U-Haul report reveals 5 states that attracted the most movers in 2025 — and it's not surprising
Affordable housing has become out of reach for Americans as the real estate market is in bad shape. But while more sought-after cities saw a surge in prices, homes are available for a lot less in the South. The cost of home ownership and renting in the Midwest and Northeast is skyrocketing, leaving people with little choice but to migrate to comparatively cheaper areas. According to an article in The Hill, moving company U-Haul shared its latest report highlighting the trend of American migration in 2025.
U-Haul calls it a ‘Growth Index,’ but the company makes a few things clear at the start. The report tracks the number of one-way trucks, trailers, or moving containers rented by U-Haul customers over the year, which were returned in a state different from their origin. Renting a one-way truck or trailer does not necessarily mean that one is moving somewhere else, and it cannot be seen as an indicator of economic growth.
However, it does show how states and metropolitan areas are doing when it comes to attracting and retaining residents. U-Haul reported that Americans are mostly renting one-way trucks, trailers, and moving containers towards the Southern states of the country. The top five states in the company’s ‘growth index’ are Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
South Carolina was at the top spot in last year’s report, but it seems like it fell a number of places in 2025. There are a number of reasons why this could be the case. The primary reason that comes to mind is affordability. So far, these Southern states have proven to be cheaper than their Midwestern and Northeastern counterparts. The Hill report states that these Southern states have more affordable housing, which is attracting a lot of potential homeowners in 2026.
Another reason why this is the current trend in migration is the weather. During the winter, the northern parts of the country have to deal with bitter cold. That is not the case in the Southern states, which usually see warmer, more pleasant temperatures.
Seven of the 10 states that saw the largest influx of one-way U-Haul vehicles in 2025 have Republican governors, and President Donald Trump won nine of them in the last election. On the other hand, most of the bottom-ranked states have Democratic governors. These states voted for Kamala Harris in the last election. Perhaps the President is sweeter to the states that had his back, and could bring forth development and job opportunities to them.
"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,” said John “J.T.” Taylor, U-Haul International president. “But other factors can be important to people who are looking to change their surroundings. In-migration states are often appealing to those customers,” he concluded.
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