From Staff Reports

PHOENIX, Ariz. — The trend of Southern states netting larger numbers of one-way U-Haul customers continued during 2024, with South Carolina topping the U-Haul Growth Index for the first time, U-Haul reported in a Jan. 2 press release.

“Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee round out the five leading growth states,” the release noted.

“California experienced the greatest net loss of do-it-yourself movers in U-Haul equipment and ranks 50th for the fifth consecutive year.”

The release added, “Growth rankings are configured by each state’s net gain (or loss) of customers utilizing one-way U-Haul equipment in a calendar year. The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled from well over 2.5 million one-way U-Haul truck, trailer and U-Box® moving container transactions that occur annually.

To that end, John “J.T.” Taylor, president of U-Haul International, stated in the release, “State-to-state transactions from the past year reaffirm customer tendencies that have been pronounced for some time.

“Migration to the Southeast and Southwest continues as families gauge their cost of living, job opportunities, quality of life and other factors that go into relocating to a new state.Out-migration remains prevalent for a number of markets across the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast — and particularly California.

“U-Haul continues to expand its network, rental fleet and self-storage footprint so that wherever people move in 2025, we will be there to meet their needs,” Taylor noted.

The release added, “South Carolina climbed three spots in the rankings to unseat Texas, which was the No. 1 growth state for the previous three years (2021-23). Of all the U-Haul movers coming and going from the Palmetto State in 2024, more than 51.7 percent were arrivals.”