Austin Slips Two Spots in Rankings but Sees Spike in U-Haul Arrivals and Departures
The Texas capital, Austin remains a hotbed for migration activity and population growth, according to the latest U-Haul migration trends report.
This comes as no surprise to Austin Mayor Steve Adler, whose hospitable and trendy city witnessed a larger volume of U-Haul trucks entering and leaving in 2015 than the year prior.
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“Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country and has been for some time, and for good reason,” Adler said. “But our challenge now is to make sure these U-Haul vehicles don’t get stuck in traffic and that the people driving them – as well as the people already here – can afford to pay their bills.”
$100 goes further in Austin than it does for the national average. (source: taxfoundation.org)
Austin lassos the No. 3 ranking in the U-Haul Top 10 U.S. Growth Cities for 2015 after claiming the No. 1 spot on this list for 2014. Growth rankings are determined by the net gain of incoming one-way U-Haul truck rentals versus outgoing rentals for the past calendar year.
U-Haul locations in Austin saw 50.8 percent of truck rental customers coming into the city as opposed leaving. Austin welcomed 6 percent more U-Haul arrivals year-over-year, while its departures were up 7 percent over the same span. The overall bump in U-Haul traffic made the Live Music Capital of the World a very lively hub for do-it-yourself movers.
“Austin leads the country in job growth, including middle-class jobs, but people also move here to go to the University of Texas (like I did many years ago) and to become immersed in our creative community, whether it’s the music scene or our growing film industry,” Adler said.
“People also come here to start the next big thing in tech or to bring their innovations to market. And as hard as it is to believe it, some people come here from California and New York because our housing is less expensive.”
Speaking of value, the University of Texas ranks as one of the best values for a public university in the country, according to a 2016 report by Kiplinger. More than 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students attend UT, many of whom fall in love with Austin and decide to make it their home after securing their degrees.
Austin is the second Texas city on the growth rankings list, with College Station netting sixth.
While U-Haul migration trends don’t correlate directly to population or economic growth, the growth cities data is a strong gauge of how well cities are attracting and keeping residents. Continue following the U-Haul Top 10 U.S. Growth Cities countdown at myuhaulstory.com and via Twitter @uhaul.
More on Austin
- There are endless activities to choose from in Austin, ranging from a dynamic nightlife scene to UT sporting events to barbecue paradises. One of the city’s calling cards is the annual
South by Southwest Music, Film and Interactive festival. It is one of the largest musical events in the U.S. with 2,000-plus performers playing more than 90 downtown venues over several days in March. - In addition to being the No. 1 Growth City of 2014, Austin was the U-Haul No. 7 U.S. Destination City of 2014. While growth city data factors in one-way U-Haul arrivals and departures, destination city data focuses solely on the number of arrivals. U-Haul will release its Top 10
U.S. Destination Cities for 2015 at the start of “Moving Season” with the arrival of Memorial Day.
Quotable
- “Businesses continue to flock to Central Texas because of the climate, no state income tax and growing diversity throughout Austin. Google, IBM and Apple are just a few of the businesses adding jobs to the Central Texas economy. And Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World. You can enjoy anything from jazz, country, rock or just about any genre. There are many outdoor activities year-round, and with our mild winters, most people enjoy the outdoors year-round. Austin remains as one of the most physically active cities in the U.S.” — Glenn Taylor, U-Haul Company of South Austin president
- “Since Willie Nelson moved here from Nashville and reinvented country music by playing his songs to the outlaw crowd, Austin has been a city that doesn’t just tolerate but celebrates what you have to offer the world that makes you different. Great cities do big things. We’re the city that reinvented the assembly line, the grocery store, and dinner-and-a-movie … not to mention country music. But the biggest thing we do every day is what you can do that puts something special into the world. Austin is a magical city, and the thing that makes you is what turns the magic on.” — Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin
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Photo courtesy of Austin Convention Visitor’s Bureau.
