Boomers and Gen X are moving to the Southeast, while Millennials and Gen Z may be helping curb California’s exodus
It’s crystal clear where the older generations are moving so far in 2026: southern destinations.
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What generational group you belong to likely plays a role in where you are moving -- and why. Analyzing a year of one-way customer moves, including the first six months of 2026, the U-Haul midyear migration trends report indicates the renter’s generation (i.e. stage of life) is a determining factor in where their moving truck, trailer, or U-Box container is going.
It’s a mixed bag for the younger generations though, with a few prominent out-migration states like California and New York witnessing a welcome uptick in arrivals from Gen Z.
It’s the busy summer moving season, when roughly half of all residential moves in the U.S. occur every year between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.
U-Haul®, the industry leader in DIY moving and home of the 1-Year Storage Price Lock, facilitates millions of one-way transactions annually through accessible, affordable mobility solutions.
Analyzing 52 weeks of customer moves including the first six months of 2026, U-Haul data indicates the renter’s generation, or stage of life, plays a vital role in where their moving truck, trailer, or U-Box® moving container is going.
Sorting by generation groups and based on each state’s net gain or loss of one-way U-Haul equipment from July 2025 through June 2026, the data shows:
- Baby Boomers are flocking to the Carolinas. Six of the top seven net-gain states for Boomers are in the sunny Southeast and the other is Arizona — all hot spots for retirees or winter homes.
- Generation X and Millennials are typing Florida and Texas in their GPS more than anywhere else. However, each group’s preferences differ after that. Gen X keeps to the Southeast and Mountain West. Millennials are scattering to California and several Midwest states for their careers.
- Generation Z is gravitating to densely populated markets with numerous colleges, entry-level jobs, and apartment access. Texas and California top their list. New York, Illinois and Colorado follow, reflecting a diverse blend of geography and politics in their destinations.
Visit the U-Haul Growth Index site for midyear migration trends summaries on every major U.S. metro with a population greater than 1 million (per the U.S. Census) to see where each age group in those markets is moving in 2026.
Here is a further breakdown of generational relocations on a national scale:
BOOMERS (born 1946-64)
Top U-Haul net-gain states (July 2025-June 2026)
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
- Florida
- Arizona
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Oklahoma
- Georgia
Top U-Haul net-gain metros (July 2025-June 2026)
- Gainesville-Ocala, FL
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Phoenix, AZ
- Charleston, SC
- Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ
- Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
- Spokane, WA
- Tucson, AZ
- Daytona Beach, FL
- Wilmington, NC
GEN X (born 1965-80)
Top U-Haul net-gain states (July 2025-June 2026)
- Florida
- Texas
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Alabama
- Utah
- Idaho
- North Carolina
- Arizona
- Arkansas
Top U-Haul net-gain metros (July 2025-June 2026)
- Fort Myers, FL
- Charleston, SC
- North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Nashville, TN
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Wilmington, NC
- Tampa, FL
- San Diego, CA
- Gainesville-Ocala, FL
MILLENNIALS (born 1981-96)
Top U-Haul net-gain states (July 2025-June 2026)
- Florida
- Texas
- California
- Ohio
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Washington
- Virginia
Top U-Haul net-gain metros (July 2025-June 2026)
- Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
- Houston, TX
- Orlando, FL
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA
- North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
- Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
- Boise, ID
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
- Brownsville-McAllen, TX
- Huntsville, AL
GEN Z (born 1997-2012*)
Top U-Haul net-gain states (July 2025-June 2026)
- Texas
- California
- New York
- Illinois
- Colorado
- Washington
- New Jersey
- Florida
- Pennsylvania
- Nevada
Top U-Haul net-gain metros (July 2025-June 2026)
- New York City, NY
- Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
- Chicago, IL
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Austin, TX
- Charlotte, NC
- Denver, CO
- Seattle, WA
- Houston, TX
* Customers must be 18 to rent a U-Haul truck and 16 to rent a U-Haul trailer
Florida is the lone state with a top-10 net gain among all four generations. Texas ranks very high for everyone but Boomers, while Idaho makes it on three lists.
Millennials account for the most one-way U-Haul transactions, followed closely by Gen X. Those generations total more than 60% of rentals.
Metro areas like College Station, Gainesville, Lubbock, Lexington, Tallahassee, Manhattan (Kan.), Champaign, Madison, and Baton Rouge show sizeable gains among Gen X contract holders, indicating many parents help their university-bound children move.
Check back at year’s end for the eagerly awaited U-Haul Growth Index reports and rankings identifying the top growth states, metros and cities of 2026.
Find the 2025 recap and more U-Haul migration trends reports and rankings at uhaul.com/about/migration.
About U-HAUL
Founded in 1945, U-Haul is the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers with more than 25,000 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 approximately 204,800 trucks, 136,600 trailers and 42,000 towing devices. U-Haul, which offers rate transparency to self-storage customers through its 1-Year Price Lock, is the third largest storage operator in North America with 1,136,000 rentable storage units and 99 million square feet of self-storage space at 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.
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Generation Z is gravitating to densely populated markets with numerous colleges, entry-level jobs, and apartment access. Texas and California top their list.
Contacts
Jeff Lockridge
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com
