Sarnia has moved up on a list of top 25 cities that experienced growth in Canada.
The annual U-Haul Growth Index, which tracks the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks arriving in a city in a calendar year - versus departing - placed Sarnia as number 18 on its list for 2025.
Western Ontario President David Anstett said arrivals into Sarnia rose eight per cent last year, compared to 2024 when the city was number 21 on the list.
"Sarnia is really growing because of how affordable it is to live here, and it is absolutely gorgeous," said Anstett. "We have a lot of recreational opportunities here from Lake Huron and the St. Clair River."
"We see a lot of people moving into Sarnia from the Toronto area because it is more affordable to live in. We also see people coming in from smaller towns because Sarnia is still just as affordable to live in, and it’s just a bit bigger and offers more amenities," he added.
Calgary was named the number one growth city in Canada.
The company said that while U-Haul migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the data is an effective gauge of how well cities are attracting and maintaining residents.
When analyzing U-Haul traffic in and out of provinces, Alberta and British Columbia again rank first and second, respectively, for the biggest net gains of U-Haul customers.
