Houston attracted more newcomers than nearly all other U.S. metros in 2025, according to a new migration report from U-Haul.
The Houston metro ranked No. 2 nationally in U-Haul's annual list of the top destinations for people on the move in 2025.
U-Haul's annual Top U.S. Growth Metros and Cities report is based on how many one-way transactions were made by do-it-yourself movers using a U-Haul truck, trailer, or U-Box moving container across the U.S. and Canada. According to the study's methodology, more than 2.5 million one-way moves took place in North America in 2025.
Houston ranked just one spot behind No.1-winner Dallas-Fort Worth, and the metro last ranked No. 9 in the 2024 migration report.
Additionally, Texas reclaimed the No. 1 spot as U-Haul's Top Growth State in 2025, which was held by South Carolina in 2024.
"U-Haul customers arriving in Texas accounted for 50.7 percent of all one-way traffic in and out of the state last year (49.3 percent leaving)," the report said. "Compared to 2024, customers coming to Texas rose 3 percent [year-over-year] while departures rose just 1 percent [year-over-year]."
Austin appeared behind Dallas and Houston to round out the top three U.S. growth metros for 2025. In 2024, Austin ranked as the No. 5 most-moved-to destination nationwide.
The far-flung Houston suburb Conroe ranked No. 20 in U-Haul's separate list of the top growth cities for 2025, after previously ranking 16th nationally in 2023.
"We continue to find that life circumstances — marriage, children, a death in the family, college, jobs and other events — dictate the need for most moves," said U-Haul International president John "J.T." Taylor. "But other factors can be important to people who are looking to change their surroundings. In-migration states are often appealing to those customers."
The top 10 growth metros in 2025 are:
- No. 1 – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
- No. 2 – Houston, Texas
- No. 3 – Austin, Texas
- No. 4 – Charlotte, North Carolina
- No. 5 – Phoenix, Arizona
- No. 6 – Nashville, Tennessee
- No. 7 – Charleston, South Carolina
- No. 8 – Raleigh, North Carolina
- No. 9 – Atlanta, Georgia
- No. 10 – Brownsville & McAllen, Texas
