Dallas-Fort Worth ranks 1st in top 25 growth metros according to U-Haul

DALLAS - U-Haul is able to see where people are moving to, and where they're moving from, thanks to their more than 23,000 U-Haul rental locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The report for 2024 is out and shows Texas is still among the top states for people to move to. The metro locations are a new statistic and U-Haul says the DFW Metroplex is a top destination for its customers.

What we know

The DFW Metroplex is the leading U-Haul Growth Metro of 2024. Texas had five metros make the cut. Austin comes in at number 5 and Houston comes in at number 9. In fact, according to U-Haul, Texas has ranked first or second among U-Haul Growth States each year since 2016.

Florida boasts seven of the top 25 growth metros, with Lakeland joined by Palm Bay, Jacksonville, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Daytona Beach.

North Carolina had three, all in the top 14.

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.

What they're saying

"We are seeing unprecedented growth in the Dallas metro area, both within the city and also suburbs like McKinney, Plano and Addison," said Sean Fullerton, U-Haul Company of South Central Dallas president. "The cost of living is also extremely reasonable throughout the whole metro. Job growth has led to wages and earnings going up, and tax breaks have led to a lot of people moving to the area."

While U-Haul rankings may not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.

By the numbers

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.

Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee round out the five leading growth states.

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.

Texas has ranked first or second among U-Haul Growth States each year since 2016. Florida has been fourth or higher every year since 2015.

New York, at No. 47 on the list, has its lowest growth ranking in a decade.

Oklahoma (+30), Indiana (+19) and Maine (+18) are the biggest risers year-over-year on the U-Haul Growth Index. Colorado (-31), Nevada (-24), Wyoming (-22) and New Mexico (-21) saw the biggest slides in 2024.

RELATED STORY: This is how much you need to make to afford rent in Dallas

2024 Top 25 U-Haul Growth Metros

1. Dallas, TX
2. Charlotte, NC
3. Phoenix, AZ
4. Lakeland, FL
5. Austin, TX
6. Nashville, TN
7. Raleigh, NC
8. Palm Bay, FL
9. Houston, TX
10. Greenville, SC
11. Jacksonville, FL
12. Tampa, FL
13. Charleston, SC
14. Wilmington, NC
15. Sarasota, FL
16. Fort Myers, FL
17. Boise, ID
18. Richmond, VA
19. Bend, OR
20. Indianapolis, IN
21. Brownsville & McAllen, TX
22. Tyler, TX
23. Daytona Beach, FL
24. Spokane, WA
25. Springdale, AR

2024 Top U-Haul Growth States

1. SOUTH CAROLINA (4)
2. TEXAS (1)
3. NORTH CAROLINA (3)
4. FLORIDA (2)
5. TENNESSEE (5)
6. ARIZONA (8)
7. WASHINGTON (7)
8. INDIANA (27)
9. UTAH (13)
10. IDAHO (6)
11. OKLAHOMA (41)
12. ARKANSAS (17)
13. MAINE (31)
14. OHIO (23)
15. GEORGIA (18)
16. ALABAMA (22)
17. VIRGINIA (10)
18. MINNESOTA (20)
19. SOUTH DAKOTA (19)
20. VERMONT (12)
21. DELAWARE (15)
22. WISCONSIN (26)
23. IOWA (24)
24. MONTANA (21)
25. KENTUCKY (29)