Inbound moves continue to outpace departures across Alabama, and Huntsville is drawing a large share of those newcomers.
The state ranked No. 9 on the 2025 U-Haul Growth Index, jumping seven spots from last year and marking the fourth straight year Alabama has posted a net gain of one-way U-Haul moves. The annual index analyzes millions of one-way truck, trailer and U-Box transactions to track where Americans are moving.
More than half of all one-way U-Haul traffic involving Alabama in 2025 was inbound, with arrivals accounting for 50.3 percent of total moves. Moves into the state increased by 1 percent over the previous year, while departures remained flat.
“Huntsville is the obvious cause for the continuous growth in the state,” said Doug Weston, U-Haul area district vice president for much of Alabama and Georgia. Weston pointed to the presence of U.S. Space Command, NASA and SpaceX as major drivers drawing both young professionals and seasoned workers to the region.
Weston also noted a steady stream of newcomers relocating from West Coast states such as California, Oregon and Washington, citing affordability as a key factor. He said many are able to purchase significantly larger homes and land in Alabama for the same price as smaller properties out west.
Huntsville is not alone in fueling the state’s momentum. Other notable growth markets include Athens, Decatur, Cullman, Auburn, Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Hoover and Spanish Fort, among others.
Nationally, Texas claimed the top spot on the 2025 U-Haul Growth Index, followed by Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina. California ranked last for the sixth consecutive year, posting the largest net loss of one-way U-Haul customers.
While U-Haul cautions the rankings do not directly measure population or economic growth, the index is widely viewed as a reliable snapshot of migration trends, drawn from more than 2.5 million one-way moves across the U.S. and Canada each year.
For Alabama, and especially North Alabama, the takeaway is clear: the moving trucks keep coming, and many of them are not planning a return trip.
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