U-Haul has published its latest annual Growth Index, telling us which states saw the largest influxes of folks moving via U-Haul and which saw the greatest exfluxes. Texas and Florida remained at the top of the list, seeing the greatest net gains of one-way U-Haulers arriving, while Illinois and Florida saw the greatest net loss.
U-Haul disclaims that its migration trends “do not correlate directly to population or economic growth” but maintains that “the U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.”
Here’s U-Haul’s full 2022 Growth Index rankings (with 2021 ranks parenthesized):
| 1 | Texas (1) |
| 2 | Florida (2) |
| 3 | South Carolina (4) |
| 4 | North Carolina (19) |
| 5 | Virginia (31) |
| 6 | Tennessee (3) |
| 7 | Arizona (5) |
| 8 | Georgia (23) |
| 9 | Ohio (24) |
| 10 | Idaho (9) |
| 11 | Colorado (7) |
| 12 | Utah (28) |
| 13 | Nevada (29) |
| 14 | Indiana (6) |
| 15 | Missouri (39) |
| 16 | Wisconsin (13) |
| 17 | Minnesota (17) |
| 18 | Montana (22) |
| 19 | New Mexico (10) |
| 20 | Alabama (46) |
| 21 | Iowa (27) |
| 22 | Oregon (14) |
| 23 | Washington (15) |
| 24 | Pennsylvania (48) |
| 25 | West Virginia (26) |
| 26 | Kentucky (38) |
| 27 | Delaware (30) |
| 28 | Connecticut (18) |
| 29 | Maine (8) |
| 30 | Vermont (12) |
| 31 | South Dakota (11) |
| 32 | Nebraska (20) |
| 33 | Wyoming (21) |
| 34 | Mississippi (37) |
| 35 | Louisiana (43) |
| 36 | Washington D.C.* (35) |
| 37 | North Dakota (33) |
| 38 | New Hampshire (25) |
| 39 | Kansas (40) |
| 40 | Rhode Island (32) |
| 41 | Alaska (16) |
| 42 | Oklahoma (44) |
| 43 | Arkansas (41) |
| 44 | Maryland (34) |
| 45 | New Jersey (36) |
| 46 | New York (45) |
| 47 | Massachusetts (47) |
| 48 | Michigan (42) |
| 49 | Illinois (49) |
| 50 | California (50) |
I checked with Jeff Lockbridge, U-Haul International’s manager of media and public relations, and he said that while U-Haul keeps specific in and out numbers under proprietary wraps, he can tell us that the “break-even” states were #32 through 35: Nebraska, Wyoming, Mississippi, and Louisiana saw roughly the same number of arrivals and departures. That indicates that Vermont at #30 and South Dakota at #31 saw just a few more arrivals than departures, while Washington, D.C., and North Dakota saw just a few more departures than arrivals.
Notice that Iowa (21), Montana (18), and Minnesota (17) all ranked much higher than South Dakota in net U-Haul gains, while South Dakota just barely out-attracted its break-even neighbors Nebraska and Wyoming, and slight loser North Dakota. South Dakota tumbled from #11 in 2021.
South Dakota ranked #25 in the U-Haul Growth Index in 2020, 28 in 2019, 27 in 2018, 27 in 2017, 18 in 2016, and 32 in 2015.
Obviously, another sign that South Dakota has the “strongest” economy.
Most well-off folks hire professional movers (or their new employer does for them).
When this U-Haul deal popped up in my twitter feed the other day it reported New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado falling behind last year. $20 says migrants headed north to work but that’s slowing now.
Let us view this with a glass half full mindset but not rose colored spectacles. It is good that less out-of-staters are moving here but we need far less that we’re getting now.
As young people and Democrats flee South Dakota more brown people are doing the work in the red moocher state. Meat processors and industrial agriculture employ the greatest numbers of Hispanics in South Dakota.
And now that brown workers can take the driver’s license exam in Spanish white people can spend more time snorting and shooting meth.
Joe’s got it down. I used a U Haul when we moved to Florida. We couldn’t afford more. The school had a set price for a move. I’m sure Elon used them too.
Earth haters: we need migrant farm labor!
Also Earth haters: Joe Biden is letting too many people into the US!
“The United Van Lines’ data shows that older people are moving to South Dakota at a greater percentage than younger people. In the 35 to 44 age range, 37.5% moved out compared to 4.7% who moved in.”
https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/older-people-moving-to-sd-united-van-lines-says/
Very interesting. I guess I did my bit with my 26′ big truck to the Left Coast to push down South Dakota’s rank.