Chicago is still the No. 2 U.S. Destination City according to the latest U-Haul migration trends report, maintaining its runner-up ranking for the fifth consecutive year.
Chicago saw a 1% year-over-year drop in one-way U-Haul truck arrivals in 2018, but attracted enough customers to remain one of the busiest cities for incoming traffic among do-it-yourself movers. Outgoing traffic dipped 2% from the previous year, so the ratio of Chicago arrivals to departures improved slightly.
“It’s a hub city,” stated Ben Shock, U-Haul Company of Central Chicago president. “There are a lot of transplants there. I’m a transplant. I moved here from Michigan in 2009. There was more opportunity here than what I had. I think a lot of people my age think that way. It continues to be a great city with great opportunity.”
U-Haul has 17 Company-owned stores and 95 independent neighborhood dealers currently operating in the Chicago city limits. Find U-Haul truck and trailer sharing locations in Chicago at uhaul.com/locations.
Moving Season in Chicago
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 2-50 below. Chicago is the lone Illinois city on the list.
“Chicago is really trying to benefit businesses right now,” Shock continued. “They had a lot of tax issues that I think caused a lot of people to leave in the last five years. Now you can see are a ton of apartment buildings going up. The necessity for U-Haul is still huge because it’s a transplant city. Chicago offers a lot of jobs, and the college kids seek that out. Chicago is trying to get a reputation for business and commerce and progressiveness. You could say they are trying to beautify the city as a whole, and make it more available for people to live.”
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
* No. 1 TBA May 24. Previous year rankings in parentheses.
2. CHICAGO, Ill. (2)
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)
