Houston top Destination in this economy

[red-beard]

Yep, according to U-haul, more people are moving to Houston than any other place.

CORRECTED: U-Haul Names Houston as Top 2009 Destination -- PHOENIX, April 6 /PRNewswire/ --

[quote]
U-Haul Names Houston as Top 2009 Destination

PHOENIX, April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul International, Inc. today released the results of the annual 2009 U-Haul National Migration Trend Report, titled "The 2009 Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities." According to moving data reflective of nationwide statistics for calendar year 2009, Houston took the No. 1 spot, moving up from second place, while Las Vegas took second place, moving up from the No. 4 rank last year. Chicago climbed to No. 3 from No. 7 last year, while San Antonio ranked No. 4, moving up from No. 8. Austin, Texas moved up to fifth place from the No. 9 rank last year, and Atlanta, Orlando, Fla., Sacramento, Calif., Kansas City, Mo. and Denver rounded out the top 10.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090622/LA34860LOGO-b)

"Since 1945, U-Haul has built a long and proud history of relocating Americans," said U-Haul President of Phoenix Operations John "J.T." Taylor. "While recent economic conditions may have played a role as to where people have moved, our customers continue to rely on us to provide affordable services at convenient locations, which makes moving easier and more economical. This has the additional positive effect of reducing the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere."

The ranking reflects destinations for movers traveling more than 50 miles, and considers every city in the country, regardless of size. However, the data is not stated as a percentage of population and is not reflective of overall growth.

The 2009 Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities Report was compiled from more than 1 million U-Haul truck transactions occurring during a recent 12 month period.

About U-Haul

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the best choice for the do-it-yourself mover, with a network of more than 15,800 locations in all 50 United States and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 101,000 trucks, 76,000 trailers and 34,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 395,000 rooms and approximately 35 million square feet of storage space at nearly 1,091 owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. As one of the nation's largest retailers of propane, U-Haul supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard barbecues.

U-Haul was founded by a Navy veteran who grew up during the Great Depression. Tires and gas were still rationed or in short supply during the late 1940s when U-Haul began serving U.S. customers. Today, that background is central to the U-Haul Sustainability Program: "Serving the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Our commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle includes fuel efficient moving vans, neighborhood proximity, moving-box reuse, moving pads made from discarded material, and packing peanuts that are 100 percent biodegradable. Learn more about these facts and others at U-Haul: About > Corporate sustainability.

Note to editors: The annual mileage of North American U-Haul trucks, trailers and tow dollies would move a family to the moon and back more than 20.5 times per day, every day of the year. The annual mileage of North American U-Haul trucks, trailers and tow dollies would travel around the Earth 194 times per day, every day of the year.

U-Haul Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities

January - December 2009

1. HOUSTON, Texas
2. LAS VEGAS, Nev.
3. CHICAGO, Ill.
4. SAN ANTONIO, Texas
5. AUSTIN, Texas
6. ATLANTA, Ga.
7. ORLANDO, Fla.
8. SACRAMENTO, Calif.
9. KANSAS CITY, Mo.
10. DENVER, Colo.
11. SAN DIEGO, Calif.
12. PHILADELPHIA, Pa.
13. BROOKLYN, N.Y.
14. PHOENIX, Ariz.
15. COLUMBUS, Ohio
16. DALLAS, Texas
17. TAMPA, Fla.
18. NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.
19. LOS ANGELES, Calif.
20. COSTA MESA, Calif.
21. VAN NUYS, Calif.
22. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.
23. JACKSONVILLE, Fla.
24. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.
25. SAINT LOUIS, Mo.
26. CHARLOTTE, N.C.
27. OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.
28. MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.
29. TUCSON, Ariz.
30. QUEENS, N.Y.
31. PORTLAND, Ore.
32. BRONX, N.Y.
33. BALTIMORE, Md.
34. PLANO, Texas
35. LONG BEACH, Calif.
36. BIRMINGHAM, Ala.
37. SEATTLE, Wash.
38. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.
39. FULLERTON, Calif.
40. MILWAUKEE, Wis.
41. TULSA, Okla.
42. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.
43. SAN JOSE, Calif.
44. FORT WORTH, Texas
45. RICHMOND, Va.
46. COLUMBIA, S.C.
47. RALEIGH, N.C.
48. MIAMI, Fla.
49. VICTORVILLE, Calif.
50. FRESNO, Calif.

[Joeaksa]

Not surprised. When Texas leaves the Union, I will be probably be heading back to the Lone Star State.

[jyl]

Won't last. Employment growth has turned positive on a national level. Almost all industries showed net job gains in the latest data. Not big gains, but first you walk and then you run.

[jyl]

The other thing is that temporary employment is showing even stronger gains than after prior recessions. Employers are trying hard to use temporary employees instead of hiring permanents. The next thing that usually happens is, employers start hiring permanents. Wage pressure (upward) is also starting to emerge. Which is a mixed blessing, since that tends to drive inflation over time.

[mattdavis11]

That sucks. Uhaul? Really? I like everyone, but using Uhaul? This could mean bad things. Not that I'd even consider living near Houston, but that really sucks when it comes to your delegation. Watch out. On top of that, there might be 33 seats coming soon.

I like more folks, we have room, but Uhaul customers?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by jyl

Won't last. Employment growth has turned positive on a national level. Almost all industries showed net job gains in the latest data. Not big gains, but first you walk and then you run.

I don't believe this for a second.

First off, everyone knows the UE numbers are manipulated. The definition was changed as recently as 2002 to manipulate the numbers during the GWB recession and they've (to my knowledge) not been returned to the original definition since. They deliberately exclude long-term unemployed (which we have millions of right now), underemployed and those who have gotten discouraged and stopped looking.

Also, a lot of this recent reports' "gains" are temporary workers hired for the Census (using more fake money borrowed from China, naturally). Tell me how this is a good thing again?

We haven't seen the bottom of this yet. Not even close.

[jyl]

The data I'm referring to exclude temporary census workers. Everybody knows the census hiring will distort the picture so that is being backed out of the numbers. And what I'm watching is net change in jobs, not the UE ratio which has the problems you describe.

It has been obvious for some time that the economy is recovering. Industrial production, consumer spending, etc turned to the positive several months ago. Employment always lags, but it is beginning to grow now. Housing is also lagging, but should finally bottom out this year.

I know you tend to take a glass half empty view of the economy, perhaps understandable for an architect - had dinner Friday w/ my architect friend who has been unemployed for over a year, lost his home, and now sees "must speak fluent Mandarin" on all the job postings - but consider that being habitually negative is just as much of an error-inducing bias as being habitually positive.

Are you still clinging to the idea that we remain in recession? Haven't noticed the recovery that started, however fitfully, six months ago?

Don't make the mistake of equating "recession" with "bad times" and "recovery" with "good times". Recession means the economy is contracting, ie getting worse. Recovery means the economy is expanding, ie getting better. When the economy shifts from recession to recovery, the economy is at it's very worst. We can then recover for some time before things feel "good" again. (Similarly, things don't feel "bad" until some time after a recession starts.) If you wait until things feel "good", you'll fail to perceive the beginning of the recovery. That is especially true this time, because the recession was so severe.

[Rick Lee]

I like all the Houston Pelicans I met there last year, even that commie, 125shifter). But I'd rather flip burgers in Phoenix than move to Houston. I'm in DC now and it's hot and a little humid. I was in Houston in October and couldn't keep my clothes dry, walking from the car to the office. That humidity SUCKED! But I could live in other parts of TX again and would gladly move there if TX seceded.

[red-beard]

Rick, we need you to move to Austin, to help shift the balance.

[Erakad]

Houston....go figure. San Antonio/Austin I get...even Denver. Just have never been a fan...

[Shaun @ Tru6]

The data is a little fuzzy.

"The ranking reflects destinations for movers traveling more than 50 miles, and considers every city in the country, regardless of size. However, the data is not stated as a percentage of population and is not reflective of overall growth."

Does it include someone moving from Victoria, TX to Houston?

I'd also like to see size of truck and w/w/o car dolly/trailer.

Then I'd like to see data comparing "move yourself" companies and destination cities with companies like Allied where they do all the packing/moving/unpacking for you, and their cites, to get a sense of socio-economic migration.

Where are middle class jobs growing? Where are upper class jobs growing?

Maybe this data just shows that every graduating college kid from Houston moved back in with their parents.

We need more info.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Erakad

Houston....go figure. San Antonio/Austin I get...even Denver. Just have never been a fan...

Its where the jobs are. Houston was a major destintion for people from the Rust Belt during the late 70's and early 80's. San Antonio, Dallas and Austin are great places, but they don't have the same manufacturing that we do here. But notice, Austin and San Antonio are in the top 10!

What surprises me more is that Las Vegas, Chicago and Sacremento are in the top 10. I thought Las Vegas had hery high unemployment.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by red-beard

What surprises me more is that Las Vegas, Chicago and Sacremento are in the top 10. I thought Las Vegas had hery high unemployment.

Therein lies the danger of reading incomplete data against a preconceived narrative.

People move back home to live with their parents when they don't have jobs. That is one possibility to take into consideration.

Uhaul is the lowest price national moving company. that should tell you something about who is renting the trucks.

[David]

As a long time Houstonian, I must admit it's not the most attractive city. The big selling point is the people. For the most part, it's the friendliest city I've been in.

[red-beard]

David, that and the business climate are the best selling points. The summer, not so much. Of course, once you get used to it, it is fine. We survived running around all summer as kids, and it didn't kill us.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by red-beard

DThe summer, not so much. Of course, once you get used to it, it is fine.

Houston seasons

Winter

2 weeks scattered throughout Dec and Jan (this year was an anomoly)

Spring

The rest of Jan, Feb and Mar

Summer (first half)

Apr-Jun

Summer˛

Jul-Aug

Summer (second half)

Sep-Oct

Fall

Nov and the rest of Dec.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by masraum

Nov and the rest of Dec.

Water-skiing into November was definitely a treat.

[red-beard]

The Pool water is 75 degrees.

[RWebb]

what manufacturing does Houston have these days?

when growing up in Baton Rude, we thought it was wonderful to drive over to the big fancy city of Houston... that paled quickly with maturity tho. when I realized it was just a bigger version of BTR with more refineries.

[dan79brooklyn]

That list is screwy...
They have separate entries for:
New York City, NY
Bronx, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Queens, NY

These are all the same place: NYC.

?