Tennessee ranked fourth in the nation for growth based on the number of one-way entries to the state in 2025, according to the moving company U-Haul.
The Volunteer State’s fourth-place ranking is based on the yearly U-Haul Growth Index, which analyzes each state’s net gain, or loss, of customers that utilized one-way U-Haul equipment throughout the calendar year.
The U-Haul Growth States of 2025 are here!
Texas remains the leading U-Haul growth state in 2025, earning the top spot for the seventh time in the past 10 years.
Behind Texas, Florida ranks second, followed by North Carolina in third, Tennessee in fourth, and South Carolina… pic.twitter.com/U9gkxkVHpj
— uhaul (@uhaul) January 5, 2026
U-Haul said its newest report is based on over 2.5 million annual one-way transactions across the U.S. and Canada.
Texas took the number one spot as the leading state for growth in 2025, marking the seventh time in 10 years that the Lone Star State has been the top state on the Growth Index.
In addition to Texas and Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina were among the top five states for in-migration last year, while Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Alabama, and Georgia rounded out the top 10 growth states.
The state ranked last in the 2025 Growth Index was California, which experienced the largest net loss of movers for the sixth consecutive year, according to the Growth Index.
U-Haul noted that “blue-to-red state migration… continues to be a discernible trend.”
“Seven of the top 10 growth states currently feature Republican governors, and nine of those states went red in the last presidential election. Conversely, nine of the bottom 10 growth states feature Democrat governors, and seven of those states went blue in the last presidential election,” the moving company said.
U-Haul International President John “J.T.” Taylor said the company has found that “life circumstances — marriage, children, a death in the family, college, jobs and other events — dictate the need for most moves.”
Tennessee has ranked among the top 10 states for growth for six straight years, according to past Growth Index reports.
In 2020, the Volunteer State took the top honors in the Growth Index. In 2021, the state dropped two rankings to place third for growth.
By 2022, Tennessee dropped again in the rankings to sixth place; however, it moved up one spot in 2023 and held firm in 2024, placing fifth in the Growth Index.
The U-Haul U.S. Growth Metros and Cities of 2025 are here!
Ocala, Florida, is once again the top U-Haul growth city. North Port, Florida, ranks second. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, follows in third, with Kissimmee and Clermont, Florida, rounding out the top five.
The… pic.twitter.com/2aejvjHII1
— uhaul (@uhaul) January 6, 2026
In Tennessee, the Nashville metropolitan area ranked sixth among the top U.S. growth metros in 2025, putting Music City among the nation’s fastest-growing destinations.
Tennessee also earned recognition in the city proper rankings, with Cookeville placing 25th on the list of top U.S. growth cities.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
