Texas, Arizona top list for most popular U.S. migration spots

January 16, 2018 - 2 min read

Driving south

When it comes to moving, Americans largely headed south in 2017. According to new data from U-Haul, Texas was the top state for U.S. migration, while Tempe, Arizona, took the honors for the top city.

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Leaving for the Lone Star State

Texas was the No. 1 state for growth in 2017, according to U-Haul migration trends data. Stats from the truck rental company show that arrivals accounted for more than 50 percent of Texas’ one-way truck traffic.

“Growth States are calculated by the net gain of one-way U-Haul truck rentals entering a state versus leaving a state during a calendar year,” U-Haul reported. “Migration trends data is compiled from more than 1.7 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.”

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Year over year, one-way arrivals rose 1 percent in the Lone Star State. This is the second year in a row Texas ranked No. 1. In 2015, the state sat at No. 39. Within Texas, top cities for migration included McKinney, Prosper, College Station, Temple and Kaufman.

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Florida, Arkansas, South Carolina and Tennessee also made the list for top growth states, while California netted the biggest loss.

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Tempe takes the top spot

Nationwide, U-Haul’s data shows Tempe, Arizona, as the top spot for growth in 2017. Over the year, one-way truck rentals jumped 39 percent over 2016.

The city’s rise in popularity could be due to its improving job market. The city gained more than 30,000 jobs since 2013 and is home to Arizona State University – home to one of the biggest undergraduate enrollments in the nation.

Other cities with big growth in 2017 were Boise, Idaho; Miami; Atlanta; and Tacoma, Washington.

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Aly J. Yale
Authored By: Aly J. Yale
The Mortgage Reports contributor
Aly J. Yale is a mortgage and real estate writer based in Houston who has contributed to Forbes and worked for organizations such as The Dallas Morning News, PBS, NBC, and Radio Disney.