(Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).
Texas remains one of the nation’s top destinations for movers, particularly younger Americans, according to U-Haul’s 2026 Midyear Migration Report, which ranked Texas among the top net-gain states for Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z.
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Florida is the only state with a top-10 net gain among all four generations, as Texas ranks high for everyone except for Boomers.
Generational trends shape relocation
What we know:
The report was released at the end of July and analyzed 52 weeks of one-way U-Haul customer moves from July 2025 through June 2026. The results found that moving patterns differ significantly by generation.
Texas remains a leading destination for working-age adults and younger movers, but for Baby Boomers, they continue to move toward the Southeast. Texas still ranked second among net-gain states for both Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1980) and Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996).
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Why Gen Z Is choosing Texas
Generation Z was ranked No. 1 for Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012).
The report suggests Gen Z is drawn to densely populated areas offering colleges, entry-level jobs and apartment housing, with Texas leading the country as the top destination for that age group. U-Haul also noted that California and New York, two states that have experienced significant outmigration in recent years, have seen an increase in Gen Z arrivals.
Texas metros for Millennial and Gen Z movers
Dig deeper:
Several Texas metropolitan areas also ranked highly among movers.
- Dallas-Fort Worth was the nation’s top net-gain metro area for Millennials and ranked second for Generation Z.
- Houston ranked second for Millennials and 10th for Generation Z.
- Austin placed sixth among Generation Z destinations.
- Brownsville-McAllen ranked ninth among Millennial metro destinations.
U-Haul said Millennials account for the largest share of one-way rentals, followed closely by Generation X. Together, the two generations make up more than 60% of the company’s one-way moving transactions.
What’s next:
The report is based on millions of one-way U-Haul truck, trailer and U-Box container rentals completed over the past year and measures the net gain or loss of moving equipment in each state and metropolitan area.
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