Where Americans are moving by generation, according to U-Haul: Boomers pick the Carolinas, Gen Z picks Texas and California
Source: Fortune ·
Gen Z is still moving to California even as boomers head south, new U-Haul data shows
From the source
California’s population has shrunk since 2020, but a new U-Haul report suggests young Americans haven’t given up on the Golden State just yet. U-Haul’s 2026 Midyear Migration Trends National Report, released July 29, analyzes 52 weeks of customer moves from July 2025 through June 2026. Its rankings are based on each state’s and metro area’s net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks, trailers, and U-Box containers, which offers a rough picture of where Americans are relocating. The report breaks that data down by generation. It shows where baby boomers (born 1946–64), Gen X (born 1965–80), millennials (born 1981–96), and Gen Z (born 1997–2012) are heading. Boomers and Gen Xers favor warm, lower-cost destinations in the Southeast. Younger Americans, meanwhile, are still gravitating toward the country’s most populous states and cities. California ranked No. 3 among U-Haul net-gain states for millennials and No. 2 for Gen Z. The San Francisco Bay Area was the No. 4 net-gain metro for both…