(The Center Square) – South Dakota moved ahead of 12 states to climb to 19th place in U-Haul’s Top Growth States report for 2023.
U-Haul analyzes its records of one-way equipment rentals in a calendar year to determine which states are growing or shrinking based on each state’s gain or loss of one-way equipment. This year, more than 2.5 million customer transactions for one-way U-Haul equipment rentals were reviewed to rank the states.
“While one-way transactions in 2023 remained below the record-breaking levels we witnessed immediately following the pandemic, we continued to see many of the same geographical trends from U-Haul customers moving between states,” said John “J.T.” Taylor, U-Haul International president.
Texas and Florida remain first and second for the third straight year, with North Carolina and South Carolina swapping positions for 3rd and 4th, respectively. California remains at the bottom of the rankings for the fourth year, losing more residents than any other state.
“Migration to states in the Southeast and Southwest is still very pronounced. Demand for one-way equipment out of certain markets in the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast mirrors what we have seen during recent moving cycles,” Taylor said.
South Dakota is among “the biggest climbers year-over-year in the U-Haul growth rankings.”
Gov. Kristi Noem launched the “Freedom Works Here” campaign in June 2023 to attract more workers to the state. So far, more than 8,000 people are showing interest in relocating to the state, according to the governor’s office.
Since the campaign’s launch, more than 2,000 applicants are in the final stages of the relocation process, with jobs lined up for some, according to Noem.