San Antonio is the No. 4 U.S. Destination City according to the latest U-Haul migration trends report, rising one spot from its ranking on last year’s list.
San Antonio saw a 2% year-over-year increase in one-way U-Haul truck arrivals in 2018 to remain one of the top five busiest cities for incoming traffic among do-it-yourself movers.
“People are moving to San Antonio in droves because the job market is strong and the cost of living is low,” stated Sam Molina, U-Haul Company of San Antonio East president. “San Antonio has been called the Military City, and it’s no surprise military families are coming here and staying – or returning to retire in Bexar County.”
U-Haul has 14 Company-owned stores and 53 independent neighborhood dealers currently operating in the San Antonio city limits. Find U-Haul truck and trailer sharing locations in San Antonio at uhaul.com/locations.
Moving Season in San Antonio
U-Haul is counting down its top 10 U.S. Destination Cities as a prelude to Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the summer moving season. About 45% of all moves each year occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. The No. 1 U.S. Destination City will be announced May 24 on Twitter @uhaul.
View U.S. Destination Cities 4-50 below. Other Texas cities on the list include Austin (7), Dallas (16), Fort Worth (25) and Plano (34) based in their incoming traffic in 2018. Houston, which has topped the list nine consecutive years, has yet to be revealed.
“San Antonio is a hub for medical facilities,” Molina added. “Our universities have top-rated medical schools that are attracting young people from all over the country. The proximity to the Gulf Coast and the Mexican border makes San Antonio a big part of the growth in Texas. U-Haul is constantly adding self-storage rooms and bringing aboard new neighborhood dealers to keep up with the growth.”
Rankings are based by 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 city, but do not account for departing one-way U-Haul trucks, and thus do not necessarily reflect growth like U-Haul Growth Cities and Growth States rankings do.
U-Haul released its complete Growth States rankings; its top 25 U.S. Growth Cities; and its top 25 Canadian Growth Cities for 2018 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 2 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.
2018 U-Haul Destination Cities
* Nos. 1-3 TBA May 22-24. Previous year rankings in parentheses.
4. SAN ANTONIO, Texas (5)
11. TAMPA, Fla. (11)
12. COLUMBUS, Ohio (10)
13. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (14)
14. SAN DIEGO, Calif. (12)
15. LOS ANGELES, Calif. (18)
16. DALLAS, Texas (16)
17. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (17)
18. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (15)
19. TUCSON, Ariz. (19)
20. ATLANTA, Ga. (20)
21. MIAMI, Fla. (21)
22. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (27)
23. BRONX, N.Y. (23)
24. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (22)
25. FORT WORTH, Texas (25)
26. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (28)
27. RICHMOND, Va. (41)
28. ST. LOUIS, Mo. (NR)
29. PORTLAND, Ore. (26)
30. WASHINGTON, D.C. (24)
31. RALEIGH, N.C. (32)
32. DENVER, Colo. (33)
33. CINCINNATI, Ohio (29)
34. PLANO, Texas (31)
35. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (NR)
36. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (34)
37. OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (NR)
38. OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (36)
39. PITTSBURGH, Pa. (37)
40. COLUMBIA, S.C. (35)
41. BALTIMORE, Md. (30)
42. SAN JOSE, Calif. (42)
43. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (38)
44. FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (NR)
45. TULSA, Okla. (50)
46. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (43)
47. RENO, Nev. (39)
48. SEATTLE, Wash. (40)
49. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (49)
50. FRESNO, Calif. (48)
