The No. 1 growth city in the U.S. based on the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks in the past year is Ocala, Florida, with four other Florida destinations making the top 25 in the annual U-Haul Growth Index.

Sacramento-Roseville, Calif., was the second-most popular for do-it-yourself U-Haul movers, and Madison, Wisc., third. Both were the top destination for movers in recent years.

Other Florida cities people are gravitating to are Palm Bay (No. 4), North Port (No. 6) and Lakeland (No. 21).

“Florida had a number of top growth cities, Ocala being No. 1,” says Ed Hatcher, U-Haul area district vice president for northern Florida. “A lot of that has to do with the small-town feel and everything being extremely close for people to get to.”

U-Haul thinks some of those moving to Ocala came from neighboring communities, like The Villages, Leesburg and Clermont, outside Orlando.

The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled from more than 2 million one-way U-Haul truck rentals each year in the U.S. and Canada.

The Top 25 Moving Destinations
 

1.   OCALA, FL

2.   SACRAMENTO-ROSEVILLE, CA

3.   MADISON, WI

4.   PALM BAY-MELBOURNE, FL

5.   AUBURN-OPELIKA, AL

6.   NORTH PORT, FL

7.   MYRTLE BEACH-NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC

8.   SURPRISE, AZ

9.   HUNTSVILLE, AL

10.   CHARLESTON-NORTH CHARLESTON, SC

11.   ST. LOUIS, MO

12.   ATHENS, GA

13.   MISSOURI CITY, TX

14.   RALEIGH-DURHAM, NC

15.   RICHARDSON, TX

16.   FORT COLLINS, CO

17.   HENDERSON, NV

18.   RENO, NV

19.   CONROE, TX

20.   WEST CHESTER, OH

21.   LAKELAND, FL

22.   NASHVILLE, TN

23.   NOBLESVILLE, IN

24.   HENRICO, VA

25.   SANDY SPRINGS, GA

Source: U-Haul Growth Index