It appears that many Bay Staters want to as Massachusetts remains stuck in the basement for one-way U-Haul customer moves — with southern states leading the way in attracting residents.
Massachusetts was again ranked the second worst state for one-way U-Haul movers last year, coming in 49th on the U-Haul Growth Index. California ranked last, 50th, for the fifth year in a row.
While the Bay State is in the bottom two states, a state agency spokesperson told the Herald there are signs that the out-migration trend is “reversing” — and added that Gov. Maura Healey’s administration “aims to build on this momentum by continuing our work to make Massachusetts more affordable and grow our economy.”
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U-Haul growth states are ranked by their net gain — or loss — of U-Haul customers over the past year. This stat is calculated by comparing each state’s one-way arrivals that originated in other states, with its one-way departures that were destined for other states.
The Bay State’s one-way arrival percentage last year was 48% and its departure percentage was 52%.
The U-Haul 49th state ranking for Massachusetts compares to the 2015 ranking of 36th place — when the arrival percentage was 49.9% and the departure percentage was 50.1%.
The top U-Haul growth states last year were southern states: South Carolina, Texas, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee.
“State-to-state transactions from the past year reaffirm customer tendencies that have been pronounced for some time,” said John Taylor, U-Haul international president. “Migration to the Southeast and Southwest continues as families gauge their cost of living, job opportunities, quality of life and other factors that go into relocating to a new state.
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“Out-migration remains prevalent for a number of markets across the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast — and particularly California,” Taylor added.
Looking at year-over-year changes, U-Haul arrivals into Massachusetts fell 3.5% while departures fell 4%, as overall moving traffic slowed last year.
“U-Haul’s 2024 report saw departures from Massachusetts decline at a faster rate than arrivals to Massachusetts,” a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development said in a statement.
Some of the leading growth cities in Massachusetts include: Boston, Quincy, Wilmington, Fall River, Plymouth, Fitchburg, Leominster, Hyannis, East Falmouth, Kingston, Franklin, Ayer, Upton and Westfield.
The bottom 10 states on the U-Haul list are: California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Maryland, and Connecticut.
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“While U-Haul rankings may not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents,” U-Haul wrote about the rankings.
This report comes in the wake of data from the Census Bureau that shows Massachusetts continues to lose a significant number of residents to out-migration.
While Census Bureau population estimates show an increase of 18,481 people in 2023, that was largely thanks to an influx of 50,000 new foreign immigrants.
In 2023, an estimated 184,534 individuals over a year old left Massachusetts for other states, while 145,021 relocated here from other states. On net, the Bay State lost 39,513 domestic residents.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts experienced an increase in domestic net outmigration consistent with an overall national trend of heightened migration during the pandemic,” a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development said in a statement. “Recent data, including from the Census Bureau and U-Haul, show that this trend is reversing.
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“U-Haul’s 2024 report saw departures from Massachusetts decline at a faster rate than arrivals to Massachusetts,” the spokesperson added. “Data released in December by the Census Bureau show Massachusetts’ population grew by 1%, equal to the national growth rate, and that domestic outmigration in 2024 has declined by 50% from the 2022 level and is now on par with pre-pandemic levels.”
In 2023, the destination states that welcomed the greatest net number of Bay Staters were Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and South Carolina. Massachusetts lost net residents to every other New England state including Connecticut, a state known for its high cost structure and taxes.
Florida has consistently been one of the states to which Massachusetts loses the greatest number of individuals. From 2010 to 2023 (excluding 2020), Massachusetts experienced a net loss of 90,372 people to Florida — a figure exceeded only by New Hampshire, which saw a net gain of 98,879 relocating Bay Staters. Maine was also a popular destination, with a net total of 62,557 residents relocating there during that period.
“Migration numbers continue to be a major cause for concern for state policymakers, especially as more reliable data from the IRS, using tax returns, shows that more high-income and young filers (26–34) are leaving, bringing their wealth and future tax dollars with them,” Pioneer Institute wrote.
“Recent polls of both important demographics find no easing of this trend,” the research group added. “To make Massachusetts more competitive and attractive to current and potential residents and employers, Massachusetts needs to do more to lower its overall cost structure. Affordability solutions from growing the housing supply, easing tax burdens, and improving public transportation must be considered.”
Snow fell across Massachusetts overnight on Saturday and throughout Sunday morning thanks for a fast-moving low pressure system, according to the National Weather Service.
The snowfall is expected to continue into and through the afternoon in many communities, lasting longer in Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties, the weather service said. Southeastern Massachusetts is predicted to see 2 to 4 inches of snow, with cities and towns closest to the coast getting up to 6 inches. A winter weather advisory is set to remain in effect in these counties until 7 p.m. Sunday.
Read more: Mass. weather: Snowy Sunday with dangerous, arctic cold to follow
As of the early afternoon on Sunday, no communities had received more than 4 inches, according to the weather service. Falmouth and Dennis recorded getting the most snow so far at 4 inches as of 3:15 p.m.
Here are the snow totals for Massachusetts as of mid-afternoon on Sunday. This article will be updated throughout the day.
Good morning! We’ve got snow on tap for today, which will linger most of the day and night across southeastern Massachusetts. We’ll dry out in the early evening for most of the rest of eastern Massachusetts, with north central Massachusetts drying out the quickest.
Snow will be widespread throughout the morning and into the early afternoon. As we get to the late afternoon, snow becomes more isolated over central Massachusetts but is still hanging around the coast, southeast Mass. and the Cape and islands.
Into the evening, the snow will become ocean-enhanced over southeast Mass. and the Cape/islands.
That’s where totals will be the highest.
4 to 6 inches of snow is expected there by late Sunday night.
For the rest of us, just a chance for a few inches.
After this storm it’s all about the cold wind. Monday’s lows will drop to the teens with highs in the mid 20s. But a biting wind will make it feel only like the negative single digits in the morning and the teens in the afternoon. Bundle up! At least the sun will be out.
Tuesday is looking mostly sunny and not windy. Lows will drop to the teens with highs in the low 30s. Wednesday, breezy again with a start in the 20s and afternoon temperatures mild in the low 40s. Thursday will be downright warm! We’ll hit the upper 40s with chances for rain in the evening. Friday we’ll reach the low 50s with chances of rain in the morning. Saturday looks dry, partly sunny with highs back to near normal in the mid 30s.
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FILE – A man is using a special electric saw to cut a granite counter in a residential kitchen in preparation for installing a new range top. Getty Images
A Massachusetts man has been diagnosed with a life-altering lung disease linked to popular kitchen countertops.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed this week that its first case of silicosis had been diagnosed in a Hispanic man in his 40s who, for the past 14 years, worked for stone countertop fabrication and installation companies.
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What is silicosis?
Big picture view:
Silicosis is a serious, incurable lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica, which is found naturally in granite and other stones. Silicosis can become progressively disabling and sometimes prove fatal. It almost always results from work-related exposures.
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Dig deeper:
Silica dust particles become trapped in lung tissue, causing inflammation and scarring and reducing the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen, according to OSHA.
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Symptoms:
Symptoms of silicosis can include shortness of breath, cough and fatigue. Workers exposed to airborne crystalline silica also are at increased risk for lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney disease.
What they’re saying:
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“Silicosis is a devastating, life-altering disease – and one that is also absolutely preventable,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Massachusetts employers in industries where workers are exposed to silica dust have a responsibility to protect their workforce, including from harmful airborne dust. No worker should have to suffer from a chronic and insidious lung disease or possibly die because of a preventable exposure at work.”
Tanning beds could triple melanoma risk, new study finds
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Countertop disease
Big picture view:
Crystalline silica commonly occurs in nature as the mineral quartz, and is found in granite, sandstone, quartzite, various other rocks and sand. Cutting, grinding, chipping, sanding, drilling and polishing these natural and manufactured stones can release various levels of crystalline silica dust particles that can be inhaled if proper protections aren’t in place.
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Dig deeper:
Engineered or manufactured stone, also commonly called quartz, is particularly problematic since it has more crystalline silica than natural stone.
By the numbers:
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For example, the average percent of crystalline silica in engineered stone is at least 90% in quartz and engineered stone, vs. a 10-45% makeup in granite, according to an OSHA hazard alert.
What you can do:
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Certain engineering controls, such as water spraying systems or remote-controlled tools, can be used to mitigate risk, as well as by wearing proper respiratory protection.
Silica cases in the U.S.
Big picture view:
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Most engineered stone workers with silicosis in the U.S. were exposed to silica at their jobs for over ten years, although some were exposed for less time.
The backstory:
The first reported case of silicosis in the U.S. associated with exposure to silica dust from engineered stone was identified in Texas in 2014, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Since then, other states have reported hundreds of cases, and dozens of deaths, particularly in California.
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Dig deeper:
In the U.S., most engineered stone workers with silicosis are relatively young, male, and Hispanic/Latino. This largely reflects the demographic composition of this industry’s workforce.
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In 2023, over half of workers in this industry were under 45 years old, nearly three-quarters were men, and more than 1 in 3 were Hispanic/Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from a Dec. 9, 2025, alert from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Background information was taken from OSHA. This story was reported from Detroit.
