See Which States People Are Packing Up and Moving To

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. U-Haul says 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.

Where Older Generations Are Moving

Based on each state’s net gain or loss of one-way U-Haul equipment, Baby Boomers are flocking to the Southeast, which is a popular region for retirees and winter homes.

The Carolinas, in particular, seem to be popular among Baby Boomers. South Carolina is No. 1 and North Carolina is No. 2 among the generation’s top five net-gain states. Florida, Arizona and Alabama round out the top five.

Gen X and Millennial movers are choosing Florida and Texas, but their preferences split after those two states. Gen X tends to migrate toward the Southeast and Mountain West, while Millennials are choosing California and several Midwest states.

Florida and Texas were the top two net-gain states for Gen X, followed by South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama. Millennials chose California, Ohio and Idaho as their preferred destinations.

Top Destinations by Generation

Gen Z, on the other hand, has been flocking to major cities. New York City, Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles were the top five net-gain cities for the generation. Other major cities, including Austin, Charlotte, Denver and Seattle, also appeared in the top 10.

Florida was the only state with a top-10 net gain among all four generations. Texas ranked highly among three of the four generations — the lone exception being Baby Boomers — and Idaho appeared in the top 10 for three generations, with Gen Z being the exception.

Here’s a look at the top 10 states each generation is moving to, according to U-Haul’s data:

Baby Boomers

1. South Carolina
2. North Carolina
3. Florida
4. Arizona
5. Alabama
6. Tennessee
7. Arkansas
8. Idaho
9. Oklahoma
10. Georgia

Gen X

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. South Carolina
4. Tennessee
5. Alabama
6. Utah
7. Idaho
8. North Carolina
9. Arizona
10. Arkansas

Millennials

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. California
4. Ohio
5. Idaho
6. Indiana
7. Minnesota
8. Wisconsin
9. Washington
10. Virginia

Gen Z

1. Texas
2. California
3. New York
4. Illinois
5. Colorado
6. Washington
7. New Jersey
8. Florida
9. Pennsylvania
10. Nevada

Reporting by Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.