An Updated Look At Moving Statistics
Published by Chris Townsend
An Updated Look At Moving Statistics | Three Movers
New census data came out in early 2022, which means there are new metrics which we can use to measure and examine the moving industry. We’ve got a lot of numbers to throw at you, many of which are consistent with recent trends and some which buck recent history. You may be wondering what current data about the moving industry has to do with your upcoming move, but these are the statistics that dictate things like moving costs, home prices, and many other things that could impact the cost and outcome of your move.
General info
Over the course of their lifetime, the average American will move 12 times, which to many people may seem like a low number. You have to keep in mind, however, that this is an average and accounts for people who only move once or twice or may never move. In 2021, just over 8 percent of Americans moved, which adds up to nearly 30 million people, and even that number is among the lowest since the Census Bureau began tracking moving statistics in the late 1940s.
Moving Costs
The cost of moving varies widely depending on the size and distance of the move. Hourly moving rates, which mainly apply to local moving, range from $70 to $250 an hour, while long distance moving costs range from $3.000 to $12,000 typically. The cost of moving labor is generally contingent on the size of your home and the number of people needed to execute the move. For example, moving help for a one-bedroom apartment will fall between $70 to $100 an hour, whereas labor costs for moving a four-bedroom home will run between $150 to $250 an hour.
Have an upcoming move you need some help with? That’s what we do best! Three Movers has years of experience helping customers with everything from small in-town moves to cross-country moving and everything in between! To learn more about what we offer, or if you’d like to get started with a FREE price quote right away, call us today at (888) 202-0036! All moving estimates are always FREE of charge, no matter how little or how much help you need!
When People Move
One thing that tends to remain consistent in the moving industry is the time of year that people move. The Summer and early Fall are by far the most popular times to move with 10% or more of moving services being requested in the months between May and September.
You may assume that most people move on the weekend, but Monday is actually the busiest day in the moving industry, making up 20% of moving jobs. The weekends are still a popular time of the week to move, especially Saturday, which accounts for 15% of moves. Wednesday and Friday are also big moving days that line up with the same numbers as Saturday. Sunday is the least busy moving day, probably due to the fact that many companies are closed with Tuesday and Thursday being the days you’re most likely to find available movers.
How People Move
Nearly 80% of people that move prefer some form of do-it-yourself method, whether that involves renting a truck or using a container service that they load themselves. As for hiring full-service movers, just over 20% of people go that route with another 15% using a moving service that drops off a container that they move after it’s filled. If you account for the people that rent a truck to move, use container moving services, or hire movers, it adds up to about 63% percent of people that use some form of moving service outside of hiring moving labor.
Where People Are Moving
60% of people that move do so within the same county that they already live, with about 30% of moves falling under the category of local moving, which means 100 miles or less. A large percentage of long-distance moves are between 1,000 and 2,000 miles, which accounts for 24% of all moves. The average moving distance for all moves is just under 1,000 miles. Moving overseas makes up just over 2% of total moves and makes up part of the 17% of moves that exceed 2,000 miles.
