For the third consecutive year, Ocala has been ranked as the second most popular moving destination in the country by PODS, marking the city’s sixth straight year in the top 10.
The mobile storage and moving company released its sixth annual Moving Trends Report on Wednesday, May 27, analyzing moving data from customers between January 2025 and March 2026.
According to the report, Ocala saw more move-ins than any other city in the United States, except for the Myrtle Beach-Wilmington area in South Carolina and North Carolina, which secured the top spot for the fourth year in a row.
Ocala’s continued dominance in the moving market is driven by affordability and lifestyle factors, according to the report.
In fact, PODS’ inaugural Moving Mindset Study, conducted alongside this year’s moving data, revealed that affordability has surpassed career opportunities as the primary motivator for Americans looking to relocate.
“Living in Ocala has likely remained popular because it offers so many sought-after characteristics for movers: No personal income tax, a landlocked location in Florida that’s not as vulnerable during hurricane season, a strong community, and access to swaths of nature, like the 600-acre Ocala National Forest and several natural springs,” the PODS report states.
However, the company notes that Ocala is “worth watching, though, as the city’s cost of living slowly creeps up, even if it still comes in at below the national average index.”
Florida as a whole tied with Tennessee as the most popular state for move-ins, with each state boasting four cities in the top 20. Florida secured three spots in the top 10, including Ocala at No. 2, Sarasota at No. 9, and Jacksonville at No. 10. Orlando also made the list, coming in at No. 16.
The PODS ranking is the latest in a series of reports highlighting Ocala’s explosive growth.
In March, the United States Census Bureau reported that Ocala was once again the fastest-growing area in the country. Ocala topped that same list last year.
Earlier this year, U-Haul named Ocala its No. 1 growth city for 2025, a title the city also held in 2024 and 2022. In 2023, Ocala ranked second on U-Haul’s list.
Furthermore, data from MoveBuddha indicated that Ocala was one of the top-searched destinations for prospective movers in 2025.
While Florida continues to attract new residents, the PODS report also highlighted a counter-trend of significant move-outs in the southern part of the state.
In fact, the Miami area ranked as the second most popular region people are leaving in 2026, driven by soaring housing costs, rising insurance rates due to natural disasters, and general affordability concerns that are “dissolv[ing] Florida’s middle-class cohort,” according to PODs.
California remained the No. 1 state people are leaving, with Los Angeles topping the move-out list for the fifth consecutive year.
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