Florida received more than sunshine and tourists in 2019. It received the highest number of U-Haul® moving trucks entering its borders versus leaving them, establishing a new number one growth state for the first time in four years.
Texas slipped one spot to second place as it continued its strong DIY-movers run. North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington round out the top five growth states for 2019.
California ranked 49th and Illinois ranked 50th for the fourth time in five years, following the emigration states with the highest net losses of U-Haul trucks crossing their borders.
Growing states are calculated by the net gain of one-way trucks entering a state versus those leaving that state during a calendar year. Migration trend data is compiled from more than 2 million U-Haul one-way truck share transactions that occur annually.
Although moves with U-Haul trucks tend not to correlate directly with population or economic growth, the Company's growth data is an effective indicator of how well cities and states are attracting and retaining residents.
"Florida has been showing signs of growth for a decade," said Miguel Caminos, president of Orlando's U-Haul Company. " Central Florida is really growing. I can't think of any major suburb where there aren't residential developments or new shopping centers under construction.
"There is an expectation of comfort for the people who move here. They know there are jobs. In addition, there are numerous attractions, and our state is family-friendly. The climate is perfect and, no matter where you live, you're less than an hour from the beach."
One-way truck arrivals in Florida increased by 1%, while departures fell by 1% compared to the state's figures in 2018. Arrivals accounted for 50.6% of all U-Haul traffic in the state.
Kissimmee, Ocala, West Palm Beach, Port Saint Lucie and the Bradenton-Sarasota corridor lead Florida's gains. Boca Raton, Fort. Lauderdale, Pensacola, Miami and St. Petersburg are among the other notable cities to see a net increase in U-Haul trucks.
Alabama was the biggest year-on-year climber in the rankings, rising 36 points to number 6. Maryland took the biggest fall, dropping 39 spots to number 45. Utah and Vermont, the top 10 growing states in 2018, maintained their attractive status in 2019.
Visit myuhaulstory.com for press releases in each of the top 10 growth states, as well as the announcements of the top 25 growth cities in the US (January 7) and the top 25 growth cities in Canada (January 8).
"I'm not surprised that Florida is the No. 1 state for growth, even after the hurricanes (in 2019)," added Cal Conner, president of U-Haul Company of East Florida. "We're Floridians - we're not leaving. Our communities stay together. We pulled together and U-Haul gave free self-storage to affected residents. Our neighbors are our family."
U-Haul is the authority on migration trends, thanks to its extensive network covering all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul's geographic coverage of more than 22,000 truck and trailer sharing locations provides a comprehensive view of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.