(TheIndependentStar.com) – The patterns of American migration kept evolving during 2023, and now that we are in 2024, the latest U-Haul Growth Index report highlights the states where people moved and the states people left behind last year.
This annual report by the equipment rental company provides a unique perspective on domestic migration trends, measuring the net gain or loss of one-way U-Haul truck rentals entering and leaving each state.
In 2023, the report underscored a clear preference among movers for the southeastern and southwestern regions of the United States.
Texas, for instance, retained its position as the top destination for U-Haul movers for the second consecutive year and for the sixth time in eight years.
This aligns with U.S. Census data, which revealed that Texas saw a significant net gain of new residents in 2022, with over 668,000 people moving to the state and around 494,000 leaving.
U-Haul’s data indicated that more than half of all one-way U-Haul traffic in Texas involved trucks arriving in the state, contributing to its continued population growth.
Following Texas in popularity were other southern states including Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
On the other end of the spectrum, California remained at the bottom of U-Haul’s list for the second year in a row, experiencing the largest net loss of one-way movers.
This finding is consistent with Census data showing a significant exodus from California in 2022. The other states with the smallest influx of one-way U-Haul rentals included Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey, and Michigan.
Interestingly, U-Haul also observed substantial increases in one-way rentals heading to states like Arkansas, Wyoming, Vermont, Washington, Delaware, and South Dakota, while Oregon, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, and Indiana experienced notable drops.
John “J.T.” Taylor, President of U-Haul International, noted that while the volume of one-way transactions in 2023 didn’t reach the heights seen immediately post-pandemic, the geographical trends remained consistent with previous years.
He emphasized, however, that the U-Haul Growth Index doesn’t directly correlate to population or economic growth but rather offers insights into migration trends.
This U-Haul report provides an intriguing lens through which to view American migration patterns, highlighting the ongoing appeal of southern states and the shifting dynamics of state populations across the country.
