Migration Trends: Philadelphia is No. 8 U-Haul Destination City

The City of Brotherly Love is the No. 8 U.S. Destination City according to the latest U-Haul® migration trends report, holding steady from its previous ranking.

Philadelphia saw a 5 percent year-over-year increase in one-way U-Haul truck arrivals in 2017 to remain one of the top 10 busiest cities for incoming traffic among do-it-yourself movers.

“Philly has been on the verge of a turnaround for years and we are finally seeing business and people moving back into the city,” stated Gerald Solarski, U-Haul Company of North Philadelphia president. “There is a vibrancy here that was vacant for more than a decade. There is a new energy in Philly and people are excited about our city again.

“This is also an affordable East Coast metropolitan area. Residents are a quick train ride from Boston and New York City. The Center City District has expanded into a modern-day urban core with skyscrapers, entertainment districts and high-rise apartments. There are also strong neighborhoods with accessible green spaces right outside Center City.”

U-Haul has 14 Company-owned stores and 38 independent neighborhood dealers currently operating in the Philadelphia city limits. Find U-Haul truck and trailer sharing locations in Philadelphia at uhaul.com/locations.

Moving Season in Philadelphia

U-Haul International, headquartered in Phoenix, is counting down its top 10 U.S. Destination Cities as a prelude to Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial beginning of the summer moving season. About 45 percent of all moves each year occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. The No. 1 Destination City will be announced on May 25 via Twitter @uhaul and on myuhaulstory.com.

Columbus, Ohio, was named the No. 10 Destination City, and Charlotte, N.C., received No. 9 honors earlier this week.

View Destination Cities 11-50 below. Pittsburgh, which did not make the top 50 last year, gives Pennsylvania a second destination in the rankings. It catapulted to the No. 37 spot based on a spike in arriving U-Haul trucks in 2017.

Rankings are based on the total number of arriving one-way U-Haul trucks into a city in the past calendar year. Destination Cities reflect the volume and regularity of do-it-yourself movers coming into a community. They do not account for departing one-way U-Haul trucks, and thus do not necessarily signify growth like U-Haul Growth Cities and Growth States rankings.

U-Haul released its top 25 U.S. Growth Cities and its complete Growth States rankings for 2017 in January.

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. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 1.7 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.

U-Haul Destination Cities

8. PHILADELPHIA, Pa.
9. CHARLOTTE, N.C.
10. COLUMBUS, Ohio
11. TAMPA, Fla.
12. SAN DIEGO, Calif.
13. PHOENIX, Ariz.
14. JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
15. SACRAMENTO, Calif.
16. DALLAS, Texas
17. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.
18. LOS ANGELES, Calif.
19. TUCSON, Ariz.
20. ATLANTA, Ga.
21. MIAMI, Fla.
22. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.
23. BRONX, N.Y.
24. WASHINGTON, D.C.
25. FORT WORTH, Texas
26. PORTLAND, Ore.
27. NASHVILLE, Tenn.
28. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.
29. CINCINNATI, Ohio
30. BALTIMORE, Md.
31. PLANO, Texas
32. RALEIGH, N.C.
33. DENVER, Colo.
34. KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
35. COLUMBIA, S.C.
36. OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.
37. PITTSBURGH, Pa.
38. LOUISVILLE, Ky.
39. RENO, Nevada
40. SEATTLE, Wash.
41. RICHMOND, Va.
42. SAN JOSE, Calif.
43. BAKERSFIELD, Calif.
44. DURHAM, N.C.
45. MADISON, Wis.
46. JERSEY CITY, N.J.
47. ALEXANDRIA, Va.
48. FRESNO, Calif.
49. MEMPHIS, Tenn.
50. TULSA, Okla.