Texas is the No. 1 U.S. Growth State for 2016, according to the latest U-Haul migration trends report.

courtesyUHAUL
courtesyUHAUL
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That makes for quite a turnaround from 2015, when Texas was a net-loss state and ranked No. 39 on this list. The year-over-year arrival of one-way U-Haul truck rentals rose 4 percent last year in Texas while departures held steady.

Releases on each of the top 10 growth states and the top U.S. Growth Cities are available at myuhaulstory.com. Florida, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Missouri complete the top five growth states. Illinois continues to rank 50th the top net-loss state, preceded by California’s slide to No. 49 after cracking the top five for 2015.

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. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 1.7 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.

While migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, U-Haul growth data is an effective gauge of how well states are attracting and maintaining residents.

Arrivals outpaced departures 50.8 to 49.2 percent in Texas last year thanks to locations such as Austin, the No. 2 U.S. Growth City in the 50,000-plus population category behind Madison, Wis.

Granbury, McKinney, Richardson, Temple, New Braunfels, Dallas and College Station are other notable Texas growth cities to see a bump in U-Haul arrivals in 2016.

“Everything in Texas is growing exponentially,” said Zane Rowland, U-Haul Company of North East Dallas president. “Our market is strong. Lots of major companies are moving to Texas because of the tax breaks. Between the low cost of living, the abundance of job opportunities and the ability to start a business, many people want to move to Texas.”

The Lone Star State has gained large operations, or seen expansions of existing operations, with the likes of Toyota, Apple and Amazon to increase employment opportunities.

“I am proud that Texas continues to be the state of choice for those looking for expanded economic opportunities,” Governor Greg Abbott said in response to his state’s U-Haul growth ranking. “In the Lone Star State, we recognize that increased regulations and higher taxes are barriers to success for businesses, individuals and families. That is why, as governor, I will continue to work to ensure we promote a pro-growth environment across the state that gives everyone the opportunity to thrive, leading to a more prosperous Texas.”

In 2016, U-Haul gained about 80 neighborhood dealers in Texas, making it more convenient for customers to access U-Haul trucks, trailers, self-storage, moving supplies, hitches, propane and many other products and services.

“When a customer comes to a U-Haul store, something significant is happening in their life,” said Kenneth Birch, U-Haul Company of Fort Worth president. “Maybe they just got married, they’re moving a child to college, or they got a new job. People come to us because they need help, and our services allow them to move at an affordable cost.”

Find U-Haul stores and neighborhood dealers in Texas at uhaul.com/locations.

U-Haul is the authority on migration trends thanks to its expansive network that blankets all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The geographical coverage from more than 21,000 U-Haul locations, including neighborhood dealers and Company-owned and -operated stores, provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.

U-Haul 2016 Growth States

1. Texas
2. Florida
3. Minnesota
4. Wisconsin
5. Missouri
6. Maine
7. Idaho
8. Louisiana
9. Vermont
10. Arkansas
11. Colorado
12. Tennessee
13. Iowa
14. New Hampshire
15. Delaware
16. Washington
17. Connecticut
18. South Dakota
19. District of Columbia*
20. Kansas
21. Alabama
22. South Carolina
23. Nebraska
24. Oregon
25. West Virginia
26. Wyoming
27. Montana
28. Alaska
29. Mississippi
30. Virginia
31. Kentucky
32. North Dakota
33. New Mexico
34. Oklahoma
35. New York
36. Rhode Island
37. Maryland
38. Utah
39. Indiana
40. Ohio
41. New Jersey
42. Massachusetts
43. Nevada
44. North Carolina
45. Pennsylvania
46. Arizona
47. Georgia
48. Michigan
49. California
50. Illinois

* Washington, D.C. is its own U-Haul territory and is listed among states for migration purposes. Hawaii is not included since state-to-state truck rentals are not applicable.

What they are saying about Texas

“North Austin is a hot market for families. Property values are still very reasonable for people to relocate. People are moving from all over the country for the tech jobs. The job availability and the expansion of big businesses into town are all attractive elements.” — Matthew McMillan, U-Haul Company of North Austin president

“San Antonio has grown tremendously. The economy here is great. Across the state, the (oil industry) is recovering in West Texas. That’s where the big boom is. In our area and heading south it’s still going on, but you can see the oil traffic slowed and hasn’t come back yet. You did see a decline in oil jobs last year, but some people were laid off and brought back.” — Sam Molina, U-Haul Company of San Antonio East

“Business growth is huge in Texas. We have seen lots of corporations move here. New home builds and job opportunities are signs of growth. The state government is very open to new businesses arriving and older businesses growing. Toyota relocated to Plano and offered 2,000 positions to people living in Texas.” — Kevin Lindell, U-Haul Company of Northwest Dallas president

“Our neighborhood dealers make it possible for us to grow in communities where our competitors cannot. We can reach more people because of our numerous locations.” — Glenn Taylor, U-Haul Company of South Austin president

About U-Haul
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 21,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul customers’ patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to more than 139,000 trucks, 108,000 trailers and 38,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 536,000 rooms and more than 50 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S. 
www.uhaul.com

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