PHOENIX, Ariz. — San Francisco is the No. 17 growth metro of 2025, according to U-Haul® Growth Index migration data analyzing one-way customer transactions from the past calendar year.
The San Francisco Bay Area leaps onto the U-Haul Growth Index for the top 25 U.S. growth metros after being a net-loss market in 2024 with more do-it-yourself movers leaving than arriving.
Six of the top 25 U.S. metropolitan areas for growth are in Texas, including the top three: Dallas, Houston and Austin. Charlotte and Phoenix round out the top five. Dallas was also the No. 1 metro on the U-Haul Growth Index for 2024.
Aside from the Bay Area, the major metros of Denver and Philadelphia also reversed recent trends to make the 2025 growth list after seeing more U-Haul equipment leaving than arriving in 2024.
Metros are ranked by their net gain (or loss) of U-Haul customers who rented a one-way truck, trailer or U-Box® portable moving container in one metro area and dropped off their equipment in another metro area. The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled from more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul transactions that occur annually in the U.S. and Canada.
“I think the mayor (of San Francisco) has done a lot of good in trying to influence people to move here,” said Dante Abordo, U-Haul Company of San Francisco president. “He is constantly out on the streets and talking to people to see how he can improve the city. I feel like a lot of residents are noticing his attempts to clean up things.
“I don’t think there is one thing that makes the Bay Area great to live in. For each person, it’s something a little different. San Francisco, in particular, is a melting pot of people and places. There is a corner for everyone in this city.”
While rankings may not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well states, metros and cities are attracting and maintaining residents.
U-Haul also released its new growth states and cities lists. Find these press releases and past migration trends reports and rankings at uhaul.com/about/migration.
Texas leads Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina among the states with the largest net gains of U-Haul customers in 2025. California ranks 50th for the sixth year in a row with the largest net loss of one-way movers.
Florida boasts 12 of the top 25 city propers for growth as Ocala tops that list for the third time since 2022. Four Texas cities are recognized.
U-Haul is the authority on migration trends thanks to its expansive network that blankets all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. The geographical coverage from more than 24,000 rental locations provides a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.
Celebrating 80 years of moving families to a better life, U-Haul is a veteran-founded and family-run organization that benefits the environment through its shared-use business model. When communities share U-Haul rentals to meet their moving needs, personal ownership of large-capacity vehicles to transfer belongings becomes unnecessary. Sustainability initiatives such as Adaptive Reuse (the repurposing of existing buildings for stores), truck modifications to improve fuel economy, and plastic Ready-To-Go Boxes® that are shared hundreds of times before being recycled are among the ways U-Haul promotes green business. U-Box Load Share, the latest U-Haul sustainability program, has earned multiple awards for its ecofriendly solution in today’s gig economy.
Image by U-Haul
U-Haul Growth Metros
| 1. | DALLAS, TX (1) |
| 2. | HOUSTON, TX (9) |
| 3. | AUSTIN, TX (5) |
| 4. | CHARLOTTE, NC (2) |
| 5. | PHOENIX, AZ (3) |
| 6. | NASHVILLE, TN (6) |
| 7. | CHARLESTON, SC (13) |
| 8. | RALEIGH, NC (7) |
| 9. | ATLANTA, GA |
| 10. | BROWNSVILLE & MCALLEN, TX (21) |
| 11. | LAKELAND, FL (4) |
| 12. | BOISE, ID (17) |
| 13. | PALM BAY, FL (8) |
| 14. | MINNEAPOLIS, MN |
| 15. | SPOKANE, WA (24) |
| 16. | SAN DIEGO, CA |
| 17. | SAN FRANCISCO, CA |
| 18. | JACKSONVILLE, FL (11) |
| 19. | PORT ST. LUCIE, FL |
| 20. | DENVER, CO |
| 21. | SAN ANTONIO, TX |
| 22. | BEND, OR (19) |
| 23. | COLLEGE STATION, TX |
| 24. | MIAMI, FL |
| 25. | PHILADELPHIA, PA |
* 2024 rankings in parentheses
U-Haul Growth Cities
| 1. | OCALA, FL (1) |
| 2. | NORTH PORT, FL |
| 3. | MYRTLE BEACH, SC (5) |
| 4. | KISSIMMEE, FL (3) |
| 5. | CLERMONT, FL (15) |
| 6. | MCKINNEY, TX |
| 7. | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL |
| 8. | ST. AUGUSTINE, FL |
| 9. | DAYTONA BEACH, FL |
| 10. | PANAMA CITY, FL (21) |
| 11. | MERIDIAN, ID |
| 12. | NORTH FORT MYERS, FL |
| 13. | FREDERICKSBURG, VA (2) |
| 14. | SEGUIN, TX |
| 15. | NEW BRAUNFELS, TX |
| 16. | LEESBURG, FL |
| 17. | AUBURN, AL (12) |
| 18. | SARASOTA, FL |
| 19. | ST. CLOUD, FL |
| 20. | CONROE, TX |
| 21. | SPARKS, NV |
| 22. | GARNER, NC |
| 23. | NAMPA, ID |
| 24. | COOKEVILLE, TN (13) |
| 25. | LACEY, WA |
* 2024 rankings in parentheses
About U-HAUL
Founded in 1945, U-Haul is the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers with more than 24,000 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 203,000 trucks, 137,400 trailers and 41,700 towing devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America and offers 1,111,000 rentable storage units and 96.5 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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