Connecticut moved up one spot but remained in the bottom 10 of the annual U-Haul Growth Index, which tracks the number of one-way U-Haul customers moving into or out of each state.
Growth rankings are determined by each state’s net gain or loss of customers using one-way U-Haul equipment in a calendar year. U-Haul International compiles the index from more than 2.5 million annual one-way truck, trailer and U-Box moving container transactions.
According to Phoenix-based U-Haul, Connecticut ranked 41st out of the 50 states in the growth index for 2024, up from 42nd in 2023 but still among the bottom 10 states.
Connecticut, however, continued to rank better in the growth index than Massachusetts (49th), New Jersey (48th), New York (47th) and Pennsylvania (46th).
South Carolina topped the index for the first time in 2024, moving up from fourth, while Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee rounded out the top five. Texas has ranked first or second in each index since 2016, while Florida has ranked fourth or higher since 2015.
California experienced the greatest net loss of do-it-yourself movers again in 2024, ranking 50th for the fifth consecutive year.
“State-to-state transactions from the past year reaffirm customer tendencies that have been pronounced for some time,” stated John Taylor, U-Haul International president. “Migration to the Southeast and Southwest continues as families gauge their cost of living, job opportunities, quality of life and other factors that go into relocating to a new state.”
While the southern regions continue to attract people, the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast continue to see people moving out. For example, New York, at 47th, has its lowest growth ranking in a decade, U-Haul said.
Oklahoma (+30), Indiana (+19) and Maine (+18) were the biggest risers year-over-year on the U-Haul Growth Index, while Colorado (-31), Nevada (-24), Wyoming (-22) and New Mexico (-21) saw the biggest slides in 2024.
U-Haul adds that while its growth index rankings may not directly correlate to population or economic growth, it is an effective gauge of how well states and cities attract and maintain residents.
