U-Haul reveals where Chicago's newcomers are moving from

As summer moving season in the Chicago area enters its peak, you may have noticed a moving truck pull into your neighborhood in recent weeks.

So where did your new neighbors come from? A recent study from U-Haul may shed some light.

Using the latest U.S. Census reports, the do-it-yourself moving company analyzed migration trends for one-way U-Haul trips in the 25 most populated U.S. cities during the first half of 2024.

Here are the top origins for U-Haul rental trucks pulling into the Chicago area this year:

Top origin metro areas for arriving U-Haul customers outside Illinois

  1. Milwaukee
  2. Detroit
  3. Indianapolis
  4. Minneapolis/St. Paul
  5. Dallas/Fort Worth
  6. Atlanta
  7. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  8. Denver
  9. Houston
  10. Washington, D.C.

Top origin metro areas for arriving U-Haul customers within Illinois

  1. Champaign/Urbana
  2. Peoria
  3. Bloomington
  4. Springfield
  5. Rockford

Top origin states for arriving U-Haul customers (excluding Illinois)

  1. Indiana
  2. Michigan
  3. Wisconsin
  4. Texas
  5. Ohio
  6. Florida
  7. Missouri
  8. Minnesota
  9. Iowa
  10. Tennessee

While U-Haul did not provide data for one-way trips leaving Chicago, both Detroit and Indianapolis saw more arrivals from the Windy City than any other metro area.

Other major U.S. cities that saw an influx of one-way U-Haul trucks from Chicago included Columbus, Ohio (3rd most); Denver (5th most); Austin, Texas (8th most); and New York City, Houston and San Diego (10th most).

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