Colorado is the No. 7 growth state in America, according to 2021 transactional data compiled for the annual U-Haul® Growth Index.
People coming to Colorado in one-way U-Haul trucks increased 18% year-over-year, while departures increased nearly 19% from 2020 as overall moving traffic surged.
Despite a slightly more substantial YOY rise in departures, arriving customers still accounted for about 50.5% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in Colorado during 2021 to keep it a leading state for netting do-it-yourself movers. Colorado ranked No. 6 among growth states in 2020.
Growth states are calculated by the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks entering a state versus leaving that state in a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from well over 2 million one-way U-Haul truck customer transactions that occur annually.
Local U-Haul Analysis
“People are moving to Colorado,” said Adam Walker, U-Haul Company of North Western Colorado president. “The outdoor life is very appealing. With the pandemic, individuals are seeking nature and being outdoors versus indoors. Additionally, the locals are very friendly and it feels welcoming.”
U-Haul customers made Texas the No. 1 growth state of 2021, followed by Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Arizona. It is the second year in a row that the same three states comprised the top three, with Tennessee taking top honors in 2020. Texas is the leading growth state for the fourth time in the last six years, and has never been lower than No. 2 in that span.
California ranks 50th and Illinois 49th for the second consecutive year, indicating those states saw the largest net losses of one-way U-Haul trucks.
Colorado Growth Cities
Colorado’s top growth cities include Denver, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.
Other notable net-gain cities are Pueblo, Durango, Pagosa Springs, Silverthorne, Montrose and Boulder.
While U-Haul migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well states are both attracting and maintaining residents.
U-Haul is the authority on migration trends thanks to its expansive network that blankets all 50 states and 10 provinces. The geographical coverage from more than 23,000 U-Haul truck- and trailer-sharing locations provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.
Independent small business owners interested in joining the U-Haul Dealer Network at no cost and earning commissions from rental transactions at their locations can visit uhaul.com/dealer to learn more and submit an information form.
