According to a recent analysis by U-Haul, California is seeing more residents leave than any other state, with many heading to places like Texas and Florida.
For the sixth consecutive year, California ranks last on the list of “growth states” used by moving and storage rental companies.
There’s a slight positive note in this situation—the rate of people leaving California was not as severe as had been predicted, as noted in a press release on Monday.
While California had the highest number of do-it-yourself movers departing, the net loss for 2025 was actually lower than in 2024.
The bottom five states experiencing the most significant losses include Illinois (49), New Jersey (48), New York (47), and Massachusetts (46). Interestingly, nine of these states, along with the ten least-growing states, are governed by Democrats. Seven of these states voted Democratic in the last presidential election.
Conversely, all of the top ten growth states are led by Republican governors. Some analyses suggest that nine of these states might lean Democratic in the upcoming 2024 presidential election. The top five growth states listed by U-Haul are Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
“Life events like marriage, children, death in the family, college, work changes, and others dictate most moving needs,” explained John “JT” Taylor, president of U-Haul International.
He also mentioned that for people wanting a change, other factors come into play. “States with high immigration rates often attract more of those customers,” he added.
The U-Haul Growth Index is based on data from over 2.5 million trips where customers rent a vehicle in one state and return it in another.
Oregon experienced the most notable improvement, moving from 34th on the net-deficit list in 2024 to 11th in 2025. On the flip side, Ohio saw a sharp decline, dropping 29 spots to 43rd.
In terms of urban growth, Florida ranked 12th out of 25, with Ocala at the top, while no California cities made the cut.
The rankings might not perfectly align with factors like population or economic growth, but they do provide insight into how effectively a state or city is retaining and attracting people, according to U-Haul.
Data from May indicated that California had the highest net loss of residents at -7,330, as 15,568 people left the state compared to just 8,238 moving in.
The high cost of living in California was highlighted as a significant factor driving this outflow of residents.
