Average Cross Country Moving Costs & Affordable Options
- American National Movers
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
Cross country moving pricing varies from economical to extremely expensive. Online data and reports show that brands like American National Movers offer cross-country rates as low as $4,500 for small moves and $7,000 for larger shipments. While other local and national moving companies will quote $15,000 to $30,000 for a mid-sized to large shipment. While cross country moving is generally expensive, there are affordable options available if you know where to look.
Key Points of Article
✓ Why Cross Country Moving Costs Can Be Expensive And Vary?
✓ Is $15,000 to $30,000 a Standard Price When Moving Coast to Coast?
✓ What is The Average Cost of Cross Country Movers?
✓ What Are Cheaper Moving Options?
Why Cross Country Moving Costs Can Be Expensive And Vary?
Cross country moving rates vary widely based on the mover's business model, a major concept many consumers do not understand.
1) Service-Based Locations
As an example, if you’re moving from New York to Oregon and contact Long distance movers in New York, but they don’t have a location in Oregon, you will be billed for a higher fuel surcharge, deadhead miles, and travel time. This is why affordable national moving companies are popular: they can deliver your load to your new state without having to drive back to your previous state. This results in significant savings.
2) Profit Margins
Some brands won't touch a cross-country load, regardless of size, unless it has at least $5,000 in profit after operational expenses. After factoring in operational expenses for moving from coast to coast,, you’re looking at $10,000+ (depending on the size of your shipment).
3) Company Overhead
Everyone is aware of the popular cross-country moving companies, franchises like Two Men and a Truck, United, Allied, and Mayflower. They’re popular because of the massive marketing budgets and the carrier agents they work with. However, major franchises have to charge much higher cross-country moving rates due to middlemen and company overhead.
Is a $15,000 to $30,000 Quote Standard For Cross Country Movers?
In many cases, paying $15,000 to $30,000 to transport furniture 2,000+ miles is an overcharge by premium brands. There are definitely cheaper options available aside from contacting major van lines.
What Cheaper Options Are Available?
Before choosing a cheaper relocation option, please check reviews to ensure your movers are capable, reliable, and trustworthy.
1) American National Movers
American National Movers, a highly rated shared-load moving company, can transport your household goods across the country for an average cost of $6,500. Sometimes prices can be higher or lower depending on the size of your shipment. For more information on how shared load moving works, please visit our page here.
2) Colonial Van Lines
Colonial has relatively low prices compared to other national moving companies, and many people consider their services. However, their online reviews vary widely from great to horrible experiences. Please be sure to thoroughly vet them and ask for a guaranteed price in writing if you choose their cross-country moving services.
3) PODS Moving and Storage
PODS is not a full-service moving company; they handle transportation and ask that you handle the labor. With PODS, you can transport your furniture across the country for an average cost of about $6,000.
4) Allied Van Lines Â
Allied has reasonable prices for cross-country relocations, but some people still report them as expensive because it's a major van line with a higher markup.
The Average Cost Of Cross Country Moving Companies
We contacted three of the moving companies mentioned above for quotes: American National Movers, Colonial, Allied, and United Van Lines. Please see the content below on the average cost of transporting furniture across the country with movers.
For small shipments, American National Movers offers the best prices for cross-country shipments, with an average cost of $3,800 to $4,000. For larger loads, prices remain economical, starting at $6,000. Your total price is based on the size of your shipment and the required services.
Colonial is also one of the cheapest cross country movers in the states, with an average cost of $8,000. However, they use carrier agents to perform their moves, and client experiences vary. Should you choose Colonial Van Lines, be sure to negotiate a binding price and a guaranteed delivery window.
Allied is a great moving company compared to many other national carriers, which have several negative reviews. Because Allied is a major brand, expect an average price of $10,000 for most cross country shipments.
United was placed last on this list, because their rates start at about $13,000 even for smaller shipments. This is because United is a premium brand that generally handles larger shipments and may charge upwards of $15,000 to transport furniture from coast to coast.
Why We Only Included 4 Cross Country Moving Companies?
Moving a household 2000+ miles away is not easy, and it requires the help of professional movers with a proven track record of success. There are several other moving companies in the market, but they have inconsistencies.
Too Expensive For The Average Consumer.
Little To No Online Reputation.
Operational for less than 5 Years.
Bad Online Reviews.
Sure, you can call Mayflower, Atlas, Two Men And A Truck, but be prepared to spend a massive amount of money that’s simply not worth it for many consumers. Or you can contact a smaller brand for a cheaper quote, but you'll face a higher risk of damage, hidden fees, and delivery delays. This is why the companies above mentioned in our charts are good cross country moving options to consider; many of them are affordable and have a reputation for reliability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are common questions people ask when looking into cross country moving services.
1) How Much Should I Expect to Pay for a Cross-Country Move?
Cross-country moving pricing generally starts at $4,000 and can go up to $10,000 or more. The key cost insights are mileage, shipment weight, required services, and the date of your relocation. Relocating during May-August will result in higher rates due to the busy season for cross-country movers.
2) Is $5,000 Enough to Move Cross Country?
$5,000 is generally enough to move cross-country if you hire a brand like American National Movers and have a small-to-mid-sized shipment (studio to 2-bedroom).
3) What Is The Most Cost-Efficient Way To Move Cross Country?
Shared load moving, downsizing, and/or PODS are the most cost-effective options for cross-country shipments in 2026.
4) What Is The Cheapest Month To Move Cross Country?
The cheapest month to relocate cross country with a mover is during the slow season, which generally starts in November and ends in February. In February, rates start to increase for many popular and reputable cross country moving companies.
Get A Quote: American National Movers
Several moving companies are expensive for cross country hauls, but American National Movers remains affordable and reliable. In many cases, consumers can ship their household goods from coast to coast for under $6,500. Call for a quote today (800) 936-3086.