Texas Loses Top Spot as U-Haul’s Most Popular Move Destination

For the first time in four years, Texas isn’t the most popular state to move to, according to U-Haul.

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The company’s 2024 list of top "growth states" now has Texas at No. 2, with South Carolina taking the top spot. North Carolina grabbed the No. 3 spot, rounding out the Carolinas sandwich. Florida and Tennessee came in at No. 4 and No. 5, just like last year, though the rankings for some states shuffled around.

Big Mover

South Carolina jumped three spots to kick Texas out of first place. From 2021 to 2023, Texas had been the No. 1 choice for people using U-Haul’s one-way moving trucks. But even after falling to second place, Texas has been in the top two since 2016.

Meanwhile, California stayed at the bottom, ranking 50th again. U-Haul says California has had the biggest net loss of movers for five years straight.

Higher Quality of Life

According to John “J.T.” Taylor, U-Haul’s president, more people are heading to the Southeast and Southwest. Families are looking at things like cheaper living costs, better job options, and a higher quality of life when deciding to pack up and move.

For cities, Austin held steady as the No. 5 most popular metro area for U-Haul movers in 2024. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (the DFW Metroplex) ranked No. 1 among metro areas, with Houston at No. 9. This was the first year U-Haul ranked metro areas, though they’ve ranked cities before.

@kxan_newsFor the first time in four years, Texas was not named U-Haul’s most popular state for people to move to. Texas fell to the No. 2 spot on the moving company’s “growth states” of 2024 list, sandwiched by the Carolinas. More details are on KXAN.com♬ original sound - KXAN News

Dallas

Dallas is seeing big growth, according to Sean Fullerton, president of U-Haul in South Central Dallas. He says the area’s low living costs, job opportunities, higher wages, and tax breaks make it a hotspot for movers. Suburbs like McKinney and Plano are booming, too.