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READING, Pa., May 7, 2024 - Penske Truck Rental announced its Top Moving Destinations list today, unveiling the top 10 cities consumers moved to based on one-way truck rentals in 2023. Alongside the 14th annual list, Penske released the results of a national consumer survey, Settling In: A Consumer Moving Trends Survey, which unveils new findings about people’s reasons for moving and the importance of establishing a sense of community in their new places of residence. Notably, 57% of consumers prefer to rent their own moving truck and only 24% said they would rather hire a moving company.

2023 Top Moving Destinations

For the third year in a row, Houston maintained its position as the top moving destination, closely followed by San Antonio, which moved up from its ranking of 9th last year. Florida gained new representation on this year’s list with the addition of Tampa, which has not ranked since 2020. Since the list’s inception in 2010, Texas and Florida have maintained representation, while Midwestern states have since phased out.

Penske Truck Rental – Top 10 Moving Destinations for 2023 (previous year ranking):

  • 1.Houston, Texas (1)
  • 2.San Antonio, Texas (9)
  • 3.Charlotte, N.C. (6)
  • 4.Atlanta, Ga. (5)
  • 5.Las Vegas, Nev. (2)
  • 6.Dallas, Texas (7)
  • 7.Orlando, Fla. (3)
  • 8.Austin, Texas (10)
  • 9.Tampa, Fla. (New! Has not ranked since the 2020 list)
  • 10.Jacksonville, Fla. (8)

"It’s intriguing to see the evolution of the top moving destinations and where our customers are headed. Knowing just how hectic moving can be, we prioritize our customers' needs above all else," said Kevin Malloy, senior vice president of Penske Truck Rental. “Penske is here to make your moving experience as seamless as possible, offering top-notch rental services and support every step of the way."

The survey asked consumers to reflect on their decisions to move and how they adapted to their new city to understand how relocating plays a role in feelings of happiness. Respondents appear optimistic about their decision to relocate with 73% indicating that they are happier in their new town compared to their previous place of residence.

Why People are Moving

Proximity to family (34%), lower cost of living (32%) and desire for more space (27%) were the biggest reasons that consumers were compelled to move over the past five years. Employment was a key driver of relocation to the top 10 moving destinations. Respondents from Nevada (40%), North Carolina (37%) and Georgia (39%) indicated that better job opportunities prompted their decisions to move.

Settling In New Cities

The survey found that 32% of consumers who recently moved were most challenged by adjusting to their new neighborhood during their move, but establishing a consistent routine helped them acclimate, according to 72% of respondents. Further, consumers are eager to become active with their new cities, as 88% say that feeling a sense of community where they live is important.

As many consumers plan to move in the summer months, the survey highlights activities that helped people build a sense of community and acclimate to their new cities. The top activities include exploring new restaurants and shops (57%), meeting neighbors (48%), discovering new parks and outdoor spaces (47%) and participating in local events (35%).

Move and Groove

To help consumers discover the rhythm of their new cities, Penske has released a new curated Spotify® playlist to set the tone for new beginnings. From packing to driving to your new home or meeting the neighbors, Penske has playlists to support every step of the moving experience. Consumers can subscribe to Penske’s Spotify® channel by clicking here.

With quick pick-up and drop-off at more than 2,500 rental facilities across North America, Penske trucks are easy to find. Consumers can check out the Penske Truck Rental app to make and edit rental reservations, find loading guides and how-to videos, access Penske's 24/7 roadside service team and more. And if plans change, consumers can cancel their reservation anytime with no fees attached.

About Penske Truck Rental

Penske Truck Rental is a business unit of Penske Truck Leasing. With one of the newest moving truck rental fleets, Penske Truck Rental provides do-it-yourself movers with clean, well-maintained and reliable rental trucks as well as moving equipment, packing supplies and accessories. Call 1-800-GO-PENSKE for questions about moving.

About Penske Truck Leasing
Penske Truck Leasing is a Penske Transportation Solutions company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. A leading provider of innovative transportation solutions, Penske operates and maintains more than 422,000 vehicles and serves its customers from more than 980 maintenance facilities and more than 2,600 truck rental locations across North America. Solutions from Penske include full-service truck leasing, fleet maintenance, truck rentals, used trucks, and a comprehensive array of technologies to keep the world moving forward. Visit pensketruckleasing.com for more information.

Top Moving Destinations Methodology
For the past 14 years, Penske Truck Rental has been compiling this list using analysis of one-way consumer truck rental reservations made via the company's website, calls to its 1-800-GO-PENSKE call center and through one-way reservations made at Penske's over 2,500 truck rental locations.

Settling In: A Consumer Moving Trends Survey Methodology
The Moving Trends Survey was conducted via a survey fielded online by Big Village among a sample of 437 U.S. adults 18 years of age and older who have moved to a new city or town in the past five years with an oversample of residents of Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina and Texas. This survey was live on March 27-April 2, 2024.

Each year, Penske Truck Rental reveals the top 10 cities that people are moving to, based on one-way truck rental data. This year’s Top Moving Destinations list features a new addition and one surprising departure on the 14th annual list.

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Penske Truck Rental announced its Top Moving Destinations list today, unveiling the top 10 cities receiving the most inbound one-way consumer rentals in 2022. Now in its 13th year, alongside the list, Penske has released four curated Spotify® playlists to set the soundtrack as consumers embark on their moving journeys this summer and beyond.

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It’s May, it’s #NationalMovingMonth and Penske Truck Rental’s Top 10 Moving Destinations list is back! Reminiscing over the past year, 2021 couldn’t have been a busier year for people on the move. Rental truck demand was incredibly robust, a trend that continues in 2022 as we enter yet another busy moving season ahead.

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Just in time for May and National Moving Month, Penske Truck Rental announces its latest list of Top Moving Destinations. Now in its eleventh year, the annual listing of U.S. cities seeing the most inbound one-way truck rentals looks different than years past.

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Penske Truck Rental has released its 2019 list of Top Moving Destinations and for the first time in ten years, a new city has taken the number one spot. Phoenix, Arizona, has been named the top moving destination in the United States on the global transportation company's annual list.

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To most vacation-goers, Labor Day marks the unofficial end to summer. Many will be scrambling to squeeze in one last trip over the holiday weekend, making the roads a little more congested for do-it-yourself movers.

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For the eighth consecutive year, Atlanta, Georgia, has topped Penske Truck Rental's list of Top Moving Destinations. Cementing its spot at No. 1, Georgia's "The Big Peach" is the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the country, and the region grew by 1.6 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to U.S. Census.

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The seventh edition of the Penske Truck Rental Top Moving Destinations list contains a number of familiar markets across the United States, with Atlanta once again in the top position. Making an appearance in the top 10 for the first time since 2012 is Charlotte. Interestingly, only three states (Georgia, Florida and Texas) account for half of the placements.

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During the six years that we’ve published the Penske Truck Rental Top Moving Destinations list, there have been two constants: our customers continue relocating en masse to the Sun Belt region of the United States and Atlanta winds up as the premier destination.

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