TEXAS REMAINS NO. 1 FOR RELOCATION IN 2017
Thursday, March 8th, 2018
2017 was a big year for those moving to Texas, as the Lone Star state continued its reign as America’s No. 1 growth state, according to a report from U-Haul.
Year-over-year arrivals of one-way trucks in Texas rose 1 percent in last year while departures grew 3 percent compared to 2016, per U-Haul. Despite a larger year-over-year increase in departures, arriving trucks still accounted for 50.3 percent of all one-way U-Haul traffic in Texas, allowing it to maintain its status as the top net-gain state.
Texas ranked No. 39 for growth in 2015.
For the annual study, U-Haul calculates the net gain of one-way U-Haul truck rentals entering a state versus leaving a state in a calendar year. Data is compiled from more than 1.7 million one-way annual U-Haul truck rental transactions, per the report.
Here are the top states behind Texas:
2. Florida
3. Arkansas
4. South Carolina
5. Tennessee
6. Washington
7. North Carolina
8. Connecticut
9. Colorado
10. Vermont
See the full list here.
While migration trends do not correlate to population or economic growth, U-Haul reported its growth data gauges how well cities are attracting and maintaining residents.
“There are plenty of things to do in Texas: the largest urban arts district in the nation, rodeos, the state fair/Cotton Bowl, and major professional sports teams,” Debbie Morales, president of U-Haul Company of East Dallas, said in a statement. “The economy is up as Dallas employment is at an all-time high. So why not move to Texas?”
A similar study from United Van Lines found 52 percent of moves to southern states in 2017 were inbound. The top reasons for moving south included company transfers or new jobs, retirement and proximity to family, per United Van Lines.
However, the number of Americans moving to new locations has been slowly declining in recent years, the Los Angeles Times reported. The U.S. Census Bureau found 11 percent of the population moved in 2017, per the Los Angeles Times.
