Movers and realtors say Florida ranked second in growth in 2025

Florida ranked second in growth in 2025, reports say

More families are packing up and heading to Florida again, according to new data from U-Haul and backed up by movers and real estate professionals in Tampa. FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - More families are packing up and heading to Florida again, according to new data from U-Haul and backed up by movers and real estate professionals across the Tampa Bay area.

By the numbers:

According to the U-Haul Growth Index, Florida ranked second in the nation for net growth in 2025, trailing only Texas.

The national moving company analyzed more than 2.5 million one-way customer transactions, comparing how many trucks arrived in each state versus how many departed.

In Florida, 50.6% of U-Haul customers entered the state last year, compared to 49.4% who left, placing Florida among the top destinations for people on the move, according to U-Haul.

"It doesn’t surprise me that we would be a growing state," Melisia Diamond, owner of All About Moving Tampa Bay in Largo, said.

Diamond said she saw the increase firsthand at her Largo-based business, especially toward the end of the year.

"We were the busiest that we’ve been, at the end of October, November, December, in 10 years of business," Diamond said.

The backstory:

U-Haul’s annual Growth Index ranks states by net gains or losses of customers who rented a one-way truck, trailer or U-Box moving container and dropped it off in another state.

While the rankings do not directly measure population or economic growth, U-Haul says the data offers a reliable snapshot of migration trends nationwide.

Texas reclaimed the top spot as the No. 1 growth state for the seventh time in the past decade, according to U-Haul. Florida followed in second place, with North Carolina and Tennessee close behind. Washington, Arizona, Idaho, Alabama and Georgia rounded out the top 10.

Diamond said Florida’s appeal intensified after hurricane season, influencing both departures and arrivals.

"I think a lot of the people that moved out experienced the hurricanes, and they wanted to get out before hurricane season, so they moved out," Diamond said. "A lot of people moving in were just like, ‘You know what, we want the weather. We don’t want snow. We want warm weather. We’re going to Florida.’"

What they're saying:

Realtors say the renewed influx is noticeable.

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 "It’s a reminder that we have a lot of policies here throughout the state that make it friendly and favorable for people to move in here," Stefan Alvarez with the Alvarez-Schoenbrun Group at South Cedar Real Estate, said.

Alvarez said Florida’s housing market is currently positioned to handle the growth, thanks to increased inventory across many regions.

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 "I think there’s normalization in the market," Alvarez said. "We’re continuing to see an influx of folks coming into the state. I think prices are kind of staying steady now while rates are doing a little bit of their fluctuation."