PlainMove data study
US moving cost statistics from 2,450 modeled routes
This live analysis summarizes PlainMove’s published route-cost matrix across 50 tracked metros in 32 states. It is a planning model built from federal wage data and distance, not a survey of carrier prices or a quote service.
The short answer
PlainMove's current 2,450-route model puts the average 2-bedroom move at $2,588, with modeled totals ranging from $550 to $9,462 as distance and the metro wage input change.
- $2,588
- mean modeled 2BR total
- 1,291 mi
- mean route distance
- 50
- tracked metros
These are planning estimates from the documented wage-and-distance model, not carrier quotes.
Key findings
2,450
City-pair routes in the matrix
The matrix covers every ordered origin–destination combination of 50 tracked metros.
$2,588
Mean modeled 2-bedroom total
This is the arithmetic mean across the live route matrix, not a nationwide carrier-price average.
1,291 mi
Mean route distance
Distances are great-circle calculations between the metro coordinates used in the published model.
$550–$9,462
Observed 2-bedroom model range
The highest modeled total is 17.2× the lowest in this matrix; route length is a major reason the totals differ.
$16.09–$21.46
Modeled base hourly-rate span
The city inputs use the documented BLS wage baseline with regional adjustments.
Honolulu
Highest mean outbound 2-bedroom total
Honolulu averages $7,088 across its outgoing routes; St. Louis averages $1,945.
The low and high ends of the current matrix
These are endpoints in a modeled corpus, not advertised moving-company rates. They make the range auditable and point to the underlying route pages.
| Route | Distance | Modeled 2BR total |
|---|---|---|
| Austin → San Antonio | 74 mi | $550 |
| Boston → Honolulu | 5,082 mi | $9,462 |
Cities with the highest mean outbound 2-bedroom totals
A city average summarizes its 49 outgoing modeled routes. It helps compare the structure of the matrix; it does not predict a binding quote for a particular move.
Mean outbound 2-bedroom total by origin metro
Top eight cities in the current route matrix
Dataset schema and reuse
Each route record has an origin, destination, calculated distance, estimated driving hours, five home-size model outputs, and a curated popular-route flag. City records carry the metro name, state, coordinates, population, modeled base hourly rate, and regional adjustment. The rendered route and city pages expose those records; this page publishes aggregate calculations from the same source. Download the modeled route-cost snapshot as moving-cost-route-statistics.csv (CC0; planning estimates, not carrier quotes).
- Population
- 2,450 ordered routes, 50 metros, 32 states.
- Variables
- Distance, drive time, studio–4BR totals, city wage input, regional adjustment.
- License
- This compiled analysis is CC0 1.0. Original federal sources retain their own terms.
Method and limits
PlainMove applies BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for SOC 53-7062 to a documented crew-and-distance formula. Coordinates come from U.S. Census geographic reference files. The model does not observe seasonal demand, access conditions, packing, storage, individual carrier pricing, or service tiers. Use it for planning comparisons, then obtain written quotes directly from licensed carriers.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 53-7062 · 2023 PlainMove applies this wage baseline in its documented route model; it does not publish carrier records or quoted prices.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Cartographic boundary files Used for the city-coordinate reference layer described in the methodology.
PlainMove releases this compiled statistics page under CC0 1.0. Cite the page when reproducing a finding; consult the original source terms for upstream federal materials.