Florida Cities Top Destinations for Fresh Starts

The Sunshine State may be second as far as fastest-growing states, but its cities remain popular destinations, according to U-Haul.

Seven Florida markets ranked among the top 25 growth cities in 2023, the company said. 

This is the seventh year in a row that Florida has had the most cities represented by U-Haul’s ranking.

The Palm Bay-Melbourne area of the state  is especially popular for Americans looking to relocate, with 54.7% of all one-way U-Haul traffic flowing into the area last year, compared to just 45.3% departing. Ocala, FL, was the top growth spot in 2022, falling to second in the latest rankings. 

“Growth in the Palm Bay-Melbourne area has been increasing at an explosive rate,” U-Haul Company of Eastern Florida President Cal Conner stated.

“We have a low cost of living compared to many of the northern cities people have left. Add to that our fantastic year-round climate, and you can see why Palm Bay-Melbourne is such a desirable area to live.”