News

SOUTH CAROLINA: No. 1 U-Haul Growth State

PHOENIX, Ariz. — South Carolina is the No. 1 growth state of 2024, according to U-Haul^® Growth Index data analyzing one-way customer transactions during the past year.

This marks the first time the Palmetto State has been the leading U-Haul growth state. South Carolina climbs three spots to overtake Texas – the No. 1 growth state from 2021-23 – for the top spot.

U-Haul customers coming to South Carolina accounted for 51.7% of all one-way traffic in and out of the state (48.3% departures) last year.

Looking at year-over-year changes, U-Haul arrivals into South Carolina stayed the same while departures fell 2% as overall moving traffic slowed in 2024. Due to the consistent inflow of one-way traffic and a drop in people leaving, South Carolina posted the country’s biggest net gain of U-Haul movers.

U-Haul ranks growth states according to each state’s net gain (or loss) of one-way equipment from customer transactions in a calendar year. The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled from more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul truck, trailer and U-Box^® portable moving container transactions that occur annually across the U.S. and Canada.

“South Carolina’s low cost of living is 7% below the national average, making it affordable without sacrificing amenities. The state’s mild climate offers year-round outdoor activities, from golfing to hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains to relaxing on its pristine beaches,” said Jason Hardin, U-Haul Area District Vice President.

“South Carolina has become a magnet for business, with a booming manufacturing sector led by companies like Boeing^®, BMW^® and Volvo^®. The tech and healthcare sectors are also expanding rapidly, contributing to a 7% increase in employment over the past five years. Areas like Charleston’s Silicon Harbor are nurturing tech startups, while Greenville’s focus on advanced manufacturing has positioned it as a leader in the Southeast.”

South Carolina’s notable leading growth cities include (in alphabetical order): Aiken, Charleston, Conway, Florence, Fort Mill, Greenville, Johns Island, Little River, Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, North Charleston, North Myrtle Beach, Simpsonville and Spartanburg.

Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee round out the top five growth states for 2024. It’s the same top five from 2023, but in a slightly different order.

California ranks 50th for the fifth year in a row with the largest net loss of one-way U-Haul customers. Oklahoma (+30), Indiana (+19) and Maine (+18) are the biggest risers YOY, while Colorado (-31), Nevada (-24), Wyoming (-22) and New Mexico (-21) saw the biggest slides.

Find past growth rankings and reports at uhaul.com/about/migration.

2024 U-Haul Growth States

2023 growth rankings in parentheses

While U-Haul rankings may not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.

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 23,000-plus U-Haul rental locations provides a broad overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.

U-Haul continues to benefit the environment through its shared-use business model. Truck and trailer sharing empowers communities to share moving equipment so that families and individuals don’t need to own large-capacity vehicles to transfer belongings. Sustainability initiatives like U-Haul Adaptive Reuse (the preserving and repurposing of existing buildings for new stores), truck modifications to improve fuel economy, and plastic Ready-To-Go Boxes^® that are shared hundreds of times before being recycled are among the ways U-Haul promotes green business. U-Box Load Share, the Company’s latest sustainability program, continues to earn awards for providing ecofriendly solutions to today’s gig economy.

About U-HAUL

Founded in 1945, U-Haul is the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers with more than 23,000 rental locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The U-Haul app makes it easy for customers to use U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 to access trucks anytime through the self-dispatch and -return options on their smartphones with our patented Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to 192,000 trucks, 138,700 trailers and 39,500 towing devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America with 1,024,000 rentable units and 88.5 million square feet of self-storage space at Company-owned and -managed facilities. U-Haul is the top retailer of propane in the U.S. and the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. Get the U-Haul app from the App Store or Google Play.