South Carolina has just claimed the top spot on the U-Haul Growth Index for 2024, marking the first time the state has led the rankings. The index measures net gains of one-way U-Haul customers across all 50 states, with South Carolina netting over 51.7% arrivals among U-Haul movers this year.
Texas, which held the top position for three consecutive years (2021–2023), ranks second, followed by North Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. These southern states continue to attract movers, reinforcing their appeal for relocation. Florida has maintained a top-four spot since 2015, and Texas has ranked first or second every year since 2016.
Meanwhile, California experienced the highest net loss of movers, ranking last for the fifth consecutive year.
“Migration to the Southeast and Southwest continues as families gauge their cost of living, job opportunities, quality of life and other factors that go into relocating to a new state. Out-migration remains prevalent for a number of markets across the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast — and particularly California,” said U-Haul president John Taylor in a press release.
Other states with notable declines include Colorado (-31 spots), Nevada (-24), Wyoming (-22), and New Mexico (-21). On the other hand, Oklahoma (+30), Indiana (+19), and Maine (+18) saw the largest year-over-year growth.
The U-Haul Growth Index, based on over 2.5 million one-way truck, trailer, and moving container transactions annually, provides insights into migration patterns across the U.S., highlighting states’ changing popularity for relocation.
2024 U-Haul Growth States
| 1. | SOUTH CAROLINA (4) |
| 2. | TEXAS (1) |
| 3. | NORTH CAROLINA (3) |
| 4. | FLORIDA (2) |
| 5. | TENNESSEE (5) |
| 6. | ARIZONA (8) |
| 7. | WASHINGTON (7) |
| 8. | INDIANA (27) |
| 9. | UTAH (13) |
| 10. | IDAHO (6) |
| 11. | OKLAHOMA (41) |
| 12. | ARKANSAS (17) |
| 13. | MAINE (31) |
| 14. | OHIO (23) |
| 15. | GEORGIA (18) |
| 16. | ALABAMA (22) |
| 17. | VIRGINIA (10) |
| 18. | MINNESOTA (20) |
| 19. | SOUTH DAKOTA (19) |
| 20. | VERMONT (12) |
| 21. | DELAWARE (15) |
| 22. | WISCONSIN (26) |
| 23. | IOWA (24) |
| 24. | MONTANA (21) |
| 25. | KENTUCKY (29) |
| 26. | HAWAII (25) |
| 27. | ALASKA (34) |
| 28. | MISSOURI (28) |
| 29. | NEBRASKA (35) |
| 30. | WEST VIRGINIA (30) |
| 31. | NORTH DAKOTA (32) |
| 32. | KANSAS (33) |
| 33. | NEW HAMPSHIRE (40) |
| 34. | OREGON (37) |
| 35. | NEVADA (11) |
| 36. | WYOMING (14) |
| 37. | NEW MEXICO (16) |
| 38. | RHODE ISLAND (36) |
| 39. | MISSISSIPPI (39) |
| 40. | COLORADO (9) |
| 41. | CONNECTICUT (42) |
| 42. | MARYLAND (44) |
| 43. | MICHIGAN (46) |
| 44. | LOUISIANA (45) |
| 45. | ILLINOIS (48) |
| 46. | PENNSYLVANIA (38) |
| 47. | NEW YORK (43) |
| 48. | NEW JERSEY (47) |
| 49. | MASSACHUSETTS (49) |
| 50. | CALIFORNIA (50) |
2023 growth rankings in parentheses
