South Carolina continues to attract orange-clad moving trucks, staking its claim as the No. 4 Growth State in America, according to U-Haul® data analyzing U.S. migration trends for 2019.
South Carolina has been among the leading growth states each of the last three years, ranking No. 4 for 2017 and No. 3 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.
Washington rounds 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
South Carolina arrivals of one-way U-Haul trucks were up 1% while departures were also up 1% compared to the state’s 2018 numbers. Arrivals accounted for 50.5% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in South Carolina to make it the No. 4 state for netting do-it-yourself movers.
“I’m not surprised South Carolina is the No. 4 U-Haul Growth State of 2019,” stated Matt McCoy, U-Haul Company of Southern Atlantic Coast president. “Our coastal communities are expanding every day. We’re seeing huge retirement populations moving in. There are significant amounts of people moving from Canada or the northern states to escape the cold and have an affordable beach home.
“Tax rates and gas prices are low, so some people move over the state border since North Carolina is more expensive. Many South Carolina cities have also transformed into commuter cities as people work in bigger markets, but live in a more homey area. Places like Myrtle Beach have built up their own metropolitan areas. Cities that were once just summer destinations and beach towns look more like residential communities now.”
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).
South Carolina in Growth Mode
Fort Mill, Myrtle Beach and Greenville lead South Carolina’s gains. Spartanburg, Mount Pleasant, Charleston and Lexington 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.
