How Much Does it Cost to Move House? It Depends On Where You Live
Published by Chris Townsend
In 2024, more than 15 million households moved house at least once. That figure is slightly up on 2023, and there is no reason to believe this trend will change in the year ahead, especially in view of the ongoing shift of millennials from the cities to the suburbs. These are difficult economic times for everyone, so it should come as no surprise that one of the most common questions we are asked is how much a house move is going to cost.
Of course, the answer to that question depends on a number of factors, and we will look into those in more detail in just a moment. But perhaps a bigger surprise is how much the cost of moving varies between one US state to another. Here, we will take a deep dive into which states are the most and least expensive for moving, and the factors that are driving these trends.
A Local Move Costs an Average $1,727
Industry data shows that Americans moving locally in 2024 spent “between $884 and $2,570.” That in itself is quite a wide range, but taken at face value, it places the average price at $1,727. A “local move” is defined as moving a distance of 100 miles or shorter. Naturally, moving a longer distance attracts a higher price tag as the labor and fuel costs will increase with higher mileage and more time taken.
Considering local moves only allows us to get a better picture of moving costs by state, as the majority of local moves take place within a single state.
Moving costs are cheapest in New Mexico, highest in California
Before we dive into the details, let’s lift the lid on the cheapest and most expensive states for a local house move. To ensure we are comparing like with like, these numbers are for a three-bed home and assume a distance of about 50 miles.
| State | Average cost ($) | |
| 1 | California | 2,800 |
| 2 | Delaware | 2,773 |
| 3 | Louisiana | 2,730 |
| 4 | West Virginia | 2,683 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 2,645 |
| 6 | Alaska | 2,600 |
| 7 | Michigan | 2,589 |
| 8 | Maine | 2,564 |
| 9 | South Carolina | 2,527 |
| 10 | Hawaii | 2,500 |
Fig 1: Most Expensive States 2024
| State | Average cost ($) | |
| 1 | New Mexico | 780 |
| 2 | Iowa | 840 |
| 3 | Vermont | 850 |
| 4 | Virginia | 1,025 |
| 5 | Montana | 1,100 |
| 6 | Arizona | 1,544 |
| 7 | Colorado | 1,575 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 1,600 |
| 9 | Arkansas | 1,643 |
| 10 | Florida | 1,750 |
Fig 2: Least Expensive States 2024
Most people would have guessed that California, with its high labor costs and urban density, would have higher moving costs than rural states such as New Mexico and Vermont. But the scale of the difference, from an average ot around $800 in one to $2,800 in another might come as a surprise.
Let’s break down the cost factors and see how these come into play.
Labor costs
Let’s deal with the elephant in the room straight away. It goes without saying that if you either use your own truck or rent one for the day, your moving costs will be lower than when you use professional movers. Of course, you could say the same about almost everything, from servicing your car to repairing a leak in your roof.
In each of these cases, people use the services of professional when they don’t have the time, skill or tools available to do it themselves. It has often been said that moving house is one of the most stressful life events, so most people agree that placing the task in the hands of professionals is money well spent.
Having said that, people living in rural states are more likely to have access to a truck, while city dwellers most commonly use a professional removals company, so this goes some way to explaining the divide between urban and rural states. Another factor is the labor costs themselves. Average salaries also vary wildly, from more than $80,000 in Massacheussets to less than $48,000 in Mississippi.
| State | Average salary ($) | |
| 1 | Massecheusetts | 80,330 |
| 2 | New York | 78,260 |
| 3 | Washington | 78,180 |
| 4 | California | 76,960 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 73,980 |
| 6 | Connecticut | 73,740 |
| 7 | Maryland | 73,620 |
| 8 | Virginia | 70,050 |
| 9 | Alaska | 69,880 |
| 10 | Illinois | 67,130 |
Fig 3: States with highest annual average salary 2024
| State | Average salary ($) | |
| 1 | Mississippi | 47,570 |
| 2 | Arkensas | 51,250 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 52,200 |
| 4 | South Dakota | 53,230 |
| 5 | Alabama | 53,400 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 53,440 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 53,450 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 54,030 |
| 9 | South Carolina | 54,250 |
| 10 | Montana | 55,920 |
Fig 4: States with lowest annual average salary 2024
Fuel costs
The other significant factor that contributes to moving costs is fuel. Most removals vehicles have diesel engines and a 100 mile journey is likely to use about 10 gallons of fuel. This can vary dramatically from one state to the next, as shown in Fig 5 and Fig 6.
| State | Price per gallon | Price of 10 gallons | |
| 1 | Oklahoma | 3.05 | 30.50 |
| 2 | Mississippi | 3.17 | 31.72 |
| 3 | Missouri | 3.19 | 31.94 |
| 4 | Arkensas | 3.21 | 32.05 |
| 5 | Texas | 3.22 | 32.15 |
| 6 | Kansas | 3.22 | 32.17 |
| 7 | Montana | 3.23 | 32.34 |
| 8 | Nebraska | 3.23 | 32.34 |
| 9 | Colorado | 3.24 | 32.43 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 3.26 | 32.59 |
Fig 5: States with cheapest diesel 2024 (USD)
| State | Price per gallon | Price of 10 gallons | |
| 1 | Hawaii | 5.28 | 52.80 |
| 2 | California | 4.91 | 49.14 |
| 3 | Washington | 4.30 | 43.00 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 4.00 | 39.98 |
| 5 | New York | 3.87 | 38.68 |
| 6 | District of Colombia | 3.81 | 38.14 |
| 7 | Maine | 3.81 | 38.12 |
| 8 | Oregon | 3.78 | 37.79 |
| 9 | Connecticut | 3.73 | 37.32 |
| 10 | Nevada | 3.72 | 37.24 |
Fig 6: States with most costly diesel 2024 (USD)
A round trip could easily consume 20 gallons of fuel, meaning the difference in fuel cost could be as much as $40 when comparing the states with the highest and lowest fuel cost.
Other factors that influence moving costs
Labor and fuel costs are the most significant factors that influence moving costs between one state and another, but there are other influences in play, too. These include the following:
- State-specific taxes and permits
- Special access challenges, for example in cities or extremely remote rural locations
- Seasonal / weather variations, such as Colorado in winter or Florida in hurricaine season
Ultimately, every house move is different and brings its own challenges. Contact ThreeMovers to discuss your needs and obtain a detailed quote or alternatively use the quote generator.
Sources
https://www.hireahelper.com/moving-statistics/
https://findthehomepros.com/how-much-do-movers-cost-2024-2025-data/
https://www.empower.com/the-currency/money/average-salary-by-state
https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/
