U-Haul Destination City No. 1: Houston Greets Most Movers Again

For a 10th straight year, Houston had the highest inflow of moving trucks in 2018

Houston holds steady as the No. 1 U.S. Destination City according to the latest U-Haul migration trends report, staking its claim to the top spot for the 10th consecutive year.

Houston saw a 3% year-over-year increase in one-way U-Haul truck arrivals in 2018 to remain the busiest city for incoming traffic among do-it-yourself movers.

U-Haul just finished counting down its top 10 U.S. Destination Cities based on the total number of one-way truck arrivals in 2018. Houston ranks No. 1 again.

“The job market here is truly booming,” said Lynn Buck, U-Haul Company of Southwest Houstonpresident. “The Gulf Coast region is experiencing a significant increase in job openings, especially in technology. With the growing economy, the low cost of living and affordable housing, it’s no surprise Houston is again the No. 1 U-Haul Destination City.”

Moving Season in Houston. Each year U-Haul counts down its top 10 U.S. Destination Cities as a prelude to Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the summer moving season. About 45% of all moves each year occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

Chicago, Las Vegas, San Antonio and Orlando round out the top five cities for the most arriving U-Haul trucks in 2018. Other Texas cities on the list include Austin (7), Dallas (16), Fort Worth (25) and Plano (34).

Phoenix was the biggest riser inside the top 10, moving up four spots to No. 9, while Las Vegasclimbed three positions from its No. 6 ranking a year ago. San Diego, at 14th just ahead of Los Angeles, had the largest inflow of arriving trucks of the six California cities in the top 50.

Destinations that saw enough of a spike to jump at least five positions included Nashville (22), Richmond, Va. (27), St. Louis (28), Kansas City (35), Overland Park, Kan. (37), Fayetteville, N.C. (44) and Tulsa (45).

“Houston is appealing because it’s one of the most diverse cities in the nation,” Buck continued. “The weather is perfect, and folks from all over the country are moving here. Because of that, U-Haul is investing in Houston. We have seven new U-Haul facilities set to open in 2019 and our neighborhood dealer network is growing every day. We’re here for the long haul, and we’re eager to meet the moving and self-storage needs of lifelong residents and newcomers alike.”

Rankings are based by the total number of arriving one-way U-Haul trucks into a city in the past calendar year. Destination Cities reflect the volume and regularity of do-it-yourself movers coming into a city, but do not account for departing one-way U-Haul trucks, and thus do not necessarily reflect growth like U-Haul Growth Cities and Growth States rankings do.

U-Haul released its complete Growth States rankings; its top 25 U.S. Growth Cities; and its top 25 Canadian Growth Cities for 2018 in January.

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 provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck rental transactions that occur annually.

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