PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 2, 2024) — South Carolina is the No. 4 growth state in the U.S., inching back one spot from its previous ranking, according to the U-Haul® Growth Index analyzing one-way customer moves during 2023. It is the fifth time in the last six years that South Carolina has registered as a top-four growth state.
One-way U-Haul customers arriving in South Carolina fell 5% from 2022, but departures fell 6% as overall moving traffic slowed.
Do-it-yourself movers arriving in the Palmetto State accounted for 51.4% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in and out of South Carolina (48.6% departures) to keep it a leading growth state.
South Carolina’s top growth markets are Charleston-North Charleston and Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach. Other notable net-gain cities include Little River, Beaufort, Greenville, Florence, Simpsonville, Murrells Inlet, Goose Creek, Aiken, Conway and Summerville.
“South Carolina has one of the fastest growing job markets in the nation,” said Kevin Anderson, U-Haul Company of South Carolina president. “Even as the national unemployment rate goes up and other states battle with economic uncertainty, South Carolina remains steady.”
“It’s also just a really wonderful state. As the nickname suggests, the Palmetto State is home to beautiful beaches and is a highly regarded vacation spot. People come here to relax, but also for the rich history. Once you fall in love with South Carolina and the Southern hospitality here, it’s hard to leave.”
The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled according to the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks, trailers and U-Box moving containers arriving in a city or state, versus departing from that city or state, in a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul customer transactions that occur annually across the U.S. and Canada.
Texas, Florida and North Carolina top the growth state rankings. Tennessee rounds out the top five. California ranks 50th for the fourth year in a row with the largest net loss of one-way U-Haul customers.
2023 U-Haul Growth States
| 1. | TEXAS (1) |
| 2. | FLORIDA (2) |
| 3. | NORTH CAROLINA (4) |
| 4. | SOUTH CAROLINA (3) |
| 5. | TENNESSEE (6) |
| 6. | IDAHO (10) |
| 7. | WASHINGTON (23) |
| 8. | ARIZONA (7) |
| 9. | COLORADO (11) |
| 10. | VIRGINIA (5) |
| 11. | NEVADA (13) |
| 12. | VERMONT (30) |
| 13. | UTAH (12) |
| 14. | WYOMING (33) |
| 15. | DELAWARE (27) |
| 16. | NEW MEXICO (19) |
| 17. | ARKANSAS (43) |
| 18. | GEORGIA (8) |
| 19. | SOUTH DAKOTA (31) |
| 20. | MINNESOTA (17) |
| 21. | MONTANA (18) |
| 22. | ALABAMA (20) |
| 23. | OHIO (9) |
| 24. | IOWA (21) |
| 25. | HAWAII (–) |
| 26. | WISCONSIN (16) |
| 27. | INDIANA (14) |
| 28. | MISSOURI (15) |
| 29. | KENTUCKY (26) |
| 30. | WEST VIRGINIA (25) |
| 31. | MAINE (29) |
| 32. | NORTH DAKOTA (37) |
| 33. | KANSAS (39) |
| 34. | ALASKA (41) |
| 35. | NEBRASKA (32) |
| 36. | RHODE ISLAND (40) |
| 37. | OREGON (22) |
| 38. | PENNSYLVANIA (24) |
| 39. | MISSISSIPPI (34) |
| 40. | NEW HAMPSHIRE (38) |
| 41. | OKLAHOMA (42) |
| 42. | CONNECTICUT (28) |
| 43. | NEW YORK (46) |
| 44. | MARYLAND (44) |
| 45. | LOUISIANA (35) |
| 46. | MICHIGAN (48) |
| 47. | NEW JERSEY (45) |
| 48. | ILLINOIS (49) |
| 49. | MASSACHUSETTS (47) |
| 50. | CALIFORNIA (50) |
2022 growth rankings in parentheses
While U-Haul migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents. Find the U-Haul location nearest you at uhaul.com/locations.
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 23,000 U-Haul truck- and trailer-sharing locations provides a broad overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry. That South Carolina is the No. 4 growth state in the U.S. proves the state is popular among residents.