Quick answer
The cost to move out of state depends mostly on how much you move and how far it goes. Published cost guides put a typical cross-country move with professional movers at several thousand dollars, and large homes going coast to coast cost more. Packing, storage, timing, and access at each home push the price up or down.
In this guide
- What is the average cost to move out of state?
- What determines your interstate moving cost
- Long-distance moving cost by home size
- Out-of-state moving costs that are easy to miss
- How a long-distance moving quote is built
- How to lower the cost to move out of state
- Is it cheaper to move yourself out of state?
- Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost to move out of state?
There is no single price, but published figures give you a starting point. Consumer cost guides that track moving prices generally put a cross-country move with professional movers at several thousand dollars, and a large home going coast to coast can cost far more. Those guides update their numbers over time, so check the current figures when you start planning.
A long-cited industry benchmark from the American Moving and Storage Association put the average interstate household move at about $4,300, based on a shipment of 7,400 pounds traveling 1,225 miles.
Treat those numbers as a ballpark, not a quote. A one-bedroom apartment going two states over and a five-bedroom house going coast to coast are both out-of-state moves, and their prices are thousands of dollars apart. The number that matters is a written estimate based on your own inventory.
What determines your interstate moving cost
Interstate moving cost comes down to a handful of things. Understand them and every quote you receive will make sense.
- How much you are moving. Long-distance moves are priced largely on the weight or volume of the shipment. More furniture and more boxes mean more truck space and more labor
- How far it is going. Mileage drives fuel, driver time, and how long the truck is committed to your shipment
- The services you add. Full packing, unpacking, furniture disassembly, and storage raise the price and save you time
- When you move. Summer, weekends, and the first and last days of the month are the busiest dates and the hardest to get
- Access at both ends. Stairs, elevators, a long walk from the truck to the door, and streets too tight for a tractor-trailer all add labor
- Special items. Pianos, safes, large artwork, and anything that needs custom crating take extra time and equipment
Long-distance moving cost by home size
Home size is the quickest way to gauge the size of a shipment, and the size of the shipment is the biggest single driver of a long-distance price. Here is how home size typically shapes the quote:
| Home size | What usually drives the price |
|---|---|
| Studio or 1 bedroom | A small shipment, so distance and any packing make up much of the cost |
| 2 bedrooms | The furniture count and the number of boxes start to matter as much as distance |
| 3 bedrooms | A larger share of the truck, more labor at both ends, and often more packing |
| 4 bedrooms or more | A large shipment that can fill much of a trailer, where access and packing add up quickly |
Published price ranges for each home size are wide because distance and services vary so much. A lightly furnished home moving a few hundred miles lands near the bottom. A full house crossing the country with packing included lands near the top.
Two homes with the same number of bedrooms can also hold very different amounts. A garage, a basement, a home gym, or a packed attic can add as much weight as another bedroom. For a rough count of what you own, try our packing estimator.
Tell us what you are moving and where it is going, and we will send a free, no-obligation flat-rate quote for your out-of-state move.
Out-of-state moving costs that are easy to miss
The line-haul charge is the biggest piece of the bill, but it is not the only one. Budget for these too:
- Packing. Materials and labor, if you want the crew to pack. With Allpoints, boxes, paper, bubble wrap, and tape are included in packing service quotes
- Valuation coverage. Basic coverage comes at no extra charge but pays very little per item. Fuller protection costs more. See our guide to moving insurance and valuation
- Storage. If your new home is not ready when the truck arrives, your shipment has to wait somewhere
- Access charges. Shuttle trucks, long carries, and stair carries can appear as separate lines. Our post on hidden moving fees explains each one
- Your own trip. Fuel or flights, hotels, meals on the road, and shipping a car if you are not driving it
- Setup at the other end. Utility deposits, a new driver's license, and vehicle registration in the new state
How a long-distance moving quote is built
A reliable long-distance moving quote starts with an inventory. The mover lists your furniture, estimates the number of boxes, notes stairs and access at both addresses, and asks which services you want. Vague information produces a vague price, so be thorough. Mention the shed, the attic, and the storage unit.
At Allpoints Moving Services, long-distance moves are quoted as a flat rate based on distance, inventory, and added services. You see the price before you commit, and the quote is free with no obligation.
We are a family-owned company based in Metro Atlanta, in business since 1999, and we work as a contract carrier for one of the biggest van line moving companies in the country. That network is what makes it possible, and affordable, to move customers from all over the country.
When you compare flat rate long-distance movers, make sure each one priced the same inventory and the same services, and ask whether the estimate is binding. Our explainer on binding vs. non-binding estimates covers the difference.
How to lower the cost to move out of state
- Move less. Weight and volume drive the price, so every item you sell, donate, or toss before the estimate comes straight off the bill
- Be flexible on dates. Mid-month and mid-week dates outside of summer are easier to book
- Book early. Plan on 3 to 4 weeks of notice for a long-distance move, and more in summer and at month-end
- Pack what you can. Pack books, linens, and clothes yourself and leave the fragile items and the kitchen to the crew
- Get the estimate in writing. A written, itemized estimate lets you see exactly what is included and question anything that is not
- Ask about access. Reserving the elevator and a parking space close to the door can prevent extra labor charges
Is it cheaper to move yourself out of state?
Usually the truck rental alone costs less than full-service movers. The rental rate, though, does not include fuel, lodging, packing supplies, or your own time and labor.
The gap narrows fast once you add those in, and you carry the risk of driving a loaded truck for days. We work through the comparison in moving yourself vs. hiring movers.
There is also a middle path. If you rent the truck or a container, a professional crew can do the loading or unloading so the heavy lifting and the careful stacking are handled. Request a free quote and we will price both options.
Key takeaways
- Published averages for a cross-country move run to several thousand dollars, and the range is wide
- Shipment size and distance drive most of the price; services, timing, and access drive the rest
- Budget for packing, valuation coverage, storage, and your own travel, not just the truck
- Decluttering before the estimate is the most reliable way to pay less
- Compare written estimates built on the same inventory and the same services
