South Carolina tops the list of states where people are moving, according to a new state migration list from U-Haul, while Virginia drops out of the top 10.
Each year the do-it-yourself moving company ranks the states for inbound and outbound migration, and the southern state topped the list for the first time, having the widest gap between truck rentals for moving to the state versus rentals for moving out of state.
Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee round out the top five for inbound immigration growth states.
Virginia ranked No. 17 down from No. 10 last year. Maryland is No. 42, up from 44 last year. Each had a narrow inbound advantage over outbound moves. U-Haul’s annual report does not provide specific numbers.
For the fifth year in a row, California had the greatest net loss of do-it-yourself movers, based on U-Haul equipment rentals for moves out of the state.
“State-to-state transactions from the past year reaffirm customer tendencies that have been pronounced for some time,” stated John “J.T.” Taylor, U-Haul International president.
The Southeast and Southwest saw continued inbound migration as families weigh the cost of living, job opportunities, and other factors, Taylor said.
“Out-migration remains prevalent for a number of markets across the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast — and particularly California,” Taylor added.
U-Haul bases its rankings on each state’s gain or loss of customers using one-way U-Haul equipment rentals in 2024, including trucks, trailers, and U-Box moving containers. This year’s list included more than 2.5 million rentals.
Texas, which lost its No. 1 position to South Carolina in 2024, has ranked first or second every year since 2016. Florida has been fourth or higher every year since 2015.
U-Haul also ranked the top 25 metro areas for inbound moves, which were lead by Dallas, Charlotte, Phoenix, Lakeland, Florida and Austin, Texas. The D.C. metro was not ranked in the top 25.