U-Haul and North American's Moving Research-Top States for In and Out

Kevin Bessler is listed as a “staff reporter” for The Center Square which provided to this writer for MHProNews and this Patch part of the headline item about the top states to leave and move to for 2024 shown in Part I of today’s report with analysis. Added information will follow in Part II from U-Haul and Part III will include more insights plus other topics.

Part I – Per The Center Square to MHProNews is the following

Moving company data shows Illinois lost the second most residents in 2024

By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square 2.13.2025
(The Center Square) – Migration data from a moving company shows Illinois is near the top of the list for states with the most outbound moves.

The 2024 North American Van Lines Annual Migration Report shows Illinois was second in the country for outbound moves behind only California. In Illinois, 60% of moves were outbound while 40% were inbound. It is the first time in 10 years Illinois didn’t lead the country in outbound moves.

The company said it examined several metrics, including researching population reports and getting input from top companies in the moving industry to gain insider knowledge.

Marketing director Ryan Cox said ever since Gov. J.B. Pritzker locked down Illinois with COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, Illinoisans have been flocking to one specific area of the country.

“The top inbound states are North and South Carolina, Idaho, Tennessee and Georgia, and a lot of people from Illinois are actually moving to the Carolinas,” said Cox.

Cox said high taxes and cost of living prompts people to move, especially when it comes to housing.

“I think quality of life is one of the top concerns for people moving,” said Cox. “With household prices skyrocketing in Illinois, they are finding more reasonable, affordable housing.”

Property taxes are a main driver to prompt people to pack up and leave. Illinois has the second highest property taxes in the country. According to Rocket Mortgage, at 2.08% of the home’s value each year, the owner of a median priced home in Illinois of $432,500 will pay just over $9,000 a year. In comparison, a homeowner in South Carolina pays 0.57% for a median priced home of $383,900. That comes out to $2,175 per year.

According to the report, the top inbound cities were Greenville, South Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee.

The most popular day to move in 2024 was Friday, and the most popular month was August.
—

Part II – Data from U-Haul’s Annual 2024 Report

U-Haul Growth States of 2024: South Carolina Tops List for First Time

States are ranked by their net gain or loss of one-way movers last year

PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 2, 2025) — The trend of southern states netting larger numbers of one-way U-Haul® customers continued during 2024, with South Carolina topping the U-Haul Growth Index for the first time.

Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee round out the five leading growth states.
California experienced the greatest net loss of do-it-yourself movers in U-Haul equipment and ranks 50th for the fifth consecutive year.

Growth rankings are configured by each state’s net gain (or loss) of customers utilizing one-way U-Haul equipment in a calendar year. The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled from well over 2.5 million one-way U-Haul truck, trailer and U-Box® moving container transactions that occur annually.

“State-to-state transactions from the past year reaffirm customer tendencies that have been pronounced for some time,” stated John “J.T.” 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. Out-migration remains prevalent for a number of markets across the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast — and particularly California.

“U-Haul continues to expand its network, rental fleet and self-storage footprint so that wherever people move in 2025, we will be there to meet their needs.”

South Carolina climbed three spots in the rankings to unseat Texas, which was the No. 1 growth state for the previous three years (2021-23). Of all the U-Haul movers coming and going from the Palmetto State in 2024, more than 51.7% were arrivals.

Texas has ranked first or second among U-Haul Growth States each year since 2016. Florida has been fourth or higher every year since 2015.

New York, at No. 47 on the list, has its lowest growth ranking in a decade.

Oklahoma (+30), Indiana (+19) and Maine (+18) are the biggest risers year-over-year on the U-Haul Growth Index. Colorado (-31), Nevada (-24), Wyoming (-22) and New Mexico (-21) saw the biggest slides in 2024.

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

2024 U-Haul Growth States

1.
SOUTH CAROLINA (4)
2.
TEXAS (1)
3.
NORTH CAROLINA (3)
4.
FLORIDA (2)
5.
TENNESSEE (5)
6.
ARIZONA (8)
7.
WASHINGTON (7)
8.
INDIANA (27)
9.
UTAH (13)
10.
IDAHO (6)
11.
OKLAHOMA (41)
12.
ARKANSAS (17)
13.
MAINE (31)
14.
OHIO (23)
15.
GEORGIA (18)
16.
ALABAMA (22)
17.
VIRGINIA (10)
18.
MINNESOTA (20)
19.
SOUTH DAKOTA (19)
20.
VERMONT (12)
21.
DELAWARE (15)
22.
WISCONSIN (26)
23.
IOWA (24)
24.
MONTANA (21)
25.
KENTUCKY (29)
26.
HAWAII (25)
27.
ALASKA (34)
28.
MISSOURI (28)
29.
NEBRASKA (35)
30.
WEST VIRGINIA (30)
31.
NORTH DAKOTA (32)
32.
KANSAS (33)
33.
NEW HAMPSHIRE (40)
34.
OREGON (37)
35.
NEVADA (11)
36.
WYOMING (14)
37.
NEW MEXICO (16)
38.
RHODE ISLAND (36)
39.
MISSISSIPPI (39)
40.
COLORADO (9)
41.
CONNECTICUT (42)
42.
MARYLAND (44)
43.
MICHIGAN (46)
44.
LOUISIANA (45)
45.
ILLINOIS (48)
46.
PENNSYLVANIA (38)
47.
NEW YORK (43)
48.
NEW JERSEY (47)
49.
MASSACHUSETTS (49)
50.
CALIFORNIA (50)

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. …

Part III - Additional Information plus Analysis and Other Topics.

1) It should come as no surprise that low or no state income tax states like Florida are a top destination. When we moved to FL in 2013, we left the relatively high state income tax state of IL. While the move was not cheap (we hired movers) we figured the savings on state income and other taxes in IL made it worthwhile. Obviously, others have done similarly.

2) So, when the moving data above said the following, it essentially applied to my family too. “It should come as no surprise that states with higher income tax rates see increased rates of emigration; many of the top outbound states have the highest tax rates in the country. California residents have long endured some of the highest tax rates in the United States. Higher taxes reduce overall income and leave fewer funds for discretionary spending and investments.”

3) It may come as a surprise to some that when the federal government has had income tax rate cuts that tax revenues actually rose. Money is more likely to be deployed in the U.S. by big corporations and others when tax rates are lower. That was demonstrated during President Trump's first term in office, among other times in U.S. history.

4) Florida's one of several states that are a magnet for business, investment, tourism, and newcomers. No state income tax and lower property or other taxes than some other states are just some of those reasons.

5) What Florida lacks, as does every other state, is enough affordable housing. That is why HUD Secretary E. Scott Turner said during his confirmation hearings that 'We’re not building enough housing. We need millions of homes of all kinds, single family, apartments, manufactured homes...'

6) Mark Weiss, J.D., President and CEO of the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) said to now HUD Secretary Turner: "As the United States faces an unprecedented affordable housing crisis, with the supply of affordable homes and, more particularly, affordable “starter” homes, millions of units below existing (and growing) demand,[1] HUD-regulated manufactured homes offer American families at all income levels (and most especially moderate and lower-income American families), an inherently affordable, non-subsidized source of housing and homeownership."

7) Weiss made clear that his association wants federal regulation, but they want that regulation to be properly enforced for the benefit of both consumers and smaller businesses. Weiss said per the report linked above the following.

"At the outset, it should be stressed that manufactured housing is, must be – and must remain – federally regulated. Unlike other types of housing, which are either constructed on or constructed for a specific known lot, site or location in a specific known jurisdiction, manufactured homes are assembled in factories and then shipped to purchasers or retailers who site the homes at locations unknown to the manufacturer at the time of construction. As a result, manufactured homes are routinely transported across state lines and may, even after initial siting, be moved to other locations and other jurisdictions. As a result of this production model and enduring transportability (as mandated by applicable federal law), manufactured homes must be regulated pursuant to:

• uniform federal standards; and
• uniform federal enforcement; in conjunction with
• robust federal preemption."

8) Weiss went on to say this.

"Yet, the HUD manufactured housing program has suffered from both poor management and poor oversight, as the Department has consistently focused more on wasteful public housing programs and related grants and subsidies, rather than the private-sector affordable solution offered by manufactured housing."

"...in vast areas of the United States through discriminatory and exclusionary zoning mandates that bar manufactured homes and manufactured homeowners (including a significant proportion of minority manufactured homeowners[3]) from entire communities."

"...MHARR and an industry coalition, Congress, in 2000, developed and enacted landmark legislation to reform and modernize both the federal manufactured housing program and the legal treatment of manufactured homes for all purposes. Especially significant, among the many program reforms of the 2000 Reform Law, was an amendment to the 1974 Act’s preemption provision, designed to make it more expansive and more robust in protecting and advancing the availability of HUD-regulated manufactured homes.

Specifically, the 2000 Reform Law amended the federal preemption provision of the 1974 Act by adding a statement that “federal preemption under this subsection shall be broadly and liberally construed to ensure that disparate state or local requirements or standards do not affect the uniformity and comprehensiveness of the standards promulgated under this section nor the federal superintendence of the manufactured housing industry as established by this chapter.” (42 U.S.C. 5403(d)) (emphasis added). This “enhanced federal preemption” of the 2000 Reform Law, significantly expanded the scope, extent and reach of preemption to correspond with and effectuate the expansive remedial and beneficial purposes of the 2000 Reform Law more generally."

9) Restated, Weiss and others have made the evidence-based argument that federal laws put in place to make it easier to finance and buy a new manufactured home have been manipulated, thwarted, and sidelined. That said, the solution is relatively quick.

Start enforcing existing federal laws.

Doing so could rapidly bring the construction of more affordable manufactured homes up which would act to keep all housing costs from skyrocketing.

There is always more to know. See the linked reports.

> HUD Sec Turner-'Corporate Takeover of Housing—A Manufactured Crisis'

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/historic-demo-cant-solve-affordable-housing-crisis-without-factory-built-housing-including-manufactured-homes-so-why-is-manufactured-housing-floundering-per-fedfederal-officialssabotage/

Scott Turner Confirmed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development-Official HUD+Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) News Releases; Manufactured Home Generational Wealth

> Romano-U.S. Trade War with Mexico and Canada Lasted 1 Day. Trump Won.

> Urge Senate to Work 7 Days a Week Until Trump's Cabinet is Confirmed!

> ‘Endemic Mismanagement of HUD Manufactured Housing Program’ Nom Turner

'Restoring and Expanding Affordable Housing Role of Manufactured Homes'–MHARR Letter Cites 2000 Reform Act, "Enhanced Preemption" Much More...https://patch.com/florida/lake...

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> Official Manufactured Housing Production from 1995-2023-Why it Matters

> Anna Paulina Luna (FL-R) and Barry Loudermilk (GA-R) MERIT Act Insight

> Executive Orders on Investigating Biden Censorship & Weaponization

> Floridian Dr István Dobozi Strikes at Trump Again in Magyar Article (Another critical analysis - fact check).

---

> Why do Liars Lie? Why do those Engaged in Paltering and Spin Palter?

> Controversy-Manufactured Housing Institute-Lesli Gooch-Mark Bowersox

> ‘Mobile Home Values Rising Faster Than Single-Family’ House-Wow Fact$

> Realtor-What Is a Manufactured Home? The Next Step Beyond Mobile Homes

> Orlando RE Agent Smith-Younger Adults Will Need $8500 Monthly for Rent

---

> Rob Romano-Time To Declassify Everything, Or Another RussiaGate Ahead

> Contemporary Tips from Legend Paul Harvey-Surprising Rest of the Story

> Alert: Is Affordable Housing Linked Scandal at Champion Homes Brewing?

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> Lesli Gooch Ph.D.-Award, Coverup, Headfake, Scandal? Rest of the Story (Manufactured Housing Institute linked)

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> USA Today - David Plouffe and Dem Advisers on Kamala Harris Revelation

> Majority OK Trump Transition-Mass Deportations-Tariffs- Is it Hopeful?

> Niskanen Center Praises Manufactured Home ‘Cost Savings’ and ‘Quality’

> Alice Carter-The Northern Forum-Deporting Immigrants & Housing Crisis

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> The Creepy Line-Peter Schweizer-Dr. Jordan Peterson-Dr. Robert Epstein

> Secret State Miniseries - Fictional TV Series Shed Light on Reality

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> Blankley-Goodbye American Dream? Only 10% Polled Can Buy a House; But

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---> Renting? Rent too High? Odds Are DOJ Suit vs RealPage Matters to You

> New-Certified “Half Price Homes” - Affordable Housing Solution Redux

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> Solution: “Would-Be Homebuyers Need 80% More Income Than 4 Years Ago”

L. A. “Tony” Kovach is a publisher who has earned multiple awards in history. He and his family live in a manufactured home on private property in Winter Haven, FL. He is the co-founder of Manufactured Home Living News.com (MHLivingNews.com) and Manufactured Home Pro News.com (MHProNews.com), trade publications serving segments of the manufactured home industry. Having worked in several segments of the manufactured home industry for over 3 decades, Kovach is a widely acknowledged and often praised expert on manufactured housing. ###