Answers · current to September 2026

Moving from Los Angeles, for a high earner.

Ranked on what $1,000,000 of income keeps over 10 years, with what Los Angeles charges on the way out.

In short, current to September 2026

  • On the Patrician.ch board, the address that leaves a $1,000,000 earner leaving Los Angeles with the most after 10 years is Gustavia, St Barths, at $10M kept against an effective 0%.
  • Within 5 hours of Los Angeles, the address that keeps the most is Austin, United States, at $6.7M over 10 years.
  • On the way out of Los Angeles: No exit tax for a non citizen leaving the US. A US citizen or long term green card holder is taxed worldwide after leaving. Renouncing triggers the expatriation tax, a deemed sale of everything at 23.8% on gains above the annual exclusion. California also tests whether you really left.
  • Deferral: Not applicable unless you renounce.
  • Figures are current to September 2026 and modeled on indicative 2026 headline brackets for a single filer. Confirm with counsel before relying on any of them.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 48 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to September 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, Moving from Los Angeles 2026: where a high earner keeps most, patrician.ch/answers/moving-from-los-angeles/, September 2026.

Ranked

Leaving Los Angeles: where $1,000,000 goes furthest.

Ordered by what a single filer keeps over 10 years after income tax, on Patrician.ch's 2026 model, with the flight time from Los Angeles. The engine reorders this on your own income, liquidity event, passports and household.

01
Gustavia 🇫🇷 St Barths0% effective on $1M, no capital gains tax, 8h from Los Angeles, special regime for arrivals
$10M
02
Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪 UAE0% effective on $1M, no capital gains tax, 17h from Los Angeles
$10M
03
Dubai 🇦🇪 UAE0% effective on $1M, no capital gains tax, 17h from Los Angeles
$10M
04
Anguilla 🇦🇮 Anguilla0% effective on $1M, no capital gains tax, 8h from Los Angeles
$10M
05
Punta del Este 🇺🇾 Uruguay0% effective on $1M, no capital gains tax, 13h from Los Angeles, special regime for arrivals
$10M
06
Monaco 🇲🇨 Monaco0% effective on $1M, no capital gains tax, 13h from Los Angeles
$10M
07
Christophe Harbour 🇰🇳 St Kitts and Nevis0% effective on $1M, no capital gains tax, 8h from Los Angeles
$10M
08
St John's 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda0% effective on $1M, no capital gains tax, 8h from Los Angeles
$10M
09
Providenciales 🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos0% effective on $1M, no capital gains tax, 7h from Los Angeles
$10M
10
George Town 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands0% effective on $1M, no capital gains tax, 6h from Los Angeles
$10M

Within 5 hours of Los Angeles.

The same ranking, kept to addresses a direct flight of 5 hours or less from Los Angeles.

01
Austin 🇺🇸 United States33% effective on $1M, 24% on gains, 4h from Los Angeles
$6.7M
02
Los Cabos 🇲🇽 Mexico34% effective on $1M, 30% on gains, 3h from Los Angeles
$6.6M
03
Aspen 🇺🇸 United States37% effective on $1M, 28% on gains, 3h from Los Angeles
$6.3M
04
Montecito 🇺🇸 United States43% effective on $1M, 37% on gains, 1h from Los Angeles
$5.7M
05
San Diego 🇺🇸 United States43% effective on $1M, 37% on gains, 1h from Los Angeles
$5.7M

Model note. Effective rates use indicative 2026 headline brackets and any special regime for arriving foreigners. Social contributions, deductions and treaty relief are not included. Flight times are great-circle estimates. The exit charge from Los Angeles is modeled separately and is not netted into the figures above.

Questions

The short answers.

Where should a high earner move from Los Angeles?

On $1,000,000 of income, Gustavia keeps the most over 10 years, $10M, followed by Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Within 5 hours of Los Angeles, Austin keeps the most. The ranking changes with the passports held, the household and a liquidity event, all of which the engine takes as inputs.

Does Los Angeles charge an exit tax?

No exit tax for a non citizen leaving the US.

A US citizen or long term green card holder is taxed worldwide after leaving. Renouncing triggers the expatriation tax, a deemed sale of everything at 23.8% on gains above the annual exclusion. California also tests whether you really left.

How long does it take to stop being tax resident in Los Angeles?

Not applicable unless you renounce.

Which addresses on the board levy no capital gains tax?

36 of the 100 addresses on the board levy no personal capital gains tax, among them Abu Dhabi, Anguilla, Bora Bora, Christophe Harbour, Dubai, Geneva.

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This page is the general case. Your income and passports rank all 100 differently.

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The general case, ranked: Where should high earners live in 2026 · Best country to live in if you are rich · Best countries for high earners after tax · Europe · United States

Tax figures use a simplified marginal model with indicative 2026 brackets for a non-US single filer, ignore social contributions, most deductions, wealth taxes, and treaties, and are not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.

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