Phoenix, Ariz.—The move from big cities on the East and West coasts of the country to suburban areas continued apace in 2023. That’s according to a newly released report from U-Haul, which reflects a trend that accelerated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Texas netted the largest number of movers in one-way U-Haul equipment in 2023, marking the third consecutive year it has finished atop the U-Haul Growth Index. In fact, Texas is the No. 1 growth state for the sixth time in eight years (2016-18 and 2021-23) and has ranked no lower than second on the U-Haul Growth Index throughout that stretch. DIY movers arriving in Texas accounted for 50.4% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in and out of Texas (49.6% departures) to keep it the leading growth state.
Florida, which ranks right behind Texas among growth states for the third year in a row, remains equally appealing to new residents. In fact, the state netted almost as many one-way U-Haul customers as Texas in 2023. The Sunshine State has been a top-four growth state for nine years in a row. Florida topped the U-Haul Growth Index in 2019.
North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee follow Florida, while Idaho, Washington, Arizona, Colorado and Virginia round out the top 10 states for growth.
So, where are people moving away from? For the fourth year in a row, California reflected the largest net loss of one-way movers. Other bottom-five states for growth are Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois and Massachusetts. New York ranks No. 43.
“While one-way transactions in 2023 remained below the record-breaking levels we witnessed immediately following the pandemic, we continued to see many of the same geographical trends from U-Haul customers moving between states,” said John Taylor, U-Haul International president. “Migration to states in the Southeast and Southwest is still very pronounced. Demand for one-way equipment out of certain markets in the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast mirrors what we have seen during recent moving cycles.”
Movin’ on up
The company calculates growth states by each state’s net gain (or loss) of one-way equipment from customer transactions in a calendar year. The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled from more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul truck, trailer and U-Box moving container transactions that occur annually across the U.S. and Canada.
The biggest climbers year-over-year are Arkansas (+26 spots), Wyoming (+19), Vermont (+18), Washington (+16), Delaware (+12) and South Dakota (+12).
By comparison, the biggest fallers YOY are Oregon (-15 spots), Connecticut (-14), Pennsylvania (-14), Ohio (-14), Missouri (-13) and Indiana (-13).
While U-Haul migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the annual U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.
By and large, the latest research from U-Haul mirrors what many others have discovered when it comes to tracking the movements of people who have relocated in recent years.
