Liberal California topped U-Haul's Growth Index list for the fourth year in a row with the largest number of out-migrants in 2023.
U-Haul annually publishes a Growth Index report that analyzes the difference between the number of one-way U-Haul trucks entering a state or city and the number of one-way U-Haul trucks leaving. For example, if a moving company relocates from California to Texas, it will be counted as Texas profit.
“Although one-way transactions in 2023 were below the record levels seen in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, we continued to see many of the same geographic trends from U-Haul customers moving interstate,” said John. “JT” Taylor, president of U-Haul International, said in a statement Tuesday.
For the past three years, Texas has had the most movers using one-way U-Haul moving equipment, maintaining its position at the top of the moving company growth index.
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California topped U-Haul's Growth Index list for the fourth year in a row as it has the largest net international migration in 2023.
Terry Gilliam, founder of the Facebook group Leaving California, said it's “no surprise” to conservatives in the deep-blue state that the exodus continues.
“If you look at the continued movement that California has left behind, you can see why middle-class and upper-class taxpayers — producers — are leaving,” said Gilliam, whose Facebook group has more than 100,000 members. he told FOX News. Digital is Wednesday.
Gilliam has lived in California for 25 years and moved to Florida two years ago. His group has grown so much that it now includes a list of moving resources for residents planning to leave the Golden State.
“Gasoline taxes, already the highest in the nation, are raised every July 1st. Most utility companies have just received permission to raise double-digit rates, which are already more than double the national average rate,” he said. continued. “Add to the above, the ever-increasing cost of regulation, continued resentment over pandemic mandates (likely with more to come), transgender conversations with young children in schools, and incompetent state governments.” There is also talk of further tax increases to cover the $68 billion deficit.
More than 75,000 people died in California in 2023, according to U.S. Census data.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom (California Governor Gavin Newsom YouTube Channel)
But which states are former Californians moving to?
Texas has held the top spot on the U-Haul Growth Index six times in the past eight years, and extends its lead in 2023 with half of all one-way U-Haul trips. After Texas, Florida is another consistent top choice for newcomers, with North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee also ranking highly as preferred destinations for Californians. U-Haul data showed that more than half of one-way U-Haul rentals in and out of Texas significantly fueled the state's growth.
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“While U-Haul migration trends are not directly correlated to population or economic growth, the U-Haul Growth Index is a useful indicator of how well states and cities are attracting and retaining residents.” says the report.
According to U-Haul, more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck trips are made annually in the U.S. and Canada.
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View of the Pacific coast of Northern California. (Carol M. Highsmith/Bayenlarge/Getty Images)
Like Texas, U-Haul's assessment of California's status appears to be consistent with U.S. Census records. More than 817,000 people left California in 2021-2022, up from about 475,000 people during the same period. Census data also shows that blue states like Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and Massachusetts are also seeing population declines.
