Arizona ranks No. 6 in growth, according to U-Haul report

By Mignon A. Gould

Arizona ranks as the No. 6 growth state of 2024, following South Carolina, Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. 

That's according to U-Haul's annual Growth Index, where Arizona has landed among the top 10 for the fifth consecutive year. It rose two spots this year, up from No. 8 in 2023.

Arizona remains one of the fastest-growing states in the country, according to recent U.S. Census figures. The state has nearly 7.6 million residents, up almost 6% since 2020 and 1.5% year-over-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, according to the company. U-Haul's data analyzed one-way customer transactions during the past year and ranked growth states according to net gain or loss. 

U-Haul Company of Metro Phoenix President Whitney Beall is not surprised that Arizona is a popular residential destination. 

“We have it all here with good weather and sunshine in the Valley, mountains and hiking up north, and lakes throughout the state,” he said in a statement.

The allure of the Grand Canyon State goes beyond aesthetics and natural amenities. Beall said that people are also drawn to job opportunities derived from the building of warehouses, manufacturing and technology plants in the state.

“U-Haul is also expanding here to keep up with the growth, giving Arizona customers more self-storage options and truck-sharing locations,” Beall added in a statement. “I think our acquisition of the new U-Haul Tower [at 20 E. Thomas in Phoenix] will also entice top professionals to relocate to the area.” 

Based on year-over-year changes, U-Haul arrivals into Arizona rose nearly 1% while departures fell 1% in 2024.

This influx of new residents has been a boon for Valley real estate. Metro Phoenix made the National Association of Realtors’ list of Top 10 Housing Hot Spots for 2025.

Stagnant growth states such as California, which ranked No. 50, have helped in Arizona's growth.

Arizona gained an average 173 Californians per day for a decade, with more than 630,000 people moving from the Golden State to Arizona in the past 10 years. It is the second most popular U.S. destination for outgoing Californians after Texas, according to a new migration trends report from StorageCafe.

Pennsylvania (No. 46), New York (No. 47), New Jersey (No. 48) and Massachusetts (No. 49) round out the bottom five growth states.