New Mexico is the No. 10 growth state in America, moving up 29 spots from its previous ranking, according to 2021 transactional data compiled for the annual U-Haul® Growth Index.
People coming to New Mexico in one-way U-Haul trucks increased more than 15% year-over-year, while departures rose only 11% in 2021 compared to 2020.
Arriving customers accounted for 50.5% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in New Mexico during 2021 to make it a top-10 state for netting do-it-yourself movers. New Mexico’s previous high ranking on the U-Haul Growth Index was 14th in 2015.
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
“It’s not a surprise that the Land of Enchantment has become a growth state,” said Tom Neill, U-Haul Company of Northern New Mexico president. “New Mexico attracts new residents from all over the country. We have beautiful landscape and a rich history. The quality of life is appealing. New Mexico offers a low cost of living and ample space to grow. People are able to afford large properties.”
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.
New Mexico Growth Cities
New Mexico’s top growth city is Las Cruces. Other notable net-gain cities include Taos, Santa Fe, Alamogordo and Farmington.
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.
