Arkansas is the No. 10 U.S. Growth State for 2016, according to the latest U-Haul migration trends report.
Arkansas maintained its top-10 growth status by essentially duplicating its one-way U-Haul truck arrival and departure transactions from 2015, when it earned the No. 8 ranking on this list.
Arrivals accounted for 50.6 percent of U-Haul traffic in Arkansas in 2016 while Hot Springs Village, Fayetteville, Bella Vista, Centerton and Bentonville paced the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks.
Follow the Top 10 Growth States daily countdown through Feb. 3 on Twitter @uhaul. View other migration trends reports, including the U.S. Growth Cities release, at myuhaulstory.com.
Growth States are calculated by the net gain of one-way U-Haul truck rentals entering a state versus leaving a state during a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 1.7 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.
While migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, U-Haul growth data is an effective gauge of how well cities are attracting and maintaining residents.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark. – Courtesy Arkansas Dept. of Parks & Tourism
In Northwest Arkansas, U-Haul has stores in Springdale and Rogers and added roughly 20 new neighborhood dealers since 2015. But the Company’s reach is growing across Arkansas to make moving services more convenient for everyone.
“We have new stores in Pine Bluff, Little Rock and Texarkana, which is on the border and will serve Arkansas customers with more self-storage units,” says Ken Vadnais, U-Haul Company of Arkansas president.
Find U-Haul stores and neighborhood dealers in Arkansas at uhaul.com/locations.
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 21,000 U-Haul locations provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.
What They are Saying about Arkansas
“Northwest Arkansas is growing by leaps and bounds. I call it God’s Country. You have Wal-Mart®, Tyson® Foods, the University of Arkansas, J.B. Hunt® Transport Services … all the major employers are based out of the Northwest Arkansas region. Last I read, the northwest region was growing by 30 residents a day. I can see that because of the inbound activity of U-Haul trucks per day. The region’s population has grown nearly 70 percent in the last 15 years.” – U-Haul Company of Tulsa president Jim Smith
“This is a positive reflection on the state and can bring attention to other people considering relocation. Most growth is occurring from Fort Smith up to northwest Arkansas. Jobs, very favorable cost of living, natural beauty, outdoor activities and progressive communities (are attracting people to Arkansas).” – Sandy Sanders, Mayor of Fort Smith
Be sure to follow the growth state countdown in the following days here on myuhaulstory.com!
