THE number of citizens from the United States migrating to Scotland to live has soared since Donald Trump began his second term as president, new analysis has shown.
Since Trump began his second term as US president 18 months ago, there has been a 63% spike in the number of Americans signing tenancy agreements in Scotland, according to research by UK lettings and tenancy management platform Goodlord.
The analysis looked at more than 300,000 tenancy agreements signed before and after Trump returned to the White House, comparing rental trends from January 2025 to June 2026 with those recorded between July 2023 and December 2024.
Goodlord found that Britain as a whole had seen a rise of 32% in US renters taking on new properties, in a trend that mirrors the increase in UK visa applications from American citizens following Trump’s inauguration in January 2025.
More than 6600 US citizens applied for UK citizenship during the 12 months leading up to March last year, an increase of 30% over the previous 12 months, and was the highest annual total since records began, according to the Home Office's data.
Goodlord’s analysis comes after the estate agency platform Rightmove recorded a significant jump in US citizens looking for homes for sale in the UK last year.
In May 2025, Rightmove reported that half of its top ten most-viewed locations for Americans looking for a home in the UK were in Scotland, with Edinburgh topping the list.
Glasgow, the Highlands, Argyll and Bute and Fife all featured in the top 10 too.
William Reeve, CEO at Goodlord, said the figures give “further weight” to claims that volatility in US politics is “driving many Americans to seek a new home in the UK”.
He added: “But while the President’s controversial policy agenda will be the key push factor for some, comparatively low rents on this side of the Atlantic also appear to make Scotland a more attractive place to rent.
“Though Scotland’s lower salaries may initially come as a shock to young professionals crossing the pond, cheaper rents in Scottish cities seem to soften the blow, convincing many to make the switch.”
Goodlord also found that the second most popular region for US citizens to settle in the UK was the North West of England, which recorded a 60% rise, just 3% behind Scotland.
Wales and the South East of England came in joint third, each recording a 50% jump.
