The Lone Star State has reclaimed its top spot as the nation’s leading growth state for 2025.
A Jan. 5 U-Haul Growth Index report showed that Texas took the lead for the seventh time in 10 years, pushing past South Carolina last year, which dropped back four spots after claiming first place in 2024.
The annual analysis of one-way consumer transactions placed Florida as the nation’s second-highest growth spot for 2025. North Carolina and Tennessee also ranked among the top five states, while Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Alabama, and Georgia placed in the top 10.
According to the report, U-Haul customers moving into Texas accounted for nearly 51 percent of all one-way traffic in and out of the state last year. In comparison with 2024, incoming consumers increased by 3 percent year over year, while those leaving grew by just 1 percent.
Texas also ranked first on U-Haul’s Growth Index from 2016 through 2018 and from 2021 to 2023.
U-Haul arrivals in Florida also account for nearly 51 percent of all one-way traffic both in and out of the state. Compared with 2024, newcomers to Florida rose 2 percent year over year, while departures increased just 1 percent.
Conversely, California ranked last for the sixth year in a row, with the greatest amount of out-migration. The only difference was that the Golden State experienced a smaller net loss last year than in 2024.
Other states ranking among the bottom five for growth include New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Illinois. Completing the bottom 10 states are Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, and Michigan.
“Blue-to-red state migration, a hotly debated political topic that became more pronounced after the pandemic of 2020, continues to be a discernable trend,” the report stated.
It noted that seven of the top 10 growth states are currently run by Republican governors, and nine of those became red states in the last presidential election. On the opposite side, nine of the bottom 10 growth states are led by Democrat governors, seven of which went blue in the last presidential election.
U-Haul is able to rank states by their net gain or loss based on customers who rent a one-way truck, trailer or U-Box moving containers in one state and drop off the equipment in another state. The Growth Index incorporates more than 2.5 million annual one-way transactions across both the United States and Canada.
In analyzing year-over-year growth, the report found that Oregon had the largest jump, ranking number 11 as a net-gain state in 2025. Just a year earlier, the state ranked 34th as a net-loss state. Other states gaining population in 2025 include Mississippi, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Montana.
Ohio experienced the largest year-over-year decline, dropping 29 points to number 43 as a net-loss state in 2025. Additional states experiencing declines include Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, Delaware, and Nebraska.
“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 the report.
“But other factors can be important to people who are looking to change their surroundings. In-migration states are often appealing to those customers.”
Taylor added that sunshine and warm weather also play an important part in where people decide to live. Eight of the top 10 states are located in warmer climate zones.
Founded in 1945, U-Haul is often the first choice for do-it-yourself movers. The company operates more than 24,000 rental locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces.
