The Sooner State in 2024 rose 30 spots from its 2023 ranking, according to U-Haul® Growth Index data analyzing one-way customer transactions during the past year. It was the most gained by any state. Prior to 2024, the last time Oklahoma was a net-gain state (with more arrivals than departures) was 2020.
In a release today, the data shows U-Haul customers coming to Oklahoma accounted for 50.4% of all one-way traffic in and out of the state (49.6% departures) last year. Looking at year-over-year changes, U-Haul arrivals into Oklahoma rose 2% while departures fell 2% in 2024.
U-Haul ranks growth states according to each state’s net gain (or loss) of one-way equipment from customer transactions in a calendar year. The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled from more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul truck, trailer and U-Box® portable moving container transactions that occur annually across the U.S. and Canada.
“Oklahoma offers a high quality of life and a low cost of living when compared to other states. The housing costs are also pretty stable and economical,” said Brett Hogan, U-Haul Area District Vice President.
“We see growth around our two biggest markets: Oklahoma City and Tulsa. In the OKC area, there are cities like Edmond and Norman, which are known as bedroom communities and university towns, but you still see growth occurring there. Near Tulsa, you have Bixby, Broken Arrow and Owasso, all of which have seen new residents coming in.”
Oklahoma’s notable leading growth cities include (in alphabetical order): Ada, Bartlesville, Claremore, Collinsville, Edmond, El Reno, Enid, Eufaula, Guthrie, Mustang, Newcastle, Owasso, Shawnee, Stillwater and Yukon.
California ranks 50th for the fifth year in a row with the largest net loss of one-way U-Haul customers. In addition to Oklahoma, Indiana (+19) and Maine (+18) are the biggest risers YOY, while Colorado (-31), Nevada (-24), Wyoming (-22) and New Mexico (-21) saw the biggest slides.
2024 U-Haul Growth States
| 1. | SOUTH CAROLINA (4) |
| 2. | TEXAS (1) |
| 3. | NORTH CAROLINA (3) |
| 4. | FLORIDA (2) |
| 5. | TENNESSEE (5) |
| 6. | ARIZONA (8) |
| 7. | WASHINGTON (7) |
| 8. | INDIANA (27) |
| 9. | UTAH (13) |
| 10. | IDAHO (6) |
| 11. | OKLAHOMA (41) |
| 12. | ARKANSAS (17) |
| 13. | MAINE (31) |
| 14. | OHIO (23) |
| 15. | GEORGIA (18) |
| 16. | ALABAMA (22) |
| 17. | VIRGINIA (10) |
| 18. | MINNESOTA (20) |
| 19. | SOUTH DAKOTA (19) |
| 20. | VERMONT (12) |
| 21. | DELAWARE (15) |
| 22. | WISCONSIN (26) |
| 23. | IOWA (24) |
| 24. | MONTANA (21) |
| 25. | KENTUCKY (29) |
| 26. | HAWAII (25) |
| 27. | ALASKA (34) |
| 28. | MISSOURI (28) |
| 29. | NEBRASKA (35) |
| 30. | WEST VIRGINIA (30) |
| 31. | NORTH DAKOTA (32) |
| 32. | KANSAS (33) |
| 33. | NEW HAMPSHIRE (40) |
| 34. | OREGON (37) |
| 35. | NEVADA (11) |
| 36. | WYOMING (14) |
| 37. | NEW MEXICO (16) |
| 38. | RHODE ISLAND (36) |
| 39. | MISSISSIPPI (39) |
| 40. | COLORADO (9) |
| 41. | CONNECTICUT (42) |
| 42. | MARYLAND (44) |
| 43. | MICHIGAN (46) |
| 44. | LOUISIANA (45) |
| 45. | ILLINOIS (48) |
| 46. | PENNSYLVANIA (38) |
| 47. | NEW YORK (43) |
| 48. | NEW JERSEY (47) |
| 49. | MASSACHUSETTS (49) |
| 50. | CALIFORNIA (50) |
2023 growth rankings in parentheses
Find past growth rankings and reports at uhaul.com/about/migration.
While U-Haul rankings may 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.
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-plus U-Haul rental locations provides a broad overview of where people are moving like no one else in the industry.
U-Haul continues to benefit the environment through its shared-use business model. Truck and trailer sharing empowers communities to share moving equipment so that families and individuals don’t need to own large-capacity vehicles to transfer belongings. Sustainability initiatives like U-Haul Adaptive Reuse (the preserving and repurposing of existing buildings for new 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 Company’s latest sustainability program, continues to earn awards for providing ecofriendly solutions to today’s gig economy.
Founded in 1945, U-Haul is the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers with more than 23,000 rental locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. Customers’ patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to 192,000 trucks, 138,700 trailers and 39,500 towing devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America with 1,024,000 rentable units and 88.5 million square feet of self-storage space at Company-owned and -managed facilities. U-Haul is also the top retailer of propane in the U.S. and the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. Readers can get the U-Haul app from the App Store or Google Play.