Southern destinations are a top pick for older generations moving so far in 2026, while younger generations have a mixed list of destinations, according to U-Haul’s 2026 Midyear Report.
Examining 52 weeks of customer moves including the first six months of 2026, U-Haul data shows that the renter’s generation, or stage of life, plays a major role in where they are going.
By generation groups and based on each state’s net gain or loss of one-way U-Haul equipment from July 2025 through June 2026, the report finds that:
- Baby Boomers are headed to the Carolinas. Six of the top seven net-gain states for Boomers are in the Southeast and the other is Arizona.
- Generation X and millennials are going to Florida and Texas more than anywhere else. However, each group’s preferences differ after that. Gen X keeps to the Southeast and Mountain West. Millennials are spreading to California and several Midwest states.
- Generation Z is gravitating to densely populated markets with colleges, entry-level jobs, and apartment access. Texas and California top their list with New York, Illinois, and Colorado following.
| Boomers | Gen X | Millennials | Gen Z |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Net Gain States | Top Net Gain States | Top Net Gain States | Top Net Gain States |
| South Carolina North Carolina Florida Arizona Alabama Tennessee Arkansas Idaho Oklahoma Georgia | Florida Texas South Carolina Tennessee Alabama Utah Idaho North Carolina Arizona Arkansas | Florida Texas California Ohio Idaho Indiana Minnesota Wisconsin Washington Virginia | Texas California New York Illinois Colorado Washington New Jersey Florida Pennsylvania Nevada |
| Top Net-Gain Metros | Top Net-Gain Metros | Top Net-Gain Metros | Top Net-Gain Metros |
| Gainesville-Ocala, Florida Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Phoenix, Arizona Charleston, South Carolina Lake Havasu City-Kingman, Arizona Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, Alabama Spokane, Washington Tucson, Arizona Daytona Beach, Florida Wilmington, North Carolina | Fort Myers, Florida Charleston, South Carolina North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida Nashville, Tennessee Salt Lake City, Utah Wilmington, North Carolina Tampa, Florida San Diego, California Gainesville-Ocala, Florida | Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas Houston, Texas Orlando, Florida San Francisco Bay Area, California North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL Boise, Idaho Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida Brownsville-McAllen, Texas Huntsville, Alabama | New York City, New York Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas Chicago, Illinois San Francisco Bay Area, California Los Angeles, California Austin, Texas Charlotte, North Carolina Denver, Colorado Seattle, Washington Houston, Texas |
Florida is the only state with a top 10 net gain among all four generations, while Texas ranks highly for everyone but Boomers. Idaho is on three lists.
Millennials account for the most one-way U-Haul transactions, followed closely by Gen X. Those generations total more than 60% of rentals, U-Haul says.
