California Ranks Last in U-Haul Move-ins for 5th Straight Year

California ranked last in the nation for net U-Haul move-ins for the fifth consecutive year in 2024, a sign of continued domestic out-migration in contrast with the booming southern U.S.

South Carolina topped the ranking for the first time, followed by Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. Arizona, the highest-ranked western state, came in sixth.

In terms of population growth, the District of Columbia led the nation, at 2.2%, followed by Florida, at 2%.

California is losing its middle class, but continues to attract tech workers and Hollywood hopefuls — at least at the outset of their careers.

But for small business owners, or middle-class homeowners, life has become nearly impossible in the state. Even home insurance has become almost impossible to buy, thanks to onerous regulations — a problem that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is belatedly attempting to address by allowing insurance companies to charge customers more for the cost of reinsurance (i.e. the insurance policies that insurance companies must themselves buy).