U-Haul Announces Top 25 U.S. Growth Cities for 2018

The Sacramento/Roseville market was the leading Growth City in America last year, according to U-Haul® data analyzing U.S. migration trends for 2018.

U-Haul Growth Cities are calculated by the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks entering a city versus leaving that city during a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck sharing transactions that occur annually.

The top five growth cities in 2018 included Spring, Texas; Manhattan, N.Y.; Harrisburg, Pa.; and the Grand Rapids/Wyoming, Mich., market. New York City boroughs are listed independently for migration trends purposes, and neighboring cities like Sacramento and Roseville are packaged together in some markets due to their proximity.

Sacramento/Roseville arrivals of one-way U-Haul trucks rose 7 percent while departures rose only 1 percent from the market’s 2017 numbers. Arrivals accounted for 51.8 percent of all one-way U-Haul traffic in Sacramento/Roseville to make it No. 1 for netting do-it-yourself movers.

Migration Trends for California Cities

“This market is an attractive option for those who have been priced out of the Bay Area,” stated Aaron Anderson, U-Haul Company of East Sacramento president. “There has been out-migration from parts of the Bay Area in recent years, but many movers are remaining in-state because they can find affordability in Sacramento and Roseville. Commuters can be 90 minutes from their jobs and enjoy close-knit communities.”

Other California locations to rank among the nation’s leading growth markets are San Francisco (6); Palm Springs/Cathedral City (14); Davis (16); Temecula (19); and Concord (24). Florida boasts five cities on the list, while Pennsylvania, Texas and South Carolina have two. Manhattan is the lone New York destination among the top 25.

“Manhattan has always been able to attract residents,” Jeff Sonberg, U-Haul Company of Manhattan/Bronx president, said. “It is funny how in a place with a population of over 1.5 million – and with even more tourists – the locals really know each other. Everyone visits the same bodega, coffee shop and public transit stop on a consistent basis.”

Visit myuhaulstory.com to view the complete top 25 U.S. Growth Cities, as well as the top 50 U-Haul Growth States (released Jan. 2) and top 25 Canadian Growth Cities (to be released Jan. 4).

While migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, U-Haul growth data is an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.

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 truck and trailer sharing locations provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.

U-Haul U.S. Growth Cities for 2018

• Previous year rankings in parentheses.