See which states people are packing up and moving to
See which states people are packing up and moving to
Gabe Hauari, USA TODAYFri, August 7, 2026 at 1:05 PM UTC
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Older generations are moving south while Gen Z is gravitating toward densely populated areas with access to colleges, entry-level jobs and apartments, according to U-Haul's latest migration trends report.
The report, released on July 29, analyzes 52 weeks of customer moves from July 2025 through June 2026, according to U-Haul. The company says the data it collected 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," so it has organized the data based on generation.
The report states that based on each state’s net gain or loss of one-way U-Haul equipment in the 52-week timeframe, Baby Boomers are flocking to the Southeast, which makes sense considering the region is a hotspot for retirees and winter homes.
The Carolinas, in particular, seem to be a popular choice among Baby Boomers, as South Carolina is No. 1 and North Carolina is No. 2 in the top five net-gain states with the generation. Florida, Arizona and Alabama round out the top five.
Gen X and Millennial movers are moving to Florida and Texas, but after those two states there is a generational split in destination preference – Gen X tends to migrate toward the Southeast and Mountain West, while Millennials are choosing California and several Midwest states, according to U-Haul's data.
Florida and Texas were the top two net-gain states for Gen X, followed by South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama, while Millennials chose California, Ohio and Idaho as their preferred destinations.
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Gen Z, on the other hand, has been flocking the major cities, with New York City, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles being the top five net-gain cities for the generation. Other major cities, such as Austin, Charlotte, Denver and Seattle, also appear on the top 10.
According to U-Haul's report, Florida is the only state with a top-10 net gain among all four generations. Texas ranks highly among three of the four generations – the lone exception being Baby Boomers – and Idaho is represented on the top 10 for three generations as well, with Gen Z being the exception.
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Top 10 states people are moving to based on generation
Here's a look at the top 10 states each generation is moving to, according to U-Haul's data:
Baby Boomers -
South Carolina
North Carolina
Florida
Arizona
Alabama
Tennessee
Arkansas
Idaho
Oklahoma
Georgia
Gen X -
Florida
Texas
South Carolina
Tennessee
Alabama
Utah
Idaho
North Carolina
Arizona
Arkansas
Millennials -
Florida
Texas
California
Ohio
Idaho
Indiana
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Washington
Virginia
Gen Z -
Texas
California
New York
Illinois
Colorado
Washington
New Jersey
Florida
Pennsylvania
Nevada
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: See which states people are packing up and moving to
Source: “AOL Money”
