Alabama climbs 36 spots – the most of any state in the past year – to register as the No. 6 Growth State in America, according to U-Haul® data analyzing U.S. migration trends for 2019.
Alabama measured as a growth state for 2015-17 before witnessing a net loss of U-Haul trucks and ranking 42nd for 2018.
Florida leapfrogs Texas as the top growth state for 2019, ending the Lone Star State’s three-year run atop the rankings for 2016-18. Florida rises one spot after being No. 2 for growth the previous three years. North Carolina jumps 21 spots to third on the list, with South Carolina and Washington rounding out the top five.
Illinois and California lead the way in out-migration with the largest net losses of moving trucks crossing their borders.
Growth States are calculated by the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks entering a state versus leaving that state during a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck-sharing transactions that occur annually.
Migration Trends Data
Alabama arrivals of one-way U-Haul trucks were up 2% while departures were down 1% compared to the state’s 2018 numbers. Arrivals accounted for 50.3% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in Alabama to make it the No. 6 state for netting do-it-yourself movers.
“Alabama is one of those states typically maintains a steady population,” said Scott Fall, U-Haul Company of Central Alabama president. “Areas around our major universities are growing, and the Birmingham and Montgomery markets are also bringing in residents because the housing markets are good. Alabama has southern charm, delicious food and an understanding that college football is king. Folks looking for growing communities, without the crowded spaces and traffic, can find something in Alabama.”
The Southeast accounts for four of the top six growth states with Alabama’s climb up the rankings, while Utah and Vermont maintained their status among the top 10. Illinois sits 50th for the fourth time in five years, outpacing No. 47 Massachusetts, No. 48 Michigan and No. 49 California for the most net departures.
Visit myuhaulstory.com to view the complete state rankings, as well as the top U-Haul U.S. Growth Cities (to be released Jan. 7) and Canadian Growth Cities (Jan. 8).
Alabama in Growth Mode
The Auburn-Opelika corridor, Huntsville, Foley, Gulf Shores and Troy lead Alabama’s gains. Hoover, Dothan, Daphne, Prattville and Decatur are among other notable cities to see a net increase of U-Haul trucks.
Although U-Haul migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the Company’s growth data is an effective gauge of how well cities and states 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 22,000 U-Haul truck- and trailer-sharing locations provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.
