BryanBusovicki/Shutterstock.com

We begin 2016 with much more editorial focus on the country where 11 percent of all American expats call home, the largest concentration of Americans outside of the U.S.

In 2010, the Mexican government’s last census showed nearly one million foreign-born people living in the country, three-fourths American.

The state of Jalisco – home to the international resort city of Puerto Vallarta and the expat communities along the northern shore of Lake Chapala, which is located just south of Guadalajara, - had the largest percentage of expats, nearly 17 percent.

Baja California Norte was second with about 12.5 percent of the expats in the country calling it home. Mexico City had just over 11 percent of the expat population and about 10 percent lived in Baja California Sur, primarily the Cabo San Lucas and La Paz areas. All other Mexican states had expat populations of 4 percent or less.

What makes Mexico so attractive? For starters, the U.S. dollar now is worth over 17 pesos. If you’re from San Francisco, California, that means your cost of living in, say the Lake Chapala communities, is anywhere from 70 percent to 90 percent lower, depending upon which spending category you’re looking at. You can do a quick comparison between your city and many cities in Mexico on Numbeo, a cost of living comparison site we use in our Countries section.

Did I mention the weather? There is a reason frostbitten Canadians and U.S. northerners flock south to Mexico for vacations and new lives in sun-kissed Mexican cities.

After living in Puerto Vallarta for seven years, I know that Mexico’s culture and people are also major magnets for expats. There’s just something special about living there.

Look for more Adventurers Abroad and Entrepreneurs Abroad features on Mexico in the coming months, as well as a Top Story focus on the major issues facing Mexico, like personal safety.

If you’re thinking about Mexico as a place to live, stick with us…much more to come.