Moving to Texas: 2026 costs & movers
Texas has led the nation in inbound moves for years, drawing households with no state income tax, lower housing costs, and a fast-growing job market across its major metros.
Typical local move, 2-bedroom home
$825–$1,225
Local cost index
-6% vs national
Largest city
Houston
Cities covered
5
National baseline scaled to Texas · how we calculate
Cost of movers in Texas: hourly crew rates
Texas is cheap on both inputs that matter: a low wage base and housing that is overwhelmingly single-family with driveways and garages. What Texas adds is distance, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth are large enough that a local move can carry an hour of paid drive time, and summer military PCS cycles tighten supply from June through August.
A local move is billed by the hour, so the crew rate is the number that decides the bill. These are 2026 Texas rates with the truck, fuel, dollies, and pads included:
| Crew size | Rate / hour | Typical for |
|---|---|---|
| 2 movers | $117 | Studio – 1BR |
| 3 movers | $175 | 2BR – 3BR |
| 4 movers | $233 | 4BR+ |
Almost every company also bills a 2–4 hour minimum plus travel time, so a very small job rarely lands below the studio row in the next table. The hourly rates guide covers minimums, travel-time billing, and labor-only crews in full.
Texas local move cost by home size
| Home size | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $300 | $375 | $475 |
| 1 Bedroom | $425 | $525 | $625 |
| 2 Bedroom | $825 | $1,000 | $1,225 |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,125 | $1,375 | $1,700 |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,800 | $2,200 | $2,700 |
| 5+ Bedroom | $2,200 | $2,700 | $3,300 |
Local rates run below the national average statewide, but summer demand, amplified by military PCS cycles and the school calendar, tightens crew supply from June through August.
How much does it cost to move to Texas from out of state?
An interstate move is priced on a different basis than a local one. Instead of crew hours at a local rate, you are paying for the weight of your household moved a given distance, and that per-mile carrier cost is national, not Texas-specific. The crew hours are also split between an origin market and a Texas destination market, so we do not scale these figures by Texas's local cost index, doing so would overstate how much the destination changes the price.
Here are the 12 interstate lanes into Texas we publish rates for, priced at each corridor's actual road distance for a 3-bedroom household:
| Corridor | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA to Dallas (781 mi) | $3,475 | $4,225 | $5,150 |
| Denver, CO to Austin (920 mi) | $3,750 | $4,575 | $5,575 |
| Chicago, IL to Dallas (925 mi) | $3,750 | $4,575 | $5,575 |
| Phoenix, AZ to Dallas (1,065 mi) | $4,025 | $4,900 | $5,975 |
| Chicago, IL to Austin (1,160 mi) | $4,225 | $5,150 | $6,275 |
| Los Angeles, CA to Austin (1,377 mi) | $4,625 | $5,650 | $6,900 |
| Los Angeles, CA to Dallas (1,435 mi) | $4,750 | $5,800 | $7,075 |
| New York, NY to Dallas (1,550 mi) | $4,950 | $6,050 | $7,375 |
| New York, NY to Houston (1,630 mi) | $5,075 | $6,175 | $7,525 |
| San Jose, CA to Austin (1,720 mi) | $5,175 | $6,325 | $7,725 |
| San Francisco, CA to Austin (1,754 mi) | $5,225 | $6,375 | $7,775 |
| Seattle, WA to Austin (2,113 mi) | $5,725 | $6,975 | $8,500 |
Smaller households scale down from here: a 1-bedroom runs roughly half a 3-bedroom at the same distance, and a studio about a third. Moving in peak season (May–September) or in the last five days of a month adds 15–24% on top. The long-distance guide has the full matrix by home size and distance.
Moving cost by city in Texas
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Popular Texas moving routes
Moving to Texas
Moving to Texas FAQ
In 2026, Texas movers charge about $117/hour for a 2-mover crew, $175/hour for 3 movers, and $233/hour for 4, with the truck included. A typical 2-bedroom local move works out to $825–$1,225 all in.
Texas is cheap on both inputs that matter: a low wage base and housing that is overwhelmingly single-family with driveways and garages. What Texas adds is distance, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth are large enough that a local move can carry an hour of paid drive time, and summer military PCS cycles tighten supply from June through August.
Interstate pricing is set by weight and distance, not by Texas's local labor market. For a 3-bedroom household, expect about $2,100–$3,150 from a neighbouring state, $3,900–$5,800 from roughly 1,000 miles away, and $6,500–$9,675 coast to coast. Smaller homes cost proportionally less.
A local move within Texas runs about $300–$475 for a studio up to $2,200–$3,300 for a large house, at Texas crew rates for a roughly 15-mile move. Anything past about 50 miles starts picking up per-mile transport on top of the crew hours.
Among the Texas metros we cover, rates vary by local labor market and building access. Compare Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso on their city pages below, each shows hourly crew rates and a full cost table.
Local rates run below the national average statewide, but summer demand, amplified by military PCS cycles and the school calendar, tightens crew supply from June through August.