Our 2026 survey of 1,000 moving customers nationwide explored how consumers plan, budget for, and carry out their moves. Expanding on our 2025 research, which focused on full-service movers, this year’s survey included a wider range of moving services and explored costs, customer decision-making, service preferences, and common challenges. These insights help inform our recommendations for the best moving companies and provide practical guidance for planning a move.
Key Takeaways
- Full-service moving was the most common primary moving method, though respondents also used rental trucks, moving containers, and labor-only help.
- Price was the most important factor when selecting a moving service for about 40% of respondents.
- Comparing providers was common, with about 71% of respondents getting two or three quotes before choosing a moving service.
- Moving experiences were largely positive, with about 90% of respondents reporting that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their move.
Why Do Homeowners Move?
Most homeowners moved for more space or because of financial and work-related factors. In our 2026 survey, wanting a larger home or more space (33%) was the most common reason for moving, followed by a job or work-related relocation (15%) and housing costs or the overall cost of living (14%). Location also played a role, with 10% wanting to live in a different area or community and 9% wanting to be closer to family or friends.
The table below highlights the main reasons homeowners moved based on our survey.
Top Reasons Homeowners Moved
School or education, retirement, military relocation, and other reasons were each cited by fewer than 3% of respondents.
What Moving Services Do Homeowners Use?
Full-service moving was the most common primary moving method in our 2026 survey, used by 71% of homeowners. Another 14% primarily hired professional moving labor, 12% rented a moving truck or van, and 3% used a portable moving container. However, many homeowners combined their primary method with other forms of help, showing that moves often involve more than one approach.
Full-Service Movers
Even with a full-service mover handling the bulk of the move, homeowners often transported some belongings another way. Nearly half (48%) also used their own vehicle, while 37% received help from friends or family and 31% used a rental truck or van.
This shows that hiring a full-service mover didn’t necessarily mean outsourcing every part of the move. Some homeowners still handled belongings themselves or relied on additional transportation and personal help, making their overall move a combination of professional and do-it-yourself methods.
Professional Moving Labor
Homeowners who primarily hired professional moving labor commonly arranged transportation themselves. About 43% paired the service with a rental truck or van and 39% used their own vehicle, while 29% also relied on friends or family. This combination gave homeowners professional help with loading and unloading while leaving transportation in their hands.
Rental Trucks and Vans
Rental truck moves relied heavily on homeowners and their personal networks. More than half (57%) also received help from friends or family, while 43% transported some belongings in their own vehicle. This made rental trucks one of the more hands-on approaches captured in our survey.
Portable Moving Containers
Portable container users also combined moving methods, with 41% using their own vehicle, 41% receiving help from friends or family, and 38% also renting a truck or van. These results suggest that containers often handled only part of the move for respondents, although this was the least common primary method, used by about 3% of those surveyed.
How Much Do Moving Services Cost?
Homeowners in our 2026 survey reported average moving costs ranging from $200 for a rental truck or van to $800 for a full-service mover, depending on their main moving method. Moving costs also varied based on distance, home size, and the amount of help needed. Because many homeowners used more than one type of moving help, the costs below reflect what respondents reported paying for their main moving service rather than their entire move.
Full-Service Moving Costs
Full-service movers were the most common choice in our survey, giving us the most information about how distance and home size affected costs. Homeowners moving less than 50 miles reported paying an average of $1,037, compared with $1,524 for moves of 50–200 miles and $2,516 for moves of 201–500 miles.
Costs climbed further for some longer-distance moves. Respondents moving 801–1,100 miles reported an average of $4,420, while those moving 1,101–1,400 miles averaged $6,164. Fewer homeowners completed moves at these distances, so these results are more useful for showing how costs increased with distance than for estimating the price of a particular move.
Home size also affected what homeowners paid. The median full-service cost increased from $450 for a one-bedroom home to $650 for a two-bedroom home, $880 for a three-bedroom home, and $1,500 for a four-bedroom home. Larger homes typically have more belongings to move, which can require more time, labor, and truck space.
Professional Moving Labor Costs
Homeowners who primarily hired professional moving labor reported a median cost of $400. Moving labor generally covers tasks such as loading and unloading rather than transporting belongings, so homeowners may have separate transportation expenses.
The amount of work required can also affect the price. In our survey, the median cost was $250 for labor-only customers moving from a one-bedroom home compared with $750 for those moving from a three-bedroom home.
Rental Truck and Van Costs
Homeowners who primarily rented a moving truck or van reported a median cost of $200, the lowest among the four main moving methods in our survey. However, this amount reflects the main service respondents reported paying for and may not include expenses such as fuel, mileage, moving equipment, or hired labor.
Our results didn’t show a consistent relationship between home size and rental costs, so we recommend getting an estimate based on the truck size, distance, and rental period your move requires.
Portable Moving Container Costs
Homeowners who primarily used portable moving containers reported a median cost of $625. Container prices can vary based on the distance of the move, container size, and how long you need the container.
Portable containers were the main moving method for only about 3% of respondents, so we recommend getting quotes for your specific move rather than using our survey figure as an expected price.
How Additional Services Can Affect Moving Costs
The main moving service isn’t the only expense homeowners may encounter. Nearly half of respondents (47%) hired help moving large or heavy items, while 44% used professional packing. Storage was used by 35%, appliance moving by 32%, furniture disassembly or reassembly by 27%, and professional unpacking by 25%. These services can make a move easier but may also increase the final bill. When comparing moving quotes, check which services are included in the price and which will cost extra.
Most Common Specialty Moving Services
Homeowner Insights
Our 2026 survey revealed that about 63% of homeowners said their final moving cost matched their original quote or estimate, while 16% ended up paying more.
Which Moving Companies Did Homeowners Use?
Two Men and a Truck was the most commonly used full-service mover, while U-Haul led both rental trucks and professional moving labor. PODS was the most common choice among homeowners who primarily used a portable moving container.
| Moving Type | Most-Used Provider | Percentage Who Used This Provider |
| Full-service moving | Two Men and a Truck | 25% |
| Professional moving labor | U-Haul Moving Help | 50% |
| Rental truck or van | U-Haul | 93% |
| Portable moving container | PODS | 41% |
Full-Service Moving Companies
Homeowners used a relatively wide range of full-service moving companies. Two Men and a Truck was the most common choice, used by 25% of full-service moving customers. Another 16% hired a local or regional mover, while 10% used American Van Lines, 7% used Allied Van Lines, and 5% used United Van Lines.
Moving Labor Services
U-Haul Moving Help was the most commonly used professional moving labor service, chosen by 50% of homeowners who primarily hired labor without transportation. Local moving companies followed at 18%, while 13% used TaskRabbit and 12% used HireAHelper.
Rental Truck Companies
U-Haul was by far the most common rental company in our survey, used by 93% of homeowners who primarily rented a moving truck or van. Penske and Home Depot were each used by about 3%.
Portable Moving Container Companies
PODS was the most common portable moving container company, used by 41% of container customers, followed by U-Haul U-Box at 29%. U-Pack accounted for 9%, while the remaining companies were each used by fewer respondents. Portable moving containers were the primary moving method for only about 3% of all survey respondents, so these results reflect a smaller group.
How Do Homeowners Choose a Moving Service?
Price was the most important factor when choosing a moving service for 39% of homeowners in our 2026 survey. Customer reviews or ratings ranked second at 16%, followed by availability at 12% and company reputation at 10%. This suggests that cost leads the decision, but homeowners also consider whether a provider is trustworthy and available when they need to move.
How Homeowners Research Moving Services
Search engines were the most common research tool, used by 50% of homeowners. Recommendations from family, friends, or neighbors followed closely at 46%, while 40% visited moving company or service websites and 31% consulted online customer reviews. About 22% used AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Copilot.
Most homeowners didn’t spend long researching their options. About 31% researched for less than a week and 37% spent one to two weeks, meaning more than two-thirds chose a service within two weeks of beginning their research.
How Many Moving Quotes Do Homeowners Get?
Most homeowners compared multiple prices before making a decision. About 43% received quotes or estimates from two companies and 29% received three, while 21% considered only one quote. Just 7% received four or more.
When Do Homeowners Book Moving Services?
Most homeowners booked relatively close to their moving date. About 42% booked one to two weeks in advance and 22% booked less than a week before moving. Another 26% booked three to four weeks ahead, while only about 11% booked at least one month in advance.
How Satisfied Are Homeowners With Their Moving Experience?
Most homeowners had a positive moving experience, with high overall satisfaction and relatively few reporting problems during their move.
Common Moving Challenges
For 56% of surveyed homeowners, the move went smoothly without any of the challenges listed in our survey. Among those who did experience problems, delivery delays were the most common at 14%, followed by unexpected costs or fees at 13%, scheduling problems at 13%, and pickup or moving-day delays at 12%. About 11% said their move took longer than expected, 9% experienced damaged belongings, and 8% reported lost or missing belongings.
Overall Moving Satisfaction
Satisfaction was high across our survey, with 56% of homeowners reporting that they were very satisfied and 35% saying they were satisfied. Another 7% felt neutral, while only about 2% were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. Positive experiences also translated into strong customer loyalty. About 87% of homeowners said they would use the same moving company or service again, while 8% said they wouldn’t and 6% were unsure.
Homeowner Insights
Satisfaction with full-service movers increased between our two surveys. In 2026, 93% of full-service moving customers said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their experience, compared with 85% in our 2025 survey. This represents an 8-percentage-point increase year over year.
How Does Moving Vary by Region?
Moving varied by region most notably in how far homeowners moved, why they relocated, and how they approached the moving process. Midwestern homeowners tended to make more local moves, work-related relocations were more common in the South, and Western homeowners were more likely to move farther and hire professional moving labor. We’ll highlight these and other regional differences below.
Midwestern homeowners made more local moves than those in other regions. About 60% moved less than 50 miles, and 56% stayed within the same city or town, the highest percentage of any region. Wanting a larger home or more space was the most common reason for moving at 34%, followed by housing costs or the overall cost of living at 15%.
Northeastern homeowners were the most likely to move for a larger home or more space, with 36% citing it as their primary reason for relocating. About half moved less than 50 miles, while 29% moved between 50 and 200 miles.
Work played a larger role in Southern moves than in other regions, with 18% of homeowners citing a job or work-related relocation as their main reason for moving. Wanting more space remained the leading motivation overall, while 47% of Southern homeowners moved less than 50 miles.
Western homeowners were the least likely to move less than 50 miles (46%) and were more likely than those in other regions to move closer to family or friends. They also approached moving services differently: 17% primarily hired professional moving labor, and 43% spent one to two weeks researching moving services before choosing one.
What We Learned About Moving
Every move is different, but our 2026 survey revealed a few clear trends in how homeowners move and prepare for the process. Most moves covered relatively short distances, while our results also show where interstate movers relocated and how full-service customers protected their belongings.
Most Homeowners Move 200 Miles or Less
Shorter-distance moves were the norm in our survey. About 50% of homeowners moved less than 50 miles, while another 24% moved between 50 and 200 miles. Overall, about 74% of respondents moved 200 miles or less.
Texas Is the Top Interstate Destination
Among respondents who moved to another state, Texas was the most common destination, accounting for 12% of interstate moves. Florida followed at 10% and Georgia at 9%, while 6% moved to New Jersey and 5% relocated to North Carolina. The top three interstate destinations in our survey were all Southern states.
Many Full-Service Customers Buy Added Protection
About 53% of full-service customers purchased additional protection for their belongings. Of these customers, 32% purchased additional valuation coverage through their moving company, while 21% bought moving insurance from a third-party provider.
Is a Moving Company Worth It?
For most homeowners in our survey, hiring moving help appears to have been worth it. About 91% were satisfied or very satisfied with their overall moving experience, and 87% said they would use the same moving company or service again. Among homeowners who primarily hired a full-service mover, satisfaction was even higher at about 93%.
However, whether a moving company is worth the cost depends on the type of help you need. Our survey found that many homeowners combined professional and DIY moving methods rather than relying on one service for the entire move. This can give you more flexibility to decide which parts of a move are worth paying someone else to handle and which you can manage yourself.
Cost and service quality also matter. Unexpected fees, delays, and damaged belongings were among the problems reported by homeowners who encountered challenges during their moves. Ultimately, hiring a moving company is worth it when the convenience and level of service justify the cost. Comparing quotes, understanding what’s included, and choosing the right level of moving help can make it easier to get the value you expect.
Our Survey Methodology
In 2026, we surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults who had moved within the past two years and used a moving service. Respondents represented a range of ages, genders, household types, and geographic regions and used services including full-service movers, professional moving labor, rental trucks or vans, and portable moving containers. The survey explored why respondents moved, how they researched and selected moving services, and their overall moving experiences. We also gathered data on moving costs, quotes, and budgeting, additional services, moving distance, common challenges, and overall satisfaction.
