Moving and storage company U-Haul has released its annual state-to-state migration trends 2025, which measures one-way customer moves, and California is ranked last yet again.
The U-Haul growth index shows that the Golden State ranks last for the sixth year in a row, although the moving company said that the migration deficit was larger than in the previous year.
Alongside California sits Illinois, which dropped from 45th place in 2024 to 49th in 2025. Following are New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts, rounding out the bottom five.
The states that sit in the bottom three spots all have unemployment rates higher than the national average.
Data show movers are flowing toward the eastern side of the Sun Belt, as Texas and Florida took the top two spots on the growth index. North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina join the top five.
South Carolina previously held the top spot in 2024, but fell to fifth this year, making way for a Lone Star State overhaul where arrivals accounted for 50.7% of all one-way traffic.
With the Southeastern surge, Alabama beat out Georgia for the ninth spot. The Yellowhammer State’s seven-spot climb could be attributed to the explosive growth of Huntsville, a primary destination in the aerospace and tech sectors.
Alabama also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and a cost of living roughly 12% below the national average.
Metros and cities: Where the trucks are landing
While states such as Texas and Florida lead state rankings, the metro-level data tells an even more localized story. For the second straight year, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex ranked No. 1.
Following closely behind DFW, Houston and Austin join in, making Texas metros the top three.
Metro migration reflects state trends, with Charleston, Nashville, Charlotte, and Raleigh also ranking in the top 10.
Likewise, the Horse Capital of the World, Ocala, Florida, was ranked as the No. 1 growth city.
Florida cities dominated, taking four of the top five spots. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, broke through and snagged the No. 2 spot. Kissimmee and Clermont followed.
A similar migration pattern is unfolding in Canada, where Alberta has secured the top growth province title for the second year in a row.
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Attracted by lower taxes and more affordable housing, movers are flocking to Calgary and Edmonton, with British Columbia ranking second.
Conversely, Ontario continues to see the largest migration deficit in Canada, followed by Nova Scotia.