The Dallas-Fort Worth metro was the hottest destination in the country for where people were moving last year, according to the latest annual ranking from U-Haul International Inc.
Austin ranked No. 5 among the top U.S. growth metros in 2024, and Houston ranked No. 9.
Texas was the No. 2 state for move-ins — bested from the top spot after three consecutive years by South Carolina, according to data released Jan. 2 and Jan. 3.
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area was followed on the recent list by Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 2); Phoenix (No. 3); and, Lakeland, Florida (No. 4).
U-Haul collects migration data from more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul truck, trailer and moving container rentals for the year. It ranks the top “growth states” and “growth metros” by net gain, which contrasts the number of one-way U-Haul trucks entering a city or market versus those leaving.
U-Haul migration trends don’t directly correlate to an area’s population or economic growth, though the company said its ranking is an “effective gauge of how well states, metros and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.” This data can inform the real estate crowd on potential housing needs and can tell businesses where corporate players, and their workers, are headed.
The Lone Star State has held the first or second rank each year since 2016, U-Haul reported. North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee round out the five leading growth states.
And, for the fifth year in a row, California reflected the largest net loss of one-way movers, according to the data.
U-Haul’s findings support recent population trends in the state. A lot of growth has been happening in the Dallas metro. In 2024, Fort Worth surpassed Austin as Texas’ fourth-largest city, according to recent estimates from the Texas Demographic Center. Fort Worth also ranks as the fastest-growing city in the state, as well as the fastest-growing of the 30 most populous cities in the country.
Kaufman County, east of Dallas, posted the highest percentage growth of any county in the state between 2020 and Jan. 1 2024, up 26.7% to 184,070 people. But the city of Dallas and Dallas County eked out only meager gains, according to the latest population estimates.
