Denver moved up three spots to rank fifth last year in an annual survey of the country’s top moving destinations from Penske Truck Rental.
Atlanta has ranked in the top spot since 2010, when the survey started, and it didn’t budge in 2018. Reflecting the long-term population shift to warmer climates, Phoenix, Tampa and Orlando followed Atlanta. Eight of the top 10 cities were in the Sunbelt.
Two colder climate cities, Denver and Portland, Ore., made the list despite their higher real estate prices compared to other cities on the list. Denver ranked 8th in 2017, 4th in 2016 and 6th in 2015.
One of the big surprises in the 2018 survey was the sharp drop in the popularity of Dallas/Fort Worth, which went from third in 2017 to a no show in 2018. But Texas kept two cities on the list, Houston at No. 6 and Austin at No. 9.
A separate survey from Atlas Movers defined Colorado as a balanced market for relocations, with the company involved in 2,308 moves leaving the state and 1,899 moves coming in. Wyoming skewed to outbound moves, while inbound moves dominated in New Mexico.
