Love Is Wonderful — but 'The Golden Bachelorette' Lead Joan Vassos Won't Relocate for It

When it comes to the Bachelor franchise, discussing living arrangements is essential for the lead and their contestants. They have to decide whether to pursue a long-distance relationship or move to a new place and start a new chapter together.

These conversations are pivotal for a relationship, making it crucial for potential couples to address them before it's too late.

With that in mind, let's focus on The Golden Bachelorette herself, Joan Vassos. With deep roots and family in a particular area, the question is: Will she relocate for love?

Here's what we know about Joan's current living situation.

For those unaware, Joan Vassos lives in Rockville, Md. Having grown up in Olney, the 61-year-old widower is a born-and-bred Marylander.

Joan also stayed in the area for college, graduating from the University of Maryland with a computer science degree in 1985. She now works in alumni relations at the Landon School in Bethesda.

While some leads and contestants choose to pack their bags and relocate for love, Joan is holding her ground! No matter who she meets, she's staying in Maryland.

"I would never want to leave my family," Jon told People in September 2024. "My kids and my grandkids all live really close to me and not being close to them all the time would not work for me. They're the most important people in my life."

She told the outlet, "I felt that anybody that I would be a good match for, they would have the same family values as I have and would not want to leave their family."

Joan also understands that if she and a potential partner aren't in the same area, they'll need to get creative on how to make their romance work.

"We'd have to figure out a different way to make it work," she explained. "Depending on schedules, you might spend two weeks at their place and two weeks at yours, or even find a spot where both families can meet up."

Joan continued, "My thought was that, depending on your working status, you could go and spend two weeks at their house and two weeks at your house, or have another location where you would all gather, and maybe each other's families would come. You figure it out for a while until you figure out a permanent arrangement, and that could be, feasibly, years.”

“Going into this journey, I assumed that I was not going to have anybody from Maryland or not many people that were geographically really desirable," she told People. "But in the immediate present, I'm not leaving my kids. I don't expect anybody to leave their families. You figure it out. You put the burden on yourself, not [on] your families."

Although distance could be an issue, Joan feels that joining the show offers her a far better opportunity to find a partner than dating apps ever did.

"Up until that point, I really was not having a fun time dating," the blonde admitted. "I tried a dating app. I was always hoping a friend would set me up with somebody, and none of those things really seemed to work. I wanted to date, but it seemed like such an effort. I didn't really know how to do it."

Well, with just two contestants remaining, it looks like Joan is finally on her way to finding the second love of her life!

Catch new episodes of The Golden Bachelorette on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST, only on ABC. Stream the next day on Hulu.