U-Haul 2016 Destination City No. 5: Austin

May 22, 2017

Austin earns the No. 5 spot on the U-Haul Top 10 U.S. Destination Cities for 2016, according to the latest U-Haul migration trends report.

The Texas capital saw a bump of nearly 2 percent in arrivals over 2015, continuing its run as one of the top five busiest U.S. cities for incoming U-Haul trucks.

U-Haul Destination Cities are ranked according to the total number of arriving one-way U-Haul truck rentals to a city in the past calendar year. Destination Cities do not account for departing traffic and thus do not necessarily reflect growth like U-Haul Growth Cities. Destination Cities reflect the volume and regularity of do-it-yourself movers coming into a community.

“Austin has been ranked the best place to start a small business, the coolest city, and the best place to live in America,” said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. “The only surprise here is that Austin ranks so low on this list.”

Austin is the No. 2 U-Haul U.S. Growth City for 2016 with a population of 50,000-plus. It is the lone U.S. location to rank in the top 10 for U-Haul Destination Cities (gross arrivals) and U-Haul Growth Cities (net arrivals over departures) for the past calendar year.

Attractive for Business

“One large reason people move here is because of the tax breaks,” noted Glenn Taylor, U-Haul Company of South Austin president. “Austin has no income tax and no state tax on your salary. The Austin job market never really slowed down like the rest of the U.S. did over the last eight years.”

U-Haul has 10 Company-owned stores and 26 independent neighborhood dealers within the city limits, and also offers many more locations to fulfill the needs of the suburbs. Find U-Haul truck and trailer sharing locations in Austin at uhaul.com/locations.

Austin is the No. 5 U-Haul U.S. Destination City for 2016

In 2016, Apple moved employees to two campuses located in north and southwest Austin. Prior to that, Google expanded its Austin location. In addition, throngs of University of Texas students tend to keep the capital city a popular destination for U-Haul trucks.

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. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 1.7 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.

Follow the Top 10 U.S. Destination Cities daily countdown through May 26 on Twitter @uhaul. View all migration trends reports, including the U-Haul 2016 U.S. Growth Cities and Growth States, at myuhaulstory.com.

What They are Saying about Austin

“Last August, U-Haul saw a significant increase in its one-way truck rentals coming into Austin. A portion of that is due to the University of Texas. It’s the single largest campus in the country. U-Haul is a household name among customers of all ages. Our more than 19,000 U-Haul neighborhood dealer locations allow us to reach more people in other communities. We can provide more convenience for our customers. We want to be everyone’s first choice for their do-it-yourself move and self-storage solutions.” — Glenn Taylor, U-Haul Company of South Austin president

U-Haul Top 10 U.S. Destination Cities for 2016

10. Charlotte

9. Kansas City

8. Philadelphia

7. Brooklyn

6. Las Vegas

5. Austin

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