Moving out: More people leaving Ohio than coming in

“More do-it-yourself movers were leaving Ohio than arriving,” said Jeff Lockridge, manager of media and public relations for U-Haul International. “Only seven states had a greater number of U-Haul customers leave their states last year when comparing arrivals versus departures.”

U-Haul study

U-Haul says that Ohio last year ranked 43rd among U.S. states for the net gain or loss of customers who rented a one-way truck, trailer or storage container from the company.

U-Haul has more than 200,000 trucks, 137,000 trailers and 41,000 towing devices that customers can rent from the company’s 24,000 rental locations across the nation.

The data indicate that more U-Haul customers moved out of Ohio than into the state last year. In the company’s 2024 Growth Index, Ohio was a “net gain state” that ranked 14th for in-migration.

Last year, 25 states showed a net gain of one-way movers, while 24 showed a net loss, and one broke even (Wisconsin), said Lockridge.

Some movers seek more sunshine and warmer weather, and eight of the top 10 states on U-Haul’s Growth Index are in the Sunbelt, including Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina.

States with the most out-migration included California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. Eight of the 10 states at the bottom of the rankings are in the northeast. And some of the bottom 10 are considered high-cost states (like California and Massachusetts), while others are in the Rust Belt, like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

U-Haul says its rankings may not directly correlate to population or economic growth. The moving company says its rankings provide insight into how well states are doing at attracting and keeping residents.

A new separate study by United Van Lines found that Ohio once again had more outbound than inbound shipments. The business provides services for interstate moves including packing, loading, transporting, unloading and storage.

Ohio was one of 17 states that had more outbound than inbound shipments, and Ohio ranked 35th out of 48 states in United Van Lines’ annual national movers study.

However, a company spokesperson says Ohio has gone from being much more of an outbound state to a more balanced state. In past years, there were significantly more outbound than inbound shipments.

United Van Lines says surveys suggest that the biggest drivers of migration patterns include the job market and work opportunities and the desire to be closer to family.

Rosemary Wolfe, 28, recently moved from Alabama to Germantown with her husband and two kids because of his job.

This was a big change, since they left behind friends and family. But Wolfe she said moved into a beautiful old home in what feels like a tight-knit community that has lots of historic charm.

“Everyone here has been very kind and especially welcoming to us, which has been another indication of great community even in the short time we’ve been here,” she said.

United Van Lines said people sometimes choose where to live based on factors like affordability, housing costs, lifestyle offerings and retirement considerations.