U-Haul report: 9 of top 10 destination states are pro-Trump
The latest report from U-Haul showing which areas in the U.S. were the top “move to” destinations finds that in 2025, nine of the top 10 states voted for President Trump in the 2024 election.
Of the 10 bottom states, those with the most out-migration, only seven voted for Trump in 2024, while nine of them currently have Democratic governors.
Nextstar reports that U-Haul suggests the weather may be the top factor movers consider, as opposed to politics or tax burdens. Of those states that rank at the bottom of U-Haul’s index, only one, California, is largely exempt from the risk of bitter winters.
Speaking of the Golden State, for the second year running, Gov. Gavin Newsom has presided over the cellar-dweller state in the annual U-Haul report.
States are ranked based on their net gain or loss of one-way U-Haul rentals.
The 10 states ranking at the top of U-Haul’s growth index are:
1. Texas
2. Florida
3. North Carolina
4. Tennessee
5. South Carolina
6. Washington
7. Arizona
8. Idaho
9. Alabama
10. Georgia
And those at the bottom are:
50. California
49. Illinois
48. New Jersey
47. New York
46. Massachusetts
45. Maryland
44. Pennsylvania
43. Ohio
42.Connecticut
41.Michigan
Real estate prices might be another factor. According to the Nexstar report, those states in the southern portion of the U.S. may become especially attractive to homebuyers in 2026. Reports released from Realtor.com and Redfin before the new year suggested that metros in the South could see cooling housing markets in the coming months.
That includes cities in Tennessee, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina – all states that ranked in the top five on U-Haul’s growth index.
When it comes to metropolitan areas, Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas, came in at No. 1 for the second year in a row, followed by Houston and Austin, Texas.
Some good news for California is that both San Diego and San Francisco appeared on the top-25 list, 16 and 17, respectively, after being rank lower in 2024.