NEW JERSEY – New Jersey is the No. 48 growth state in America, according to U-Haul® data analyzing migration patterns from 2020.
Tennessee edges Texas, the leading growth state from 2016-18, and Florida, the No. 1 growth state for 2019, for top honors on the new U-Haul chart. Ohio and Arizona round out the top five states for growth.
Growth states are calculated by the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks entering a state versus leaving that state during a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck-sharing transactions that occur annually.
Colorado, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina and Georgia complete the top 10 growth states, amplifying a 2020 stronghold for the Southeast and Southwest regions in attracting do-it-yourself movers.
California slides one position to 50th as the state with the steepest out-migration – or the largest net loss of U-Haul trucks crossing its border. New York ranks 42nd. Illinois is 49th.
People coming to New Jersey in one-way U-Haul trucks decreased 23% year-over-year, while departures dropped 22% from 2019. Arrivals accounted for less than 49.2% of all one-way U-Haul traffic during 2020 to make it the No. 48 state for netting DIY movers, sliding four spots from its No. 44 ranking the previous year.
New Jersey’s leading growth city is Wildwood. Other notable net-gain cities include Absecon, Clementon, Pleasantville, Bridgeton, Millville, Trenton, Middletown, Mount Laurel and Plainfield.
2020: States Ranked By Migration Growth
| 1. | Tennessee (12) |
| 2. | Texas (2) |
| 3. | Florida (1) |
| 4. | Ohio (7) |
| 5. | Arizona (20) |
| 6. | Colorado (42) |
| 7. | Missouri (13) |
| 8. | Nevada (24) |
| 9. | North Carolina (3) |
| 10. | Georgia (16) |
| 11. | Arkansas (23) |
| 12. | Indiana (9) |
| 13. | Wisconsin (41) |
| 14. | Oklahoma (14) |
| 15. | South Carolina (4) |
| 16. | West Virginia (22) |
| 17. | Utah (8) |
| 18. | Kentucky (37) |
| 19. | Montana (26) |
| 20. | Minnesota (15) |
| 21. | Kansas (18) |
| 22. | Alabama (6) |
| 23. | New Hampshire (31) |
| 24. | Iowa (30) |
| 25. | South Dakota (28) |
| 26. | Vermont (10) |
| 27. | Delaware (21) |
| 28. | Virginia (39) |
| 29. | Maine (33) |
| 30. | Idaho (11) |
| 31. | Mississippi (25) |
| 32. | Nebraska (19) |
| 33. | Wyoming (27) |
| 34. | Alaska (17) |
| 35. | Rhode Island (35) |
| 36. | Washington (5) |
| 37. | North Dakota (32) |
| 38. | Washington, D.C. (38)* |
| 39. | New Mexico (36) |
| 40. | Michigan (48) |
| 41. | Pennsylvania (46) |
| 42. | New York (43) |
| 43. | Connecticut (34) |
| 44. | Louisiana (40) |
| 45. | Oregon (29) |
| 46. | Maryland (45) |
| 47. | Massachusetts (47) |
| 48. | New Jersey (44) |
| 49. | Illinois (50) |
| 50. | California (49) |
* Previous year’s rankings in parentheses. Washington, D.C. is its own U-Haul market and is listed among growth states for migration trends purposes. Hawaii is not included since state-to-state truck transactions are inapplicable.
