U-Haul International Inc. released the results of its annual 2009 U-Haul National Migration Trend Report, which identifies the nation's top growth areas and destination cities. Houston was in the No. 1 spot, moving up from second place, while Las Vegas was in second place, moving up from the No. 4 rank last year.

April 5, 2010

2 Min Read
U-Haul Releases 2009 National Migration Trend Report

U-Haul International Inc. released the results of its annual 2009 U-Haul National Migration Trend Report, which identifies the nation's top growth areas and destination cities.

The 2009 Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities Report was compiled from more than 1 million U-Haul truck transactions occurring during a recent 12 month period.

According to moving data reflective of nationwide statistics for 2009, Houston was in the No. 1 spot, moving up from second place, while Las Vegas was in second place, moving up from the No. 4 rank last year. Chicago climbed to No. 3 from No. 7 last year, while San Antonio ranked No. 4, moving up from No. 8. Austin, Texas, moved up to fifth place from the No. 9 last year.  Orlando, Fla.; Atlanta; Sacramento, Calif.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Denver rounded out the top 10.

The ranking reflects destinations for movers traveling more than 50 miles, and considers every city in the country, regardless of size. However, the data is not stated as a percentage of population and is not reflective of overall growth.

Report findings include: 

  • For cities with more than with 5,000 families moving, Santa Monica, Calif., had the highest percentage of growth with 12.7 percent.

  • Lancaster, Calif., ranked second in the highest percentage of growth with 10.83 percent; followed by New York City, N.Y., with 10 percent. 

  • For states with 5,000 to 20,000 families moving, Vermont had the highest percentage, with a growth rate of 16.67 percent in 2009, moving Maine to second place after two years of ranking first.

  • Toronto was the top Canadian destination city for the eighth year in a row, while Calgary came in at second for the sixth year in a row. Montreal took third, moving up from No. 4, with Edmonton dropping to fourth place from No. 3. 

The report, reflective of growth patterns of the United States during 2009, was compiled based on nationwide trends in states with more than 5,000 families moving in or out of the area. Growth cities were then determined by calculating the percentage of inbound moves vs. outbound moves for each area.”

Phoenix-based U-Haul has a network of more than 15,800 dealers in U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces. The U-Haul fleet encompasses 101,000 trucks, 76,000 trailers and 34,000 towing devices. The company also owns 35 million square feet of self-storage space at nearly 1,091 owned and managed facilities throughout North America. 

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