PHOENIX, Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19
pandemic has coincided with more do-it-yourself movers leaving
densely populated U.S. areas, specifically New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, according to a U-Haul®
special report analyzing migration trends from 2020.
The SF Bay Area and New York City
were among the most prevalent out-migration U.S. markets in 2020,
according to U-Haul.
U-Haul transaction data also reveals Americans are moving
again in growing numbers, and have been since May.
In addition to its annual growth states and growth cities
rankings and reports, U-Haul considered the potential influence the
virus had on self-movers, and looked at regions where overwhelming
demand for one-way U-Haul trucks mirrored consistent
out-migration.
"While some people were hesitant to move during shelter-in-place
mandates, those who moved were doing so out of necessity," U-Haul
President John "J.T." Taylor said. "We have been open and available
to help all along as an essential service provider. As 2020 went
along, we saw that more and more individuals and families
recognized they can move safely."
From the time that President Trump declared the pandemic a
National Emergency in March, the 30 most populated U.S. cities
(based on 2019 Census estimates) all witnessed more U-Haul trucks
departing than arriving over the next three months. This indicated
customers who were able to move, on the whole, were looking to
escape urban cores for less-crowded destinations.
The Bay Area and New York City were among the most prevalent
out-migration markets in U.S. during this three-month period – and
throughout 2020.
San Francisco was a slight
growth city in 2019, with more U-Haul trucks entering the city than
leaving it. But in 2020, San
Francisco was the epicenter of the Bay Area's exodus. Departures accounted for
58% of all one-way U-Haul traffic from March through June. Limited
fleet inventory prevented the numbers from being more lopsided in
favor of departures. The ratios in San
Jose and Oakland were
similar.
For the entire Bay Area,
arrivals from March-December 2020
dropped 31% year-over-year, while departures tapered by just 12%
from their 2019 pace to create the disparity of more trucks going
out than coming in.
Like San Francisco,
New York City welcomed more
self-movers than it bid farewell in 2019. That migration trend
reversed in 2020. Severe stagnation occurred during the shutdown.
From March to June, arrivals to the five boroughs plummeted 58%
year-over-year, while departures were curbed only by limited fleet
inventory as trucks left the city.
From March-December 2020, U-Haul
arrivals to New York City were
down 35% year-over-year.
LEAVING NEW YORK
CITY
Top destination cities for U-Haul customers leaving New York City during the pandemic include
Bridgeport, Poughkeepsie and New
Haven. Outside the Northeast, the top destination is
Chicago in the Midwest and
Atlanta in the South.
The top 10 states DIY movers from New
York City are migrating to are: New York (outside NYC); New
Jersey; Pennsylvania;
Connecticut; Massachusetts; Virginia; Maryland; Florida; Rhode
Island; and North
Carolina.
LEAVING THE BAY AREA
Top destination cities for U-Haul customers leaving the
Bay Area during the pandemic
include the Sacramento/Roseville
corridor, San Diego and
Stockton. Outside of California, the top destinations are
Reno, Las Vegas, Portland, Phoenix and Seattle.
The top 10 states DIY movers from the Bay Area customers are migrating to are:
California (outside the
Bay Area); Nevada; Arizona; Oregon; Washington; Colorado; Texas; Utah;
Idaho; and New Mexico.
PEOPLE ARE MOVING AGAIN
Self-moves sputtered in April when shutdowns across the country
generated uncertainty. But starting in May, one-way U-Haul truck
rentals began to rise with each passing month. May is traditionally
the start of the summer moving season, with nearly half of all
household moves occurring between Memorial Day and Labor Day
weekends.
2020 REBOUND: SELF-MOVES SURGE AFTER U.S. SHUTDOWN
MONTH
|
One-Way U-Haul
Truck Rentals in 2020
Compared to the Previous Month
|
March
|
+5%
|
April
|
-21%
|
May
|
+72%
|
June
|
+13%
|
July
|
+15%
|
August
|
+1%
|
Taylor noted that contactless business options like U-Haul
Truck Share 24/7® with built-in social distancing protocols,
and enhanced equipment sanitation, reassure customers about using
U-Haul. There is also the added appeal to a self-move during the
pandemic, minimizing exposure from others during the process of
relocating one's family and belongings.
SIGNIFICANT SAMPLE SIZE
Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2 million
one-way U-Haul truck-sharing transactions that occur annually.
U-Haul is the authority on migration trends thanks to its expansive
network that blankets all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces,
offering a comprehensive overview of where people are moving like
no one else in the industry.
U-Haul, headquartered in Phoenix and celebrating 75 years in business,
releases its growth cities and growth states rankings and reports
each January to recap the past year. Find those releases and more
at myuhaulstory.com.
About U-Haul
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of
do-it-yourself movers, with a network of 22,000 locations across
all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7
offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day
through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our
proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has
enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 176,000 trucks,
127,000 trailers and 41,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly
774,000 rentable storage units and 66.7 million square feet of
self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout
North America. U-Haul is the
largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive
aftermarket industry, and is the largest retailer of propane in the
U.S.
Contact:
Jeff Lockridge
Sebastien Reyes
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2020-migration-trends-people-are-moving-again-exiting-new-york-city-and-the-sf-bay-area-301200369.html
SOURCE U-Haul