Texas is the No. 1 U.S. Growth State for 2016, according to the latest U-Haul migration trends report.
That makes for quite a turnaround from 2015, when Texas was a net-loss state and ranked No. 39 on this list. The year-over-year arrival of one-way U-Haul truck rentals rose 4 percent last year in Texas while departures held steady.
Releases on each of the top 10 growth states and the top U.S. Growth Cities are available at myuhaulstory.com. Florida, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Missouri complete the top five growth states. Illinois continues to rank 50th the top net-loss state, preceded by California’s slide to No. 49 after cracking the top five for 2015.
Growth States are calculated by the net gain of one-way U-Haul truck rentals entering a state versus leaving a state during a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 1.7 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.
While migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, U-Haul growth data is an effective gauge of how well cities are attracting and maintaining residents.
Arrivals outpaced departures 50.8 to 49.2 percent in Texas last year thanks to locations such as Austin, the No. 2 U.S. Growth City in the 50,000-plus population category behind Madison, Wis.
Granbury, McKinney, Richardson, Temple, New Braunfels, Dallas and College Station are other notable Texas growth cities to see a bump in U-Haul arrivals in 2016.
Farmers Market in Dallas, Texas, the U-Haul No. 1 Growth State of 2016. Courtesy of VisitDallas
“Everything in Texas is growing exponentially,” says Zane Rowland, U-Haul Company of North East Dallas president. “Our market is strong. Lots of major companies are moving to Texas because of the tax breaks. Between the low cost of living, the abundance of job opportunities and the ability to start a business, many people want to move to Texas.”
The Lone Star State has gained large operations, or seen expansions of existing operations, with the likes of Toyota, Apple and Amazon to increase employment opportunities.
“I am proud that Texas continues to be the state of choice for those looking for expanded economic opportunities,” Governor Greg Abbott says in response to his state’s U-Haul growth ranking. “In the Lone Star State, we recognize that increased regulations and higher taxes are barriers to success for businesses, individuals and families. That is why, as governor, I will continue to work to ensure we promote a pro-growth environment across the state that gives everyone the opportunity to thrive, leading to a more prosperous Texas.”
In 2016, U-Haul registered a net gain of about 80 neighborhood dealers across the state. This made it more convenient to access U-Haul trucks, trailers, self-storage, moving supplies, hitches, propane and other products and services.
Find U-Haul stores and neighborhood dealers in Texas at uhaul.com/locations.
U-Haul is the authority on migration trends thanks to its expansive network that blankets all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The geographical coverage from more than 21,000 U-Haul locations provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.
U-Haul 2016 Growth States
| 1. Texas |
| 2. Florida |
| 3. Minnesota |
| 4. Wisconsin |
| 5. Missouri |
| 6. Maine |
| 7. Idaho |
| 8. Louisiana |
| 9. Vermont |
| 10. Arkansas |
| 11. Colorado |
| 12. Tennessee |
| 13. Iowa |
| 14. New Hampshire |
| 15. Delaware |
| 16. Washington |
| 17. Connecticut |
| 18. South Dakota |
| 19. District of Columbia* |
| 20. Kansas |
| 21. Alabama |
| 22. South Carolina |
| 23. Nebraska |
| 24. Oregon |
| 25. West Virginia |
| 26. Wyoming |
| 27. Montana |
| 28. Alaska |
| 29. Mississippi |
| 30. Virginia |
| 31. Kentucky |
| 32. North Dakota |
| 33. New Mexico |
| 34. Oklahoma |
| 35. New York |
| 36. Rhode Island |
| 37. Maryland |
| 38. Utah |
| 39. Indiana |
| 40. Ohio |
| 41. New Jersey |
| 42. Massachusetts |
| 43. Nevada |
| 44. North Carolina |
| 45. Pennsylvania |
| 46. Arizona |
| 47. Georgia |
| 48. Michigan |
| 49. California |
| 50. Illinois |
* Washington, D.C. is its own U-Haul territory and is listed among states for migration purposes. Hawaii is not included since state-to-state truck rentals are not applicable.
What They are Saying about Texas
“North Austin is a hot market for families. Property values are still very reasonable for people to relocate. People are moving from all over the country for the tech jobs. The job availability and the expansion of big businesses into town are all attractive elements.” — Matthew McMillan, U-Haul Company of North Austin president
“San Antonio has grown tremendously. The economy here is great. Across the state, the (oil industry) is recovering in West Texas. That’s where the big boom is. In our area and heading south it’s still going on, but you can see the oil traffic slowed. It hasn’t come back yet. You did see a decline in oil jobs last year, but some people were laid off and brought back.” — Sam Molina, U-Haul Company of San Antonio East
“Business growth is huge in Texas. We have seen lots of corporations move here. New home builds and job opportunities are signs of growth. The state government is very open to new businesses arriving and older businesses growing. Toyota relocated to Plano and offered 2,000 positions to people living in Texas.” — Kevin Lindell, U-Haul Company of Northwest Dallas president
“Our neighborhood dealers make it possible for us to grow in communities where our competitors cannot. We can reach more people because of our numerous locations.” — Glenn Taylor, U-Haul Company of South Austin president
“When customers come to a U-Haul store, something significant is happening in their lives. Maybe they just got married; they’re moving a child to college; or they got a new job. People come to us because they need help, and our services allow them to move at an affordable cost.” — Kenneth Birch, U-Haul Company of Fort Worth president
