PHOENIX, March 31, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U-Haul International, Inc., North America's number one choice for do-it-yourself movers, today released results of the annual U-Haul National Migration Trend Report that reflects the nation's top growth areas for families that moved during 2008. The 2008 Top Growth Cities Report indicates that for cities with more than with 5,000 families moving, Wichita, Kan. had the highest percentage of growth, with 9.87 percent.
"The report, reflective of growth patterns in the United States during 2008, was compiled based on nationwide trends in cities of all sizes and reflects communities with more than 5,000 families moving in or out of the area," stated John "J.T." Taylor, U-Haul president of Phoenix Operations. "Growth cities were then determined by calculating the percentage of inbound moves vs. outbound moves for each area."
The 2008 Top Growth Cities Report was compiled from more than 1 million U-Haul one-way truck transactions between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2008. A complete copy of the U-Haul National Migration Trend Report follows.
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the undisputed choice for the "do-it-yourself" mover, with a network of more than 15,650 locations in all 50 United States and 10 Canadian provinces.
U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the Company to maintain a fleet size of 96,000 trucks, 75,000 trailers and 35,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 395,000 rooms and more than 34 million square feet of storage space at more than 1,075 owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard barbecues as one of the nation's largest retailers of propane.
Note to editors: The annual mileage of North American U-Haul trucks, trailers and tow dollies would move a family to the moon and back more than 20.5 times per day, every day of the year. The annual mileage of North American U-Haul trucks, trailers and tow dollies would travel around the Earth 194 times per day, every day of the year.
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U-Haul Top U.S. Growth Cities*
January - December 2008
With More Than 5,000 Families Moving
RANK CITY %GROWTH
1. WICHITA, Kan. 9.87%
2. VANCOUVER, Wash. 8.73%
3. NEW ORLEANS, La. 8.43%
4. AUSTIN, Texas 8.09%
5. SANTA MONICA, Calif. 7.54%
6. MORENO VALLEY, Calif. 7.47%
7. MIAMI, Fla. 7.20%
8. ONTARIO, Calif. 6.29%
9. NASHVILLE, Tenn. 5.71%
10. SPOKANE, Wash. 5.32%
11. SANTA ROSA, Calif. 5.15%
12. SEATTLE, Wash. 4.00%
13. OAKLAND, Calif. 3.74%
14. BROOKLYN, N.Y. 3.51%
15. OMAHA, Neb. 3.20%
16. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. 2.42%
17. RALEIGH, N.C. 2.40%
18. NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. 2.32%
19. TORRANCE, Calif. 2.10%
20. JERSEY CITY, N.J. 2.00%
21. KANSAS CITY, Mo. 1.96%
22. CHARLESTON, S.C. 1.41%
23. VICTORVILLE, Calif. 1.22%
24. LANCASTER, Calif. 0.92%
25. FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. 0.57%
* Data compiled from more than 1 million U-Haul one-way truck
transactions from January - December 2008.