Florida draws movers across generations

Florida ranked among the top 10 states for net migration across four generations, with U-Haul data showing especially strong gains among Gen X and millennial movers.

Florida is attracting movers at nearly every stage of life, with new U-Haul data showing the state ranking among the top destinations for Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z.

U-Haul analyzed one-way truck, trailer and portable container moves from July 2025 through June 2026 and found Florida was the only state to post a top-10 net gain across all four generations.

The findings fit with Florida Realtors® research showing the state’s migration story increasingly includes people who are still in the workforce. Florida Realtors economists found households ages 55 to 64 generated the state’s largest net household income inflow in 2023-2024, at $7.6 billion. That suggests many people are making their Florida move before retirement, while they are still working and often near their peak earning years.

In the U-Haul rankings, Florida was No. 1 nationally for both Gen X and Millennials, No. 3 among Baby Boomers and No. 8 among Gen Z.

Florida metros also stood out:

• Baby Boomers: Gainesville-Ocala ranked No. 1 nationally and Daytona Beach No. 9.
• Gen X: Fort Myers ranked No. 1, North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton No. 3 and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach No. 4. Tampa was No. 8 and Gainesville-Ocala No. 10.
• Millennials: Orlando ranked No. 3, North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton No. 5, Lakeland-Winter Haven No. 6 and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville No. 8.

Florida Realtors economists noted that households ages 55 to 64 often still have high incomes and substantial accumulated equity, may be less sensitive to mortgage rates and are more likely to buy than rent. They may also be shopping for second homes or relocation properties.

U-Haul said a mover’s generation or stage of life appears to play an important role in relocation patterns. Florida, however, stood apart for the breadth of its appeal, which U-Haul described as “the lone state with a top-10 net gain among all four generations.”

© 2026 Florida Realtors®