Indiana is the No. 6 growth state in America, according to 2021 transactional data compiled for the annual U-Haul® Growth Index.
People coming to Indiana in one-way U-Haul trucks rose 16% year-over-year, while departures increased 15% from 2020.
Arriving customers accounted for close to 50.6% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in Indiana during 2021 to make it a leading state for netting do-it-yourself movers. Indiana is quietly establishing itself as a preferred Midwest destination, ranking in the top 12 among growth states for the third consecutive year.
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
“Indiana has become a very desirable place to live and work,” said William Meguschar, U-Haul Company of South Central Indiana president. “All the major economic indicators, including new and existing business growth, have led to jobs and low unemployment. Our economy and a very low-to-moderate cost of living make Indiana attractive. In particular, the overall cost of housing is exceptionally low compared to neighboring states.”
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.
Indiana Growth Cities
Indiana’s top growth cities include South Bend, Noblesville, Fort Wayne, Carmel, Jeffersonville and Elkhart.
Other notable net-gain cities are Mishawaka, Kokomo, Schererville, Michigan City, Greenwood and Lafayette.
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.
