Did you know that Americans move an average of about 11.7 times in their life?
You’re about to see a list of the most up-to-date moving industry statistics.
Keep reading to find new moving stats and facts related to:
- What percentage of Americans move each year?
- How often do people move?
- How many moving companies are there?
- Moving industry size, revenue, growth, trends
- Relocation statistics
Let’s see some moving statistics and facts!
Key Moving Statistics and Trends:
- People in the U.S. move an average of about 11.7 times over the course of their life.
- With 31 million people in the U.S. moving each year, the moving industry generated an estimated $86 billion in revenue in 2021.
- 15.3 million American households move each year.
- Around 3 million Americans make an interstate move every year, which cost them $4,100 on average.
- 9.8% of people in the U.S. moved in 2019, meaning that around one in ten Americans moves annually.
- Today, around 50% as many people move each year as they did in the 1960s.
- The moving services industry has a market size of $18.5 billion in 2021.
- Almost 60% of the moves in the U.S. take place between May and August, making summer the most popular time to move.
- Of the 9.8% of people in the U.S. that moved in 2019, only about one-tenth (3 million) moved between states.
- The most commonly moved items are household goods, making up 73% of moved items.
- 122,600 people work in the moving industry in the U.S., with a payroll of over $3.5 billion.
- The moving industry has grown at around 3% each year since the Great Recession ended.
- The moving industry is closely related to the self-storage industry, which generated $39.5 billion in revenue in 2021.
51 Moving Statistics For 2022
Let's take a look at the latest moving statistics and trends in this growing industry. Knowing the newest statistics is important for future investors and for people that are just interested in how well the industry is doing.
Overview Of The Moving Industry
1. People in the U.S. move an average of about 11.7 times over the course of their life.
Some people move more frequently than others. Military families are more likely to go through frequent moves.
College students also frequently move from their campus back home and vice versa. Younger people move more often than older people.
2. 9.8% of people in the U.S. moved in 2019, meaning that around one in ten Americans moves annually.
Though this may seem like a lot, the 9.8% was actually the lowest number recorded in several years. The annual moving average for Americans is closer to 11 or 12 percent in other years.
3. Of those people, only about one-tenth (3 million) moved between states.
You can take this to mean that about one percent of the population moves out of state every year.
State moves require more money, planning, and motivation. Many people don't want to leave their established lives.
4. Moving rates are declining. In comparison to the 1960's, only about half the number of people are moving on a yearly basis.
The declining moving rate might be partially related to economic uncertainty and insecurity.
In the 1960s, people tended to have much more financially stable jobs. Low wages make moving difficult today.
5. Almost 60% of the moves in the U.S. take place between May and August, making summer the most popular time to move.
The majority of places in the U.S. have a mild to moderate summer climate.
It's a lot easier to move when you aren't battling snow or other inclement weather. Summer moves are also easier logistically for families with children.
6. Interstate moves cost more than $4,000 on average.
When you're moving interstate, you have to get yourself and your vehicles and your items to a new location.
Depending how far it is, you might need to pay for plane fare or hotel rooms.
7. But moving in state costs less than $1,000 on average, depending on a variety of factors.
Many people DIY their own moves. Instead of hiring a professional, they pack and transport their items themselves. Doing this can save significantly on costs. Renting moving trucks is cheaper locally than interstate.
8. The average pay for a local mover is $25 per hour.
Local movers are paid well above federal and state minimum wage, whether you choose a small business or national moving company. Their job involves significant physical labor, so you're compensating them for that.
9. 44% of all moves in the U.S. are of individuals or families.
Individuals and families are the most likely to relocate their spaces.
The most common reasons are wanting to upgrade to a new house, move for work, or move due to rising rents.
10. Corporations aren't far behind, with 38% of moves being done by corporations.
Businesses are the next most likely to move their commercial space. These might be small businesses or larger companies that need to set up in a new storefront.
11. Military moves and government agency moves make up the final two categories, at 16% and 2% respectively.
Military families move more often than the rest of the categories at large, but they make up a relatively small percentage of the total moves in the country. Government agencies are the least likely to locate their operating spaces.
12. Most people who move are young couples with one or two children.
The younger you are, the easier it is to move. Older couples with lots of children are unlikely to move. Conversely, young couples with new babies often move because they want to upgrade to a new home.
13. Renters are more likely to move than homeowners.
Renters have more reasons to move than homeowners, as they sometimes leave due to rising rents on their property.
In addition, homeowners have less motivation to move. It's a much bigger hassle to sell a house than to leave a rented apartment.
14. In 2017, 21.7% of renters underwent a move. That's more than 1/5th of every renter in the U.S. But in 1988, 35.2% underwent a move, or more than 1 in 3.
Though renters move more often than homeowners, they've been moving less than they used to. One-third of all renters moved in 1988. Today, renters tend to be much more settled.
15. Only 5.5% of homeowners underwent a move in 2017, or about 1 in 20.
Homeowners don't tend to move often because they have a mortgage to pay off. One driving motivation for homeowners to move is if the housing market is good enough for them to gain a profit by selling their house.
The percentage of homeowners who move varies depending on the state of the housing market.
16. The most commonly moved items are household goods, making up 73% of moved items.
Household goods make up the majority of items that are moved. These might include furniture, supplies, decorations, and other odds and ends.
The next most common category is computers, electronics, and other commercial equipment.
17. People with one-bedroom homes are most likely to move, making up around 28% of the moving stats.
People with one-bedroom homes are the most likely to upgrade their houses as they start a family. In addition, these people tend to be younger, so they're part of the demographic likely to move regardless.
18. Approximately 50,000 moving trucks exist in the U.S.
Some moving trucks are exclusive to local companies. But many can be rented and driven across the country.
With nationwide moving companies, you can pick up a moving truck in one location and drop it off at another location across the country.
19. Approximately 122,000 people work in the moving industry in the U.S, with a payroll of over 3.5 billion dollars.
The payroll is just one small portion of the economic revenue generated by this industry.
Movers use their paychecks to support their families, leading to further economic generation.
20. The moving industry has grown at around 3% each year since the Great Recession ended.
The industry did see a slight decrease in revenue in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is projected to rebound at a growth rate of about 5%.
Industry growth might plateau in future years as the housing market does.
21. Almost 50% of the moving companies in the United States are small businesses with less than 5 employees.
Local moving companies make up the majority of moving companies in the U.S. Even among companies with more than 5 employees, most are local.
Large chains are easy to identify, but there aren't many of them.
22. Less than 10% of moving companies employ over 100 people.
Most of these moving companies have multiple locations. Some are local, with a few locations operating in different areas of one state.
Others are nationwide. Companies like Uhaul have locations all over the U.S.
23. There are around 7,000 moving companies established in the U.S, many of which are local. These companies operate almost 14,000 total locations.
A lot of local moving companies operate out of one location. Many of these are family owned and have just one or two movers.
Large corporations like Uhaul can have hundreds of locations nationwide, but they have a pseudo-monopoly on the national moving market.
24. The moving industry's economic impact is approximately $86 billion every year in the U.S.
This is separate from the housing industry, whose market generates significantly more money.
25. The industry indirectly creates almost half a million jobs and directly creates almost 200,000 jobs.
The direct jobs are held by movers and people employed directly by moving companies. Indirect jobs are related to infrastructure, storage, and logistics, among other industries.
26. The industry generates nearly $10 billion in tax revenue every year.
Tax revenue is a big deal because it measures how useful an industry is to a country. In the U.S, there's a significant amount of tax revenue from income and business taxes.
27. Moving and self storage often go hand-in-hand. The self storage industry generates $36 billion in revenue annually.
Self storage companies are those that rent storage units to individuals. When people are moving, they often use self storage to hold their excess items as they get settled and unpack.
28. You can find more self storage units than Starbucks and McDonalds combined in the U.S.
Self storage units come in a variety of different sizes. In general, you'll pay more for a larger unit.
Different self storage companies can have hundreds of these available for rent at a single location.
29. Revenue from the industry comes mostly from the costs of moving, making up 69.6% of the gross. Storage, packing, packaging, and miscellaneous costs make up the rest of the revenue.
Moving itself is a costly business that requires a lot of logistical thinking and transportation. The cost of packaging and packing also factors in, as does the cost of a storage unit.
30. Fewer millennials move than previous generations. Approximately 20% of millennials move annually, while 26 percent of Baby Boomers and Gen X moved at the same age.
While many millennials say they are interested in living in their dream location, few of them move. They also leave their parents later than previous generations.
31. In 1963, 82% of Baby Boomers ages 25 to 35 were married and cohabitating with a spouse. That number is just 42 percent for today's millennials.
Today's millennials are less likely to marry young. Many prefer to stay single and explore the dating scene. You can also find platonic roommates more easily than married couples.
32. Fewer millennials own homes these days, with 37% owning a home today in comparison to 56 percent of the Baby Boomer generation in 1981.
This may be influenced by several factors. Most importantly, millennials are paid lower wages and have less economic security than Baby Boomers did at their age. This makes them less likely to buy housing.
33. Four out of five millennials say they would take a pay cut if they could move to their dream area.
Millennials want to live in their dream homes and dream locations. Living in a good area matters more to them than the amount of money they make.
34. Friday and Saturday are the most popular days of the week that people move, with 20% and 18% of moves happening on each day respectively.
It's easiest for people to move during the weekends, since people with office jobs don't need to worry about making it to their job.
35. In 2018, the busiest day to move was June 1. August 1 took second place.
It's common for people to move right as the school year ends or begins, particularly families moving between school districts.
The beginning of the month is when some salaried workers get their paychecks, so it makes sense to move then.
36. Only 13.4% of Americans move to another state each year, and less than 0.4% move to a different country.
It's very uncommon for Americans to relocate to another state or country. The most common reason for doing so is moving for a work opportunity.
37. More than 40% of all movers in the U.S. moved fewer than 50 miles from their current location.
People often move within their own zip code, sometimes within their own neighborhood. It's also common for people to stay in their own city.
When people do relocate to new towns, it tends to be somewhere with a closer commute to work.
38. Idaho, Nevada, and Vermont are the three most common states for people to move to.
These three states have a variety of job opportunities and economic factors that make them popular for new movers.
With Idaho, there's also a large Mormon population that grows bigger with each passing year.
39. Illinois, New Jersey, and West Virginia are the three most common states for people to move away from.
People commonly move out of New Jersey and to Pennsylvania or New York. In West Virginia, poor infrastructure and economic uncertainty often lead to moves.
40. Idaho had the largest net gain of movers in 2018, with a gain of over 84%.
The majority of people who moved to Idaho came from California. The state attracts Californians because it has a laidback, rural feel, in contrast to California's bustling cities.
There are also robust job opportunities in the healthcare and agricultural industries.
41. Nebraska had the largest net loss in 2018, with a loss of almost 20%.
People who move to Nebraska tend to be older. The younger population is much more likely to leave the state, with college educated youth often leaving for greener pastures without returning.
42. People moving out of North and South Dakota move the longest distance on average, going approximately 1200 miles.
North and South Dakota are both some of the most rural states in the U.S, and they aren't surrounded by much. People who cross the border are often going to metropolitan areas hundreds or thousands of miles away.
43. People moving out of Pennsylvania and New Hampshire go the shortest distance on average, just 50 and 65 miles.
In New Hampshire, people often move to metropolitan areas in Massachusetts and Connecticut to escape the state's rural nature.
With Pennsylvania, people are likely to move to New Jersey or another neighboring state.
44. 1.35 million people move without any assistance each year. 1.0 million use a rented moving truck and DIY. Approximately 650,000 people hire professional movers for help.
The vast majority of people DIY their moves to some extent. It's much less common for people to hire movers to help.
People are more likely to hire movers if they're pressed for time, wealthy, or have disabilities that make it difficult to DIY.
45. 17.4% of people move because they want a better apartment or house. Around 12.2% move because they're establishing their own household for the first time.
Upgrading to a new apartment or house is common when you get promoted or land a job with a better salary.
Similarly, people want to move out of their parents' house once they achieve their own financial independence.
46. 1 out of 4 people who move for work later end up regretting doing so.
While most people who move for work are happy with their decision, quite a few aren't. The unhappiness might be related to homesickness and lack of social connections in the new location.
47. Moving creates 900 million cardboard boxes in waste, along with 8.4 million tons of trash that gets thrown away.
Moving can be wasteful. It's a good idea to recycle as much as you can, and to pass on your old items to secondhand stores or neighbors before you go.
48. Approximately 48% of moves are related to housing, while 30% are related to family.
Housing is a big priority. People move because they want better housing or lower rents.
If you're raising a family, you might move so you have more room for your kids to grow up. Or you might prioritize a neighborhood with better schools.
49. Storage unit facilities tend to have an average of 46,000 square feet of rentable space.
An average unit might be 10 by 10 feet, with 100 feet of rentable space. Every facility might have hundreds of units lined up for people to access.
50. There are 2.3 billion square feet in total of self storage units in the U.S, the equivalent of 82.5 square miles.
While not every self storage unit is occupied, there is a huge amount of storage space being taken up. People use these units to hold their extraneous items and the junk they have yet to go through.
51. The most expensive place in the U.S. to rent a small storage unit is San Francisco.
San Francisco, with its high cost of living and tiny houses, has a huge demand for storage units. Because of this, the price for renting is much higher than in other places in the U.S.
Conclusion
These moving statistics tell you more about how people are thinking about relocating each year.
Global events and economic happenings affect the stats. Let us know if you or your loved ones have moved this year!
How To Clean Tile Floors
Now you can order cleaning services
in just 5 minutes
