Dallas-Fort Worth is not merely adding people; it is attracting the younger workers and renters likely to shape the region’s next decade. The Metroplex ranked No. 1 nationally for net-gain Millennial moves and No. 2 for Gen Z moves in U-Haul’s 2026 midyear report.
The 52-week review examined customer moves from July 2025 through June 2026, according to WFAA’s report. Texas ranked No. 1 among states for Gen Z net gains and No. 2 for Millennials, giving the Dallas-Fort Worth area a strong showing in both generations.
Millennials also represent the largest share of U-Haul’s one-way transactions overall, while Gen X accounts for the second-largest share. Together, Millennials and Gen X make up more than 60% of the company’s one-way rentals, though U-Haul’s data tracks moving transactions rather than a literal headcount of new residents.
Why Younger Movers Keep Finding DFW
U-Haul says Gen Z movers tend to favor densely populated markets with apartments, entry-level jobs and colleges. That description aligns with a region that continues to add employers and housing on both sides of the Dallas-Fort Worth divide, even as the Metroplex’s traffic remains determined to test everyone’s optimism.
Federal employment data offers some economic backdrop: The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area had about 4.35 million nonfarm jobs in May, up 0.6% from a year earlier, according to BLS data. That growth is modest, but it helps explain why younger workers may continue viewing DFW as a place to start or advance a career.
The Growth Is Spreading Into North Texas Suburbs
The migration pattern is not limited to downtown Dallas or Fort Worth. The Census Bureau says the DFW-Arlington metro area reached about 8.5 million residents in 2025, up 11% from 2020, with roughly 270,000 residents added through net domestic migration.
Several North Texas suburbs, including Celina, Princeton, Melissa and Anna, rank among the nation’s fastest-growing communities. U-Haul’s full-year migration rankings and growth reports are expected later in 2026, but the midyear numbers already suggest that Dallas-Fort Worth remains one of the country’s clearest magnets for younger movers.
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