Baby boomers are skipping Florida for the Carolinas in retirement—and cheaper homes are only part of the reason

Florida has long been the obvious destination for retirees chasing warm weather, ocean views, and zero state income tax. But a new report from U-Haul suggests the Sunshine State is no longer the top pick for baby boomers moving across state lines. Instead, they’re heading to the Carolinas.

In July, U-Haul released its 2026 Midyear Migration Trends National Report, which ranks where each generation is moving based on every state’s net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks, trailers, and U-Box containers between July 2025 and June 2026. The company sorted renters into four groups: baby boomers (born 1946–64), Gen X (born 1965–80), millennials (born 1981–96), and Gen Z (born 1997–2012). The data reflects U-Haul customers rather than the total population, but it offers a useful read on where each age group is heading.

Florida was popular across the board. It was the only state to land in the top 10 for all four generations, and it ranked No. 1 for both Gen X and millennials.

For boomers, however, the Sunshine State came in third, behind South Carolina and North Carolina. Six of boomers’ top seven states were in the Southeast, with Arizona the lone exception. That’s a notable turn from just a few years ago, when Fortune reported........

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