Cuenca and Quito are the most popular Ecuadorian destinations for U.S. expats, new study reports

Cuenca and Quito have the largest populations of U.S. expats, according to a study by Vistazo magazine and website and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Other cities with “significant concentrations” of American foreign residents include Cotacachi, Loja, Manta, Vilcabamba and Salinas, the study reports.

Young U.S. expats are attracted to Quito by the city’s international-class shopping, vibrant nightlife and good restaurants.

In its comments, Vistazo says there is a major difference between the U.S. expat communities in Cuenca and Quito. “In Cuenca, the Americans are mostly adults of retirement age, although many continue to work via the internet,” it says. “In Quito, the foreign residents are younger people, many of them employed by international commercial and public entities, while others are so-called digital nomads.”

Among recent trends, the report adds, is that the average age of Americans living in Cuenca is dropping as more young people move in, and that a growing number of retirement-age U.S. citizens are relocating to the Los Chillos Valley region east and southeast of Quito.

Based on data from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Vistazo estimates there are 10,000 U.S. citizens living in the Cuenca area while 7,000 live in Quito. In addition, it says about 2,000 Europeans and Asians live in Cuenca and 1,500 in Quito.

“Cuenca is a favorite especially for older adults because of its security, health care facilities, culture and the hospitality of the people,” Vistazo says. “Quito, on the other hand has international-class shopping, vibrant nightlife and good restaurants.”

Vistazo adds that the higher crime rate in Quito is not a deterrent for young U.S. expats. “They tell us that the city is safer than most cities in the U.S.”

According to Vistazo, the increase in the number of U.S. foreign residents in Ecuador is a “relatively new phenomenon.” Almost all of the growth has occurred within the last 20 years, the magazine reports. “Numerous international media outlets promoted Ecuador as a retirement destination beginning in the early 2000s, which led to the influx,” it says.

Vistazo says the number of U.S. expats continues to grow in Cuenca and Quito but has dropped slightly in Manta and Salinas. “The news of murders and gang violence in the coastal provinces is a deterrent to all foreigners, including U.S. citizens,” it says.