Where is everyone moving? 6 Texas metros rank among top 25

Texas effectively swept the podium for metropolitan growth in 2025, with the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area leading the nation as the primary destination for one-way U-Haul movers for the second consecutive year.

The 2025 U-Haul Growth Index, released Tuesday, reveals a "Texas stronghold" in the top tiers of migration. The Lone Star State claimed the top three spots for metropolitan growth and placed six metros in the top 25 overall.

Texas sweeps podium for metro growth in 2025

Big picture view:

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area repeated its 2024 performance, netting the highest gain of one-way customers in the country. It was followed closely by Houston (No. 2) and Austin (No. 3), completing a Texas sweep of the top three positions.

Other Texas metros making the top 25 include:

• Brownsville & McAllen (No. 10)
• San Antonio (No. 21)
• College Station (No. 23)

While the Florida city of Ocala took the No. 1 spot for "city proper" growth, several Texas municipalities made significant gains. 

McKinney ranked as the No. 6 growth city in the nation, while Seguin (No. 14) made its debut on the U-Haul Growth Index. Other notable Texas city rankings include New Braunfels (No. 15) and Conroe (No. 20).

Other top destinations

Dig deeper:

Beyond the Texas border, the Southeast remained a high-traffic region. 

Florida continues to lead the "city proper" category, holding 12 of the top 25 growth cities. 

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (No. 3 city) and Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 4 metro) also saw high volumes of incoming DIY movers.

Notably, the 2025 data showed a resurgence for major cities like San Francisco, Denver, and Philadelphia. These markets, which experienced net losses in 2024, reversed the trend this year to post strong net gains.

U-Haul growth metros

1. Dallas, Texas (ranked No. 1 in 2024)
2. Houston, Texas (ranked No. 9 in 2024)
3. Austin, Texas (ranked No. 5 in 2024)
4. Charlotte, North Carolina (ranked No. 2 in 2024)
5. Phoenix, Arizona (ranked No. 3 in 2024)
6. Nashville, Tennessee (ranked No. 6 in 2024)
7. Charleston, South Carolina (ranked No. 13 in 2024)
8. Raleigh, North Carolina (ranked No. 7 in 2024)
9. Atlanta, Georgia
10. Brownsville and McAllen, Texas (ranked No. 21 in 2024)
11. Lakeland, Florida (ranked No. 4 in 2024)
12. Boise, Idaho (ranked No. 17 in 2024)
13. Palm Bay, Florida (ranked No. 8 in 2024)
14. Minneapolis, Minnesota
15. Spokane, Washington (ranked No. 24 in 2024)
16. San Diego, California
17. San Francisco, California
18. Jacksonville, Florida (ranked No. 11 in 2024)
19. Port St. Lucie, Florida
20. Denver, Colorado
21. San Antonio, Texas
22. Bend, Oregon (ranked No. 19 in 2024)
23. College Station, Texas
24. Miami, Florida
25. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

U-Haul growth cities

1. Ocala, Florida (ranked No. 1 in 2024)
2. North Port, Florida
3. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (ranked No. 5 in 2024)
4. Kissimmee, Florida (ranked No. 3 in 2024)
5. Clermont, Florida (ranked No. 15 in 2024)
6. McKinney, Texas
7. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
8. St. Augustine, Florida
9. Daytona Beach, Florida
10. Panama City, Florida (ranked No. 21 in 2024)
11. Meridian, Idaho
12. North Fort Myers, Florida
13. Fredericksburg, Virginia (ranked No. 2 in 2024)
14. Seguin, Texas
15. New Braunfels, Texas
16. Leesburg, Florida
17. Auburn, Alabama (ranked No. 12 in 2024)
18. Sarasota, Florida
19. St. Cloud, Florida
20. Conroe, Texas
21. Sparks, Nevada
22. Garner, North Carolina
23. Nampa, Idaho
24. Cookeville, Tennessee (ranked No. 13 in 2024)
25. Lacey, Washington

U-Haul data information

U-Haul gathers data from more than 2.5 million annual one-way transactions. The data measures the net gain of customers who drop off equipment in a specific location compared to those who pick it up. The network consists of more than 24,000 locations. The index is used to measure residential migration patterns across the U.S. and Canada.