Why young families are choosing rural France over city life

“A better fit for our family” is among reasons cited by young professionals who have recently left city homes behind for a new life in rural France.

Gabriella (surname withheld) and her husband Jake, both 39, moved from London to rural south-west France in 2024 with their two children.

Gabriella, originally from Hungary, had lived in the British capital for 15 years, and her husband was born and raised there. He worked in tech, while Gabriella was an HR manager.

A change of lifestyle

A huge draw of rural France was the lifestyle change it offered the family.

“We wanted to create a calmer, more nature-focused life for our children, somewhere we could spend a lot of time outdoors in a safe, family-oriented environment,” said Gabriella, who now runs a YouTube channel, Simple Life in the South of France.

Occitanie felt like the perfect fit, with its combination of beaches, rivers, the Canal du Midi and beautiful hiking areas.

“For us, it wasn’t about leaving London because we were unhappy – we actually loved our life there. But after having children, we felt that a different pace of life would be a better fit for our family.”

An estimated 172,312 Britons (+1.4% year-on-year) were living in France in 2025, according to France’s Interior Ministry.

A third of these live in more sparsely populated areas of the south-west, including Charente, Dordogne and Haut-Vienne, according to 2020 data from the state statistics agency Insee.

This data showed that of all the Britons in France, some 55,000 people were employed, and most of these lived in cities, which offered skilled jobs.

“In my area of rural France, most newcomers from Britain still tend to be older, often retirees seeking a quieter life,” said Didi Hawkins, an estate agent in the Poitou-Charentes region.

One reason is that since Brexit, British citizens hoping to move from the UK have faced extra barriers, and a more uncertain situation once in France.

“The introduction of visa requirements – and the financial guarantees required to obtain them – has significantly reduced the number of people willing or able to make the move,” said Ms Hawkins.

“The impact is particularly visible among younger families.”

She gave the example of one British couple she knew who settled in France three years ago and now face the precarious situation of having to renew their visa annually. Their current visa does not allow them to work.

“Their savings are dwindling, yet returning to the UK feels unthinkable. They have built a life here, and their five‑year‑old son is now fluent in French and thriving at school.”

For Gabriella, being Hungarian – and therefore an EU citizen – made the move easier.

“We did not need visas, which removed a major layer of complexity,” she said. “There was still a lot of administrative work involved in relocating, but not having to worry about residency requirements made a big difference.”

While she initially focused on settling the children and managing the move, she is now starting to think about her next professional steps as her youngest starts school in September.

Her husband was already working remotely before the move, a growing trend in France as elsewhere.

“Internet connectivity is steadily improving, with most villages now benefiting from fibre‑optic broadband. This has opened the door for younger professionals who can work remotely, allowing them to enjoy the slower pace of rural life,” said Ms Hawkins.

Challenges of moving

However, it does not entirely protect you from the challenges of working and job hunting in a new country.

“We’ve found that salaries for comparable roles can be significantly lower than in the UK, and some international employers are reluctant to hire from France due to the administrative burden and high taxes, even if they hire elsewhere in Europe,” said Gabriella.

However, she believes the trade-off, in terms of raising children, is worth it.

“We were happy in London; we lived in a lovely area in south-west London and had a great life there, but after having children, our priorities shifted.

“Here, the quality of life feels very different. We spend much more time outdoors, and the natural environment is a big part of our daily life, whether that means going to the beach, walking in nature, or simply being outside.

“It offers a slower pace and a different kind of childhood experience, which is exactly what we were looking for.”

French workers also embrace rural life

French households relocating from urban areas face their own constraints, says estate agent Didi Hawkins.

“One family who moved here last summer is delighted with the quality of life, but the father must commute to Paris – a manageable 1.5‑hour train journey each way, yet still a significant commitment – to maintain stable employment.”

He is not alone. Camille Verninas, a 33-year-old 3D animator, has the same length of commute now that she has moved out of Paris to the quiet commune of Galluis (Yvelines) with just 2,000 inhabitants.

She moved with her boyfriend two years ago, after working in the French capital for three years.

"It was the best decision in terms of quality of life and price," she said.

The couple were motivated by the prohibitive cost of property in Paris, proximity to her family and the fact her boyfriend was raised on a farm so is “no townie”.

Fortunately, her job does not require her to be in the office five days a week, so the commute remains manageable.

And a surprising knock-on effect of their move is that others have swiftly followed: “We were the first but now four of our friends have bought places nearby. I did not expect that!”

For Hélène Porret (pictured), a freelance journalist who left Paris for Etel, a village of 2,074 residents in Morbihan, rural life also has its compromises.

The 35-year-old moved with her boyfriend last year.

Her experience of spending the Covid-19 pandemic confined to a 30m² flat made her start thinking about relocating, while her parents' move to Finistère informed her decision to choose Brittany.

"We knew the plan would not materialise without a job. We thought it would be something we might achieve in retirement, until my boyfriend, an architect, found a full-time position in Etel.”

Although there was a wage gap, Ms Porret said it is mitigated by a cheaper lifestyle and property. Their new house, she said, has twice as much space as their Paris property for lower rent. The couple are currently expecting their first child.