Texas, Californians Are Now Moving To A Different Southern State

For years, Texas saw an influx of ex-Californians relocating to the Lone Star State in droves. It got a lot of media attention.

And while we had some valid complaints about the migration (like rising rents and home prices) some Texans acted less than neighborly. Remember "Don't California My Texas"?

It was a silly message to display to what was largely a group of very conservative people moving here to escape what they saw as too liberal, or not business-friendly enough, California.

Not only were they met with some hostility, they were met with some unpleasant reality. Texas has very hot summers and sometimes very cold winters. Housing wasn't as cheap as expected, nor were the jobs as plentiful.

It is U-Haul's business to know who is moving where (they have to get those trucks back, after all) so they keep track of one-way rentals.

Growth rankings are configured by each state’s net gain (or loss) of customers utilizing one-way U-Haul equipment in a calendar year. The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled from well over 2.5 million one-way U-Haul truck, trailer and U-Box^® moving container transactions that occur annually.

Texas was their #1 destination for three years running, however, we have lost that honor to another southern state: South Carolina.

California ranks at the bottom of the U-Haul Growth Index, meaning they are still very outbound to other places. And it appears those places are South Carolina, Texas, North Carolina, Flordia, and Tenessee, respectively.

So what does South Carolina have that we don't?

According to CNN, South Carolina has a low unemployment rate, a growing economy, and lower housing prices than the U.S. average. These things are all true about Texas, too.

So I suspect the difference is that South Carolina is known for plenty of natural beauty. And I don't see them sporting mean-spirited bumper stickers.