FILE - U-Haul moving trucks parked in rental lot on a clear day, Concord, California. New data from U-Haul shows which states people moved to the most last year. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
New analysis from U-Haul shows which states people moved to the most in 2025, with a notable migration trend from the harsh winters of the Northeast to sunnier southern states.
The annual U-Haul Growth Index is based on more than 2.5 million one-way moving truck or container rentals across the U.S. and Canada.
"While rankings may not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well states, metros and cities are attracting and maintaining residents," U-Haul says in a news release.
Here’s what else this year’s report found:
Map: U-Haul’s top Growth Index states
Local perspective:
According to U-Haul, Texas ranked at the top for in-migration states in 2025, followed by Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina. Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Alabama and Georgia were also in the top 10.
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Oregon climbed the most in 2025, going from 34th in 2024 to 11th in 2025. Other states with notable growth include Mississippi, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Louisiana and Montana.
What they're saying:
"We continue to find that life circumstances — marriage, children, a death in the family, college, jobs and other events — dictate the need for most moves," John "J.T." Taylor, U-Haul International president, said in a statement.
"But other factors can be important to people who are looking to change their surroundings. In-migration states are often appealing to those customers."
States with the most people leaving
The states with the most people leaving were California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts, according to U-Haul.
Ohio saw the largest drop in rankings, falling from 14th in 2024 to 43rd in 2025. Other states with notable losses include Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, Delaware and Nebraska.
Which metros saw the most growth?
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area was the No. 1 U-Haul growth metro for the second year in a row. The other top metros were:
- Houston, Texas
- Austin, Texas
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Phoenix, Arizona
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When it comes to cities, Ocala, Florida, ranked No. 1 on the Growth Index, followed by:
- North Port, Florida
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Kissimmee, Florida
- Clermont, Florida
It’s worth noting that eight of the top 10 growth cities and 12 of the top 25 are in Florida.
Did politics play a role?
Dig deeper:
U-Haul notes that migration from blue to red states is still a "discernable trend," which started during the pandemic as people flocked to cheaper regions.
According to U-Haul, seven of the top 10 growth states in 2025 have Republican governors, and nine of those states went red in the last presidential election.
Nine of the bottom 10 growth states have Democratic governors, and seven of those states went blue in the last presidential election.
The Source: This report includes information from U-Haul.