U-Haul analysis finds Florida cities, metro areas among fastest growing in U.S.

Florida still sees more people moving in than moving out; but the gap is shrinking.

It’s no secret that Florida has had an influx of migrants moving to the state for years, and a new study shows the Sunshine State has some of the fastest growing cities and metropolitan areas in America.

Ocala was ranked as the fastest growing city in the country, according to a new study by U-Haul, the moving rental company. The report ranked fastest growing metropolitan areas too, which also saw several Florida areas in the top rankings.

But Ocala led the list of city growth and there were four other Florida cities that were ranked in the top 25 fastest growing towns in America. Florida had the most cities in the top 25. Tennessee, Alabama and Washington each had three cities ranked in the top 25.

U-Haul established a growth index determined by how many of their customers rented one-way U-Haul equipment.

Ocala is the most popular destination among U-Haul users.

“There are two main reasons people are moving to Ocala. The primary reason is cost of living, simply being that it’s lower than almost anywhere in the state. It allows housing to be a more affordable option for families packing up their U-Haul and moving to central Florida,” said Brady Rome, U-Haul Co. of Gainesville President.

“The second reason is the job market, which remains strong with the addition of so many manufacturing jobs. The healthcare industry has also seen massive growth in the past year and is a driving force of employment. And you can’t go without mentioning Ocala is the ‘Horse Capital of the World.’ The equestrian center is huge and continues to bring people here.”

Kissimmee was ranked third on the list of most growing cities. Clermont, Port St. Lucie and Panama City all were ranked in the top 25 as well.

When it comes to larger metropolitan areas, Florida showed prominent growth in that top 25 list as well. Florida had six metro areas in the top 25 fastest growing areas in the country, more than any other state.

Lakeland was the highest ranked growing metro area in Florida, coming in fourth. There were six Florida metro areas in the top 25, outpacing any other state.

The Palm Bay area on the Space Coast was ranked eighth among metro areas growing on the list. Jacksonville was ranked 11th, followed by Tampa at 12th, Sarasota at 15th, Fort Myers at 16th and Daytona Beach at 23rd.

Dallas came in first among the fastest growing metro areas in America. Texas had four metro areas among the top 25.