Economic News
U-Haul Data Shows Which States Americans are Migrating To
As 2022 gets underway, many are still reflecting on the past year and the trends it displayed — especially economic trends. On that note, well-known truck rental service U-Haul has just released its 2021 U-Haul Growth Index. Using data from more than two million one-way truck rentals, U-Haul can determine which states more Americans are moving to.
In 2021, the state seeing the largest growth was Texas. The Lone Star State regained the title (which it held between 2016 and 2018) after coming in second to Florida in 2019 and to Tennesee in 2020. Speaking of Florida and Tennesee, 2021 saw them rank second and third respectively, with South Carolina and Arizona completing the top five.
On the other end, California once again ranked 50th on the index, meaning that The Golden State saw the greatest net loss. Meanwhile, Illinois placed 49th, with both bottom rankings marking a repeat of 2020. Rounding out the bottom five were Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Alabama — with the lattermost falling significantly from 2020, dropping from 22nd to 46th.
Adding anecdotal commentary to the results, U-Haul Area District VP of the Dallas Fort-Worth Metroplex and West Texas Matt Merrill stated, “We see a lot of growth coming from the East and West Coast. A lot of people moving here from California (and) New York. We also see a lot of people coming in from the Chicago markets.” Merrill added, “I think that’s a lot due to the job growth – a lot of opportunity here. The cost of living here is much lower than those areas.” Similarly, U-Haul Company of South Austin president Kristina Ramos explained, “The Texas economy is growing fast. With a strong job market and low cost of living, it’s a no brainer. Texas doesn’t have an income tax, so families get more for their money.”
U-Haul’s data further confirms widely reported trends and migration patterns seen in the recent year. In fact, as a result of the 2020 Census, it was revealed in April that Texas would be gaining two seats in the United States House of Representatives. Other states gaining seats include Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Oregon, and Montana. Meanwhile, California and Illinois are among the states losing seats as a result of the census along with Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Overall, as mentioned, it’s not a huge revelation that many Americans are moving to places such as Texas, Florida, Tennessee. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see continued data on this trend. Of course, future installments of the U-Haul Growth Index could also prove to be illuminating should the flow of migration reverse or otherwise change — but that’s something we’ll have to wait until 2023 for.
