Maine is the No. 8 growth state in America, according to 2021 transactional data compiled for the annual U-Haul® Growth Index.
People coming to Maine in one-way U-Haul trucks increased 22% year-over-year, while departures increased 20% from 2020 as overall moving traffic surged.
Arriving customers accounted for 50.9% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in Maine during 2021 to make it a leading state for netting do-it-yourself movers. Maine jumped 21 spots from its 2020 growth ranking when it was 29th.
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
“Maine offers outdoor activities and less-crowded living conditions,” said Shawn Goldrup, U-Haul Company of Maine president. “We have some of the lowest crime rates in the nation. Maine is a beautiful state with a gorgeous coastline. It’s not overly populated, and the Acadia National Park is breathtaking. On top of all of that, the fresh seafood – especially the lobster – is enough to make anyone pack up and move here.”
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.
Maine Growth Cities
Maine’s top growth city is Bangor. Other notable net-gain cities include Rockland, Hancock, Waterville, Augusta and Brunswick.
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.
