When people move out of Arizona, this is where they are going, U-Haul says

Phoenix remains one of the nation's hotspots for relocation, attracting newcomers from nearby states like California and Colorado, as well as farther states like Illinois and Florida, a new study shows.

U-Haul's midyear migration trends report for 2025 shows the most common cities where people relocated to in the first half of the year, based on U-Haul's one-way rentals between January and July.

The study shows the Valley is one of the top destinations for people moving within the U.S., yet it also lists Arizona as a top origin state for 15 of the 35 cities examined.

Here's where new Phoenix residents are coming from, and where some longtime locals are moving to.

Where are new Phoenix residents coming from?

California continues to be the leading state sending new residents to metro Phoenix, followed by Texas and Colorado. Other popular origin states include Nevada, Washington and Utah — all within a day’s drive of the Valley.

Here are the top 10 states where new Phoenix residents are moving from, according to U-Haul:

1. California

2. Texas

3. Colorado

4. Nevada

5. Washington

6. Utah

7. New Mexico

8. Oregon

9. Illinois

10. Florida

Top out-of-state metro areas sending residents to Phoenix

When looking at metro areas, most newcomers are arriving from major Western cities. Los Angeles tops the list, with significant numbers also coming from Las Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake City and Seattle.

Here are the top 5 U.S. cities outside of Arizona where new Phoenix residents are moving from, according to U-Haul:

1. Los Angeles

2. Las Vegas

3. Denver

4. Salt Lake City

5. Seattle

Top Arizona cities sending residents to Phoenix

Phoenix also draws heavily from within Arizona, according to U-Haul.

In-state moves continue to fuel growth, especially from Tucson, Prescott, Flagstaff, Lake Havasu City and Yuma.

Where are Phoenicians moving to?

While Phoenix is gaining residents, some locals are heading elsewhere — especially to other Western metros.

According to U-Haul data from cities across the country, Phoenix is listed as a common origin city. Former Valley residents are heading to places like Las Vegas, Denver, San Diego and even back to California's coastal cities.

Phoenix was listed among the top origin cities for these metros:

• Austin

• Dallas

• Denver

• Las Vegas

• Los Angeles

• Portland, Oregon

• Riverside, California

• Sacramento

• San Antonio

• San Diego

• San Francisco and San Jose (Bay Area), California.

• Seattle

Where are Arizonans moving to?

Arizona was as the No. 1 origin state for new residents in these cities, according to U-Haul:

• Los Angeles

• San Diego

• Riverside, California

It was also among the top 10 origin states for these cities:

• Austin

• Dallas

• Denver

• Houston

• Kansas City

• Las Vegas

• Minneapolis

• Portland, Oregon

• Sacramento

• San Antonio

• San Francisco/San Jose (Bay Area)

• Seattle

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: When people move out of Arizona, this is where they going, U-Haul says