California to Texas
Moving from California to Texas
Reviewers who moved from California to Texas paid a median $4,500. 77,161 people made the move in 2024, and 45,447 went the other way. Los Angeles to Austin, the most common run in our file, is 1,379 miles.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 23 September 2026
Reviewers paid
$4,500
median, 253 priced reviews
Moved last year
77,161
CA to TX, 2024
Typical drive
1,379 mi
Los Angeles to Austin
Cost of living
-12.3%
TX vs CA, US = 100
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 3 Nov 2026 (reviewer-reported); US Census Bureau, ACS state-to-state migration, 2024; OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (driving route); BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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California to Texas · median paid
$4,500
253 reviewed moves
1,379 road miles
Median and middle half of what 253 reviewers paid on this lane. A mover's written estimate is what counts.
What it costs
California to Texas moving cost
Across 253 priced reviews of moves from California to Texas, the median was $4,500 and the middle half paid $2,800 to $7,800. Home sizes and distances are mixed; the table below is by size.
Planning ranges for 1,000 to 2,000 miles moves, by home size, as of September 2026. Research fallback, not a first-party median and not a bid.
| Home size | Full-service range |
|---|---|
| Studio | $2,200 to $4,000 |
| 1 bedroom | $3,000 to $5,200 |
| 2 bedroom | $4,000 to $7,200 |
| 3 bedroom | $5,400 to $9,400 |
| 4+ bedroom | $7,000 to $12,000 |
Source: Haulest research bands, September 2026 (band set by the Los Angeles to Austin drive).
Live numbers: US on-highway diesel $6.29 per gallon for the week of 2026-11-02 (EIA weekly US on-highway diesel via FRED GASDESW). A fuel surcharge on a long lane follows the diesel line; ask how the mover sets it.
From the review file
Movers with reviews on the California to Texas run
How this list was made. Every mover here has at least two reviews in our file for a move from California to Texas. Sorted by how many matching reviews each mover has, not by rating. Corpus as of 3 Nov 2026. Not a ranking and not a recommendation.
| Mover | Based | Record | Matching reviews | All reviews | Median reported, this run | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPS Moving | San Diego, CA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 1754831 | 5 | 414.0 mean, dated | $6,000 | 29 May 2023 |
| Upline Moving | San Leandro, CA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 1881933 | 5 | 264.0 mean, dated | $3,600 | 26 Oct 2023 |
| West Coast Movers | Las Vegas, NV | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2086298 | 5 | 262.0 mean, dated | $1,464 | 21 Jul 2016 |
| State to State Logistics | Canoga Park, CA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 3168977 | 4 | 541.0 mean, dated | $5,000 | 23 Nov 2020 |
| Golden Gate Relocation LLC | Norfolk, VA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 3953898 | 4 | 443.0 mean, dated | $7,800 | 15 Sept 2025 |
| Beefcake Moving & Storage | Chatsworth, CA | CarrierUSDOT 1827326 | 4 | 384.0 mean, dated | $4,800 | 18 Jul 2020 |
| Spartan Van Lines | Castro Valley, CA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2559630 | 4 | 213.0 mean, dated | $11,000 | 3 Aug 2022 |
| Interstate Moving LLC | Wilmington, DE | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 3362921 | 4 | 172.0 mean, dated | $4,800 | 26 Sept 2021 |
| Safe Ship Moving Services | Boca Raton, FL | BrokerUSDOT 3475743 | 3 | 1,2664.0 mean, dated | $5,300 | 29 Jan 2026 |
| Long Distance Relocation Group Inc | Fort Lauderdale, FL | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2909444 | 3 | 2094.0 mean, dated | $2,800 | 16 Mar 2019 |
| California Relocation Systems LLC | Los Angeles, CA | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 3192271 | 3 | 1564.0 mean, dated | $3,200 | 27 Nov 2020 |
| Elite Moving & Storage | Sun Valley, CA | CarrierUSDOT 1360438 | 3 | 984.0 mean, dated | $6,350 | 4 Oct 2022 |
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 3 Nov 2026; FMCSA Licensing and Insurance, household-goods authority (record column).
Recent reviews
People who moved California to Texas
5 of 5 · 15 Oct 2026 · reported $3,600
“Roadway saved the day! My long distance move and full packing service was worth every penny! They made this process so smooth from start to finish! I would move 100 times over again as long as I was using Roadway moving! My items all made it to dallas safe and sound and I can’t wait for this next chapter!”
1 of 5 · 25 Sept 2026 · reported $7,000
“stole over $12k from me. not a moving company at all. owner not grom florida either. this company has nothing to do with moving. tried sueing them but they closed up shop and ran. cowards and crooks..”
5 of 5 · 28 Jul 2026 · reported $3,700
“Our job was pretty hard - we had just made a cross country move with two pods full of very heavy furniture and a ton of inefficiently packed heavy boxes. Juan, Jacob and Omar unloaded everything into our home in only 2 hours with zero damage to our furniture!! They even assembled all four of our…”
What went wrong on this run: of 254 reviews, 43% mention damage and 26% a delay or a no-show. Reviewer-reported, counted by phrase.
Who makes this move
The numbers are a headcount of movers, and they stop there.
Census puts the flow at 77,161. In the 2024 ACS, 77,161 people moved from California to Texas, with a margin of plus or minus 9,059. The reverse count is 45,447 people who moved from Texas to California in the same year. The numbers are a headcount of movers, and they stop there.
Prices and wage tax sit at different levels. BEA regional price parity for 2024 sets California at 110.7 and Texas at 97.1, with the US index at 100. California taxes wages. Texas has no tax on wages. These figures record price parity and wage-tax status only.
What the job looks like
Delivery is a window set on the order for service.
The common run is a long drive. The most common trip in our file is Los Angeles to Austin, 1,379 miles and about 24 hours behind the wheel. How many calendar days that takes is the carrier's schedule, and this file does not fix it. Price on a long-distance move is weight and miles. Delivery is a window set on the order for service.
The reviews are mixed on money and mishaps. Across 254 reviews, the median reported price is $4,500, from 253 priced reviews. The middle half runs $2,800 to $7,800, and those prices mix home sizes and distances. 43% of the reviews mention damage. 26% mention a delay or a no-show.
Before you book
The delivery window belongs on the order for service, in writing, before the truck leaves.
Check the license before the deposit. An interstate household move needs a mover with an active USDOT number and FMCSA household-goods authority. Look that up before you pay anything. A license lookup takes less time than arguing with a truck that never had the right paper.
Get the estimate type in writing. Ask for a binding estimate or a not-to-exceed estimate, and read it the way the estimate guide describes. On a non-binding estimate, the mover must deliver once you pay 110 percent of the estimate. Keep the 110 percent rule in mind before you hand over more cash than the paper shows.
Write the window and the deposit down. The delivery window belongs on the order for service, in writing, before the truck leaves. Deposit terms belong there too. Read how deposits work so a large upfront payment is a choice you made on purpose.
Leaving California, arriving in Texas.
| California | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US = 100) | 110.7 | 97.1 |
| Median home sale price | $887,400 | $356,100 |
| Median days on market | 33 | 56 |
| State income tax on wages | Taxes wages | No tax on wages |
| People who moved in 2024 | 45,447 arrived from Texas | 77,161 arrived from California |
Sources: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, read 1 Oct 2026; State revenue departments (wage tax, 2026); US Census Bureau, ACS, 2024.
When to go: in California, the busiest month for home sales over the last year was Oct 2025 and the quietest was Jan 2026. Movers fill up on the same calendar. Check your date.
Source: Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage (California homes sold by month).
Doing it yourself
Driving a rental truck from California to Texas
1,379 road miles, about 24 hours at the wheel (3 driving days at nine hours a day). Fuel below uses this week's EIA price and the low end of each brand's mpg, because a loaded truck does worse than the brochure.
- Studio10 to 12 ft truckFuel $491 to $736gasoline
- 1 or 2 bedroom15 to 16 ft truckFuel $491 to $981gasoline
- 3 bedroom20 to 22 ft truckFuel $589 to $674gas or diesel, by brand
- 4 bedroom26 ft truckFuel $674 to $1,095gas or diesel, by brand
For comparison: reviewers who hired full-service movers on California to Texas moves paid a median $4,500 (253 priced reviews). The truck line above is fuel only: add the rental, mileage or days, coverage, equipment, tolls, a night on the road, and your time.
Sources: Brand spec pages (U-Haul, Penske, Budget) (mpg and fuel type); US EIA weekly retail prices (week of 26 Oct 2026); OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (road miles).
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How many people moved from California to Texas?
- The Census ACS 2024 counts 77,161 people moving from California to Texas, with a margin of plus or minus 9,059. The other direction was 45,447 people, Texas to California. The survey is a headcount of movers.
- How far is the most common California to Texas run?
- In our file the most common city pair is Los Angeles to Austin, 1,379 miles and about 24 hours of driving. Calendar days on the road follow the carrier's schedule, which these reviews do not set. Price for that distance is based on weight and miles.
- What did people report paying?
- The median reported price is $4,500 across 253 priced reviews, out of 254 reviews in the file. The middle half falls between $2,800 and $7,800. Those figures mix home sizes and distances, so they are a spread, not a quote for one shipment.
- How often do reviews mention damage or a delay?
- 43% of the reviews for this run mention damage. 26% mention a delay or a no-show. A written delivery window, plus an active USDOT number and household-goods authority, is the practical check before those complaints show up.
- What should I have in writing before I book?
- Confirm an active USDOT number and FMCSA household-goods authority, and ask whether the estimate is binding or not-to-exceed. On a non-binding estimate, the mover must deliver when you pay 110 percent of the estimate. Put the delivery window and the deposit terms on the order for service before you pay.
Next
Keep going
- Texas to CaliforniaThe same run the other way.
- Moving in CaliforniaWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Moving in TexasWho regulates the move, and the top-rated movers there.
- Long distance moversWeight, miles, and where the bill grows.
- What movers costNational medians by year and lane.
- The 110% ruleWhat you can be made to pay on delivery day.
About Anthony Bale
A moving industry professional, author and writer. Anthony has been at different positions in the industry for the last 10 years, gaining significant knowledge on the relocation process. He himself has moved 6 times already, which helped him explore the other side of the moving process.
At Haulest he writes the US cost, hiring, and rights pages, reading the licensed review file every week so the numbers on the page are the numbers people reported.
Call for a written California to Texas quote
From, then To. Date and home size after that. A person on the phone is faster if you already know the dates.
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