An analysis by U-Haul places North Carolina third on a list of top states for movers in 2025, trailing only Texas and Florida as the most popular destination for relocation. For the sixth consecutive year, California ranked last with the largest out-migration.
The growth index from U-Haul ranks states, metropolitan areas, and cities by their net gain of one-way trucks, trailers, and U-Box containers arriving in a city versus leaving it during the 2025 calendar year. The data is compiled from more than 2.5 million transactions that occur annually in the US and Canada.
On a narrower list of metro regions analyzed by U-Haul, Charlotte ranked fourth and Raleigh eighth. Charlotte’s placement is a slight decline from 2024 when the Queen City ranked second in the nation. Raleigh dropped one spot — from seventh in 2024.
“The number of jobs in the Triangle is unrivaled to other areas. Because of this, we see so many professionals moving into the area,” said Matthew Bourgeois, U-Haul Company of Raleigh president, in a statement. “I’m not surprised Raleigh remains in the top 10 metros because of how much construction I’m seeing. Everywhere I go, there’s a new housing development or a new skyscraper being built. They are also expanding our highway systems to accommodate the growth.”
On the list of popular metro regions, Florida and Texas dominated the rankings. The top three metro regions were Dallas, Houston, and Austin; and Texas has six metros total on the top 25 list. Meanwhile, 12 Florida cities (as opposed to metros) were featured on the top 25 list, including Ocala which was ranked at No. 1.
This stability contrasts with some major metros like San Francisco, Denver, and Philadelphia, which saw significant swings, reversing out-migration trends from 2024 to post net gains in 2025.
One additional North Carolina town made an appearance: Garner, ranking at 22nd on the U-Haul list of growth cities.
