Atlanta named top moving destination for seventh year in a row by Penske

Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.

For the seventh year in a row, Atlanta was named the top moving destination by Penske Truck Rental in its 2016 ranking.

“It is remarkable that Atlanta continues to dominate this list,” said Joe Hill, senior vice president for Penske Truck Leasing’s Southeast region.

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Penske analysts compiled the list by examining one-way consumer truck rental reservations made through the company’s website, calls to the Penske call center, and through reservations made at Penske’s more than 2,300 truck rental locations.

The ranking adds to pervious data showing that the metro is one of the nation's fastest-growing cities. The AJC previously reported that according to U.S. Census estimates, metro Atlanta's population rose to more than 5.7 million residents in 2015 and the number of people living in Atlanta's Fulton County crossed the 1 million milestone.

Nationally, however, according to a 2017 Census study, the United States mover rate hit a record low since analysts began tracking migration in 1948.

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Atlanta is home to several inviting attractions, including the the largest aquarium in the Western hemisphere, Piedmont Park, CNN Center, the Fabulous Fox Theatre and popular restaurants like Staplehouse, which was named America's Best New Restaurant by Bon Appetit in 2016.

Job growth and opportunity could also be a big factor in moving to the city, which was ranked the sixth best city in the nation for job seekers in 2017 by NerdWallet in a list of the 100 largest U.S. cities ranked by opportunities and how far paychecks go.

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Data from Inc.com analyzed by the AJC also showed Georgia is home to some of the fastest-growing businesses in America.

The Inc.com ranking included 5,000 companies ranked by their percentage growth of annual revenue over a three-year period.

Here are the top 10 moving destinations, according to Penske:

  1. Atlanta, Georgia
  2. Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
  3. Phoenix, Arizona
  4. Denver, Colorado
  5. Tampa/Sarasota, Florida
  6. Orlando, Florida
  7. Seattle, Washington
  8. Las Vegas, Nevada
  9. Houston, Texas
  10. Charlotte, North Carolina

Learn more about the ranking and its methodology.

» MOVING TO ATLANTA: AJC’s guide for newcomers