Idaho is the No. 7 U.S. Growth State for 2016, according to the latest U-Haul migration trends report.
Idaho, a growth state by a fairly narrow margin in 2015 when it was No. 21, picked up 14 spots. Its year-over-year arrivals of one-way U-Haul truck rentals soared 8 percent last year. Departures went up 6 percent as overall U-Haul traffic increased across the state.
Arrivals accounted for 51 percent of U-Haul traffic in Idaho in 2016. Boise, Coeur D’Alene and Nampa paced Idaho in its net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks. Boise ranks third among U-Haul U.S. Growth Cities for locations with a population more than 50,000. Its arrivals rose 21 percent year-over-year.
Follow the Top 10 Growth States daily countdown through Feb. 3 on Twitter @uhaul. View other migration trends reports, including the U.S. Growth Cities release, at myuhaulstory.com.
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.
Boise is the leading growth city in Idaho, the U-Haul No. 7 Growth State of 2016. Courtesy of Visit Idaho
“What I see is a lot of people retiring to Boise for its lower cost of living,” says Casey Jones, U-Haul Company of Idaho president. “They’re selling their one-bedroom home in California for $500,000 and coming here to buy a 2,500-square-foot house for $300,000.”
U-Haul has close to 140 neighborhood dealers serving customers in Idaho as well as eight stores across seven cities. Find U-Haul rental facilities in Idaho 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, including neighborhood dealers and Company-owned and -operated stores, provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.
What they are saying about Idaho
“Certainly, our capital city, Boise, and the surrounding area known as the Treasure Valley, has experienced significant growth dating all the way back to the 1990s. However, the growth is not limited to the Treasure Valley. Growth is happening throughout the state as a result of businesses expanding and creating new job opportunities – Northern Idaho has growing aerospace and technology sectors; the Magic Valley has exploded with food production; and Eastern Idaho is anchored by research and development, and technology.” – Megan Ronk, Director, Idaho Dept. of Commerce
“If you’re tired of the rat race, Idaho might be a good escape. If you live in Boise, where most of our migration is, you can go 30 minutes outside the city and be in the middle of nowhere, which is nice. But you still get a city that has a big-enough feel. You get all four seasons in Idaho, and the outdoor living is great. There is certainly more people coming into the state than leaving right now. Meridian, a suburb of Boise, is just blowing up. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them grow at least 10 percent this year.” – Casey Jones, U-Haul Company of Idaho president
U-Haul Top 10 Growth States of 2016
10. Arkansas
9. Vermont
8. Louisiana
7. Idaho
Be sure to follow the growth state countdown in the following days here on myuhaulstory.com!
