the push she needed. The Heroes actress and her husband, Hayes MacArthur, relocated to a small Idaho town after falling “in love with nature and the mountains.”
They made family the ultimate priority, swapping city noise for wide-open wilderness. Idaho’s dramatic landscapes and slower pace gave the couple exactly the grounded, meaningful life they had been craving for years.
5. Tom Welling
“LA was wild at the time,” Tom Welling said about life during the pandemic, and he wasn’t wrong. The Smallville star packed up and moved his family to a ranch in North Carolina, seeking wide-open spaces for his young son to run and play freely.
Ranch life suited Welling perfectly. Trading city gridlock for green pastures wasn’t just a lifestyle upgrade, it was a statement about what truly matters when you’re raising the next generation.
6. Ty Burrell
After 11 seasons of playing the lovably goofy Phil Dunphy on Modern Family, Ty Burrell was ready for a quieter chapter. He and his family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where his wife grew up, calling it “a great place to raise the kids.”
The city’s family-friendly culture, outdoor access, and slower rhythm were a welcome change from Hollywood’s nonstop energy. Sometimes the best role you can play is just being a present, relaxed parent.
7. James Van Der Beek
James Van Der Beek wanted more than Hollywood could offer. In 2020, the Dawson’s Creek star moved his large family to Austin, Texas, craving a hands-on community, wide-open space, and a deeper connection to nature.
He described wanting a “fuller life,” and Austin delivered exactly that. The city’s growing creative scene, outdoor culture, and strong sense of community gave Van Der Beek and his family a fresh, rooted way of living that LA simply never provided.
8. Ariel Winter
Ariel Winter grew up entirely in Los Angeles, which is exactly why leaving felt so necessary. After Modern Family wrapped in 2020, she finally had the chance to start fresh somewhere new, somewhere that didn’t carry the weight of difficult memories.
She admitted LA held “not-great memories” and that she had never experienced life anywhere else. Starting over in a new city wasn’t just exciting for Winter, it was genuinely healing and long overdue.
9. Josh Duhamel
Josh Duhamel didn’t just want to slow down. He wanted to feel genuinely safe and at peace.
The actor moved his family deep into the woods of Minnesota, far removed from the chaos of city life, and said being “removed from everything” gave him a sense of security he had never felt in LA.
Raising children in a quiet, rural setting was the goal. Minnesota’s natural beauty and unhurried lifestyle turned out to be the perfect fit for Duhamel’s family.
10. Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg made headlines in 2022 when he sold his massive Beverly Hills mansion and relocated his family to Las Vegas, Nevada. His reasons were refreshingly practical: a better life, a fresh start, and room for his kids to chase their own dreams and hobbies.
Business opportunities and Nevada’s more favorable tax environment also played a role. Wahlberg has never been shy about mixing family values with smart financial thinking, and this move checked every single box.
11. Glen Powell
After more than 15 years grinding it out in Hollywood, Glen Powell finally felt he had earned the right to go home. The Top Gun: Maverick star moved back to Texas in 2024, eager to reconnect with his roots and finish his degree at the University of Texas.
“Good for my head, heart, and soul” is how he described the decision. Powell proved that real success sometimes means knowing exactly when it’s time to return to where you belong.
12. Hilary Swank
Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank had already purchased land in Colorado before the pandemic even started. When California’s lockdowns hit in 2020, the choice to make the move permanent became an easy one.
With a heart full of compassion for animals, Swank also needed more space for her many rescue pets. Colorado’s wide landscapes and fresh mountain air offered her the freedom and room she had quietly been dreaming about for years before finally making it official.
13. Rod Stewart
Rock legend Rod Stewart didn’t hold back when explaining why he listed his Los Angeles home in 2023. He called the city’s culture outright “toxic” and made it clear that England, his homeland, was simply a better fit for his family’s lifestyle and values.
His youngest children attend school in England, and his whole family feels more comfortable there. After decades as a global superstar, Stewart chose roots over reputation, and honestly, nobody who’s seen LA lately can blame him.
14. Matthew McConaughey
Long before Austin became Hollywood’s favorite escape destination, Matthew McConaughey was already ahead of the curve. Back in 2014, he moved his family from Malibu to his hometown of Austin, Texas, to be closer to his mother, his brothers, and the deep sense of belonging that only home can provide.
He talked about finding “resources and security” in Austin. McConaughey has always been fiercely authentic, and choosing family over fame proved he meant every word of it.
15. Dean Cain
Dean Cain, the original Superman of the 1990s TV series, had a list of complaints about California that could fill a whole episode. High taxes, tough business regulations, soft-on-crime policies, and an eye-watering cost of living all pushed him toward the exit.
“I had to get out,” he said bluntly, and in 2023 he landed in Las Vegas. Nevada’s business-friendly environment and lower taxes made it a logical landing spot for someone done playing by California’s rules.
16. Kelly Clarkson
After a painful divorce and years of struggling emotionally in Los Angeles, Kelly Clarkson chose New York City as the place to rebuild. She admitted openly that she “was very depressed for the last three years” while living in LA and desperately needed a clean slate.
New York’s electric energy, anonymity in the crowd, and nonstop momentum turned out to be exactly the reset she needed. Sometimes the loudest city in the world is the best place to finally find your own voice again.
17. George and Amal Clooney
George and Amal Clooney made a bold statement when they sold their Los Angeles home in 2024 and settled into their French farmhouse as their primary residence. George was candid about not wanting his children raised inside the “culture of Hollywood.”
Paparazzi pressure and the risk of their kids being compared to other celebrity children weighed heavily on both parents. France offered the Clooney family something priceless: a normal, private life far from the world’s most famous zip code.