Florida is the new No. 1 Growth State in America, according to U-Haul® data analyzing U.S. migration trends for 2019.
The Sunshine State supplants Texas, the leading growth state for 2016-18. Florida, No. 2 for growth the previous three years, flips positions with Texas.
North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington round out the top five U-Haul Growth States for 2019. 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
Florida arrivals of one-way U-Haul trucks were up 1% while departures were down 1% compared to the state’s 2018 numbers. Arrivals accounted for 50.6% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in Florida to make it the top state for netting do-it-yourself movers.
“Florida has been showing signs of growth for a decade,” said Miguel Caminos, U-Haul Company of Orlando president. “Central Florida is really booming. I can’t think of any major suburb where there aren’t home developments or new shopping centers being built.
“There’s an expectation of comfort for people moving here. They know there are jobs. Plus, there are tons of attractions, and our state is family-friendly. The weather is perfect, and no matter where you live, you’re less than an hour from the beach.”
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).
Florida in Growth Mode
Kissimmee, Ocala, West Palm Beach, Port Saint Lucie and the Bradenton-Sarasota corridor lead Florida’s gains. Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Pensacola, Miami and St. Petersburg are among the other notable cities to see a net increase of U-Haul trucks.
“I’m not surprised Florida is the No. 1 growth state, even after the hurricanes (in 2019),” added Cal Conner, U-Haul Company of Eastern Florida president. “We’re Floridians – we don’t leave. Our communities stick together. We banded together and U-Haul gave free self-storage to affected residents. Our neighbors are our family.”
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.
