ERIE (TNS) — Pennsylvania ranks near the bottom when it comes to population growth in 2021, at least according to U-Haul.
The moving company released its annual U-Haul Growth Index, which measures the number of U-Haul one-way rentals entering a state against one-way trips out of the state. According to the company, the data comes from more than 2 million yearly one-way trips.
So how low did Pennsylvania go? The Keystone State ranked 48 out of 49 states plus Washington, D.C. Hawaii is not included in the list.
{p class=”krtText”}Following Pennsylvania were Illinois at 49 and California at 50, the same rankings they held for 2020. Pennsylvania ranked 41st on the 2020 list.
The low ranking likely indicates population loss, though the U-Haul Growth Index does not give specific totals. The U.S. Census Bureau shows Pennsylvania losing residents, estimating a 0.3% population decrease from April 2020 to July 2021, or about 38,000 people.
According to the U-Haul list, people largely moved out of the Northeast, with Maine the only state to crack the top 10 at No. 8.
Texas saw the most arrivals, followed by Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Arizona. Indiana, Colorado, Maine, Idaho and New Mexico finished out the top 10.
In Texas, arrivals accounted for about half of all one-way moves in 2021.
”The Texas economy is growing fast,” stated Kristina Ramos, U-Haul Company of South Austin president. “With a strong job market and low cost of living, it’s a no brainer. Texas doesn’t have an income tax, so families get more for their money.”
