January 6, 2019 - PHOENIX, Ariz. - Everything continued to be bigger in Texas last year, including the number of U-Haul trucks pulling into the state versus the volume leaving.

Texas registered as the U-Haul No. 1 Growth State in America for the third consecutive year, according to U-Haul® data analyzing U.S. migration trends for 2018.

Florida ranked second for a third year in row. South Carolina inched up one spot to No. 3, while fast-risers Utah and Idaho rounded out the top five states for growth.

Illinois was 50th on the list for the third time in four years, outpacing No. 48 California and No. 49 Michigan for net departures among out-migration states.

U-Haul Growth States are calculated by the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks entering a state versus leaving that state during a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck sharing 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 states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.

“North Texas is truly bursting at the seams,” stated Kevin Flanagan, U-Haul Company of Northwest Dallas president. “McKinney, Frisco and the entire Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex has been growing substantially in recent years. Texas is gaining more residents than any other state. I think it is the most desirable state in which to live. Obviously, many U-Haul truck-sharing customers agree with me.”

Texas arrivals of one-way U-Haul trucks were up 5 percent compared to the state’s 2017 numbers, while arrivals accounted for 50.2 percent of all one-way U-Haul traffic in Texas to keep it the top state for netting do-it-yourself movers. Communities in and around the Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin-Round Rock metropolitan areas continued to see some of the largest influxes of U-Haul traffic in the Lone Star State.

“Since Houston is booming, surrounding cities are seeing growth as well,” noted Robert Abidin, U-Haul Company of Northeast Houston president. “Spring is home to the new ExxonMobil® campus, which is bringing thousands of jobs to the area. The oil and gas industry brings people from all over the world to Texas.”

Find individual state press releases, as well as the top 25 U-Haul U.S. Growth Cities (to be released Jan. 3) and Canadian Growth Cities (Jan. 4) for 2018 at myuhaulstory.com.

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 truck and trailer sharing locations provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.

U-Haul Growth States for 2018

1. Texas (1)

2. Florida (2)

3. South Carolina (4)

4. Utah (21)

5. Idaho (14)

6. Maryland (42)

7. Vermont (10)

8. Tennessee (5)

9. New Hampshire (31)

10. Maine (26)

11. Delaware (18)

12. Missouri (30)

13. Wisconsin (20)

14. Oregon (32)

15. Ohio (34)

16. Colorado (9)

17. West Virginia (15)

18. Nebraska (16)

19. New Mexico (19)

20. Washington, D.C. (28)

21. Connecticut (8)

22. Arkansas (3)

23. Arizona (43)

24. North Carolina (7)

25. Nevada (33)

26. Indiana (17)

27. South Dakota (27)

28. Virginia (13)

29. Washington (6)

30. Mississippi (23)

31. Alaska (36)

32. Kansas (38)

33. Wyoming (22)

34. Montana (25)

35. Georgia (41)

36. North Dakota (37)

37. Minnesota (35)

38. Rhode Island (39)

39. New York (44)

40. Oklahoma (24)

41. Iowa (12)

42. Alabama (11)

43. New Jersey (45)

44. Pennsylvania (48)

45. Kentucky (29)

46. Massachusetts (46)

47. Louisiana (40)

48. California (50)

49. Michigan (47)

50. Illinois (49)

* Previous year rankings in parentheses. Washington, D.C. is its own U-Haul market and is listed among growth states for migration trends purposes. Hawaii is not included since state-to-state truck transactions are not applicable.
Source: U-Haul

Related: U-Haul Announces Top 25 U.S. Growth Cities for 2018 - Sacramento/Roseville Corridor Ranks First; 6 California Cities on List Despite State’s Ongoing Out-Migration