New Jersey to California
Moving from New Jersey to California
Reviewers who moved from New Jersey to California paid a median $4,250. 9,653 people made the move in 2024, and 8,021 went the other way. Newark to Los Angeles, the most common run in our file, is 2,784 miles.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 23 September 2026
Reviewers paid
$4,250
median, 80 priced reviews
Moved last year
9,653
NJ to CA, 2024
Typical drive
2,784 mi
Newark to Los Angeles
Cost of living
+1.8%
CA vs NJ, US = 100
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 21 Sept 2026 (reviewer-reported); US Census Bureau, ACS state-to-state migration, 2024; OSRM on OpenStreetMap data (driving route); BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
What it costs
New Jersey to California moving cost
Across 80 priced reviews of moves from New Jersey to California, the median was $4,250 and the middle half paid $3,140 to $6,500. Home sizes and distances are mixed; the table below is by size.
Planning ranges for 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 | $2,800–$5,000 |
| 1 bedroom | $3,600–$6,400 |
| 2 bedroom | $4,800–$8,600 |
| 3 bedroom | $6,400–$11,200 |
| 4+ bedroom | $8,200–$14,500 |
Source: Haulest research bands, September 2026 (band set by the Newark to Los Angeles drive).
Live numbers: US on-highway diesel $5.60 per gallon for the week of 2026-08-31 (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 New Jersey to California run
How this list was made. Every mover here has at least two reviews in our file for a move from New Jersey to California. Sorted by how many matching reviews each mover has, not by rating. Corpus as of 21 Sept 2026. Not a ranking and not a recommendation.
| Mover | Based | Record | Matching reviews | All reviews | Median reported, this run | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keira Moving | Iselin, NJ | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2834862 | 4 | 373.6 mean, dated | $4,800 | 9 Nov 2021 |
| Top Movers Corporation | Cranford, NJ | No FMCSA match | 4 | 183.0 mean, dated | $5,032 | 29 Jan 2017 |
| True State Moving Services | Newark, NJ | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2953776 | 4 | 163.3 mean, dated | $5,100 | 30 May 2019 |
| New Jersey Transport | Clifton, NJ | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2524269 | 3 | 383.4 mean, dated | $3,000 | 4 Apr 2018 |
| Northern Elite Van Lines | Belleville, NJ | CarrierUSDOT 3291364 | 2 | 1574.1 mean, dated | $7,211 | 16 Dec 2025 |
| Prestige Worldwide Moving | Miramar Beach, FL | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2569326 | 2 | 1333.3 mean, dated | $25,000 | 18 May 2017 |
| Navy Seals Moving | Hackensack, NJ | No FMCSA match | 2 | 965.0 mean, dated | $3,640 | 17 Sept 2021 |
| Traditional Express Van Lines | Metuchen, NJ | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2373664 | 2 | 563.2 mean, dated | $3,650 | 22 Dec 2018 |
| J&J Moore Nationwide Van Lines | Lake Worth, FL | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 3075428 | 2 | 382.8 mean, dated | $1,700 | 18 Sept 2018 |
| State to State Relocation | Harrison, NJ | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2507756 | 2 | 372.6 mean, dated | $10,000 | 12 Jun 2015 |
| Express Moving Van Lines | Wallington, NJ | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 2284161 | 2 | 284.6 mean, dated | $4,770 | 22 Jan 2014 |
| Reliable Van & Storage | Elizabeth, NJ | No FMCSA matchUSDOT 076235 | 2 | 152.9 mean, dated | $17,583 | 11 May 2021 |
Sources: Haulest licensed review file (MoveAdvisor), 21 Sept 2026; FMCSA Licensing and Insurance, household-goods authority (record column).
Recent reviews
People who moved New Jersey to California
5 of 5 · 25 Aug 2026 · reported $4,063
“I had a tiny apartment filled with books and kitchen stuff. Packing took forever, but the movers came in and knew exactly what to do. They wrapped every box, stacked them properly, and moved everything fast. When I unpacked later, everything was where it should have been.”
5 of 5 · 6 Jul 2026 · reported $3,140
“Awesome awesome awesome. Y'all made today so much easier. And the movers not only moved my stuff, but kept me entertained (and completely appreciated my Phife Dawg moving playlist). High fives to the guys for figuring out how to both take apart and put back together my day bed. Every step of this…”
5 of 5 · 28 Jun 2026 · reported $8,900
“Very hard working. Moved our 4500 square foot house with no damage to anything. Also moved a VERY HEAVY weight machine down a very narrow set of steps. Took it apart and put it back together again. Very impressive.”
What went wrong on this run: of 80 reviews, 30% mention damage and 14% a delay or a no-show. Reviewer-reported, counted by phrase.
Who makes this move
Those are headcounts, not a story about why anyone packed a truck.
Census puts the flow at 9,653. About 9,653 people (margin plus or minus 2,769) moved from New Jersey to California in the 2024 ACS count. The reverse trip was smaller: 8,021 people left California for New Jersey. Those are headcounts, not a story about why anyone packed a truck.
Prices sit a bit higher in California. BEA price parity for 2024 sets the United States at 100. New Jersey is 108.8 and California is 110.7, so the same basket costs slightly more in California. Both states tax wages. This page does not quote a rate.
What the job looks like
Delivery is a window set on the order for service, not a clock time you can plan a pizza around.
The usual run is Newark to Los Angeles. That pair is the most common in our file, at 2,784 miles and about 50 hours behind the wheel. The drive is not a single workday, and the truck still has to be loaded before it rolls. Long-distance household goods are priced by weight and miles.
Reported prices spread across a wide band. Across 80 reviews the median reported price is $4,250, from 80 priced reviews. The middle half runs from $3,140 to $6,500, and those figures mix home sizes and distances. Delivery is a window set on the order for service, not a clock time you can plan a pizza around.
Damage shows up more often than a delay. Of those reviews, 30% mention damage and 14% mention a delay or a no-show. That is the pattern in our file for this run, not a promise about your shipment. Compare two bids only when they cover the same weight and the same miles.
Before you book
An interstate household move needs a mover with an active USDOT number and FMCSA household-goods authority.
Start with the license, not the logo. An interstate household move needs a mover with an active USDOT number and FMCSA household-goods authority. Check the number in the license lookup before you hand over a deposit. A name painted on a truck is not that check.
Pin down the kind of estimate. Ask for a binding estimate or a not-to-exceed estimate, and read how to read a moving estimate before you sign. On a non-binding estimate the mover must deliver on payment of 110 percent of the estimate, and you can still owe the rest. The 110 percent rule is the short version of that duty.
Put the window and the deposit on paper. The delivery window should be written on the order for service before the truck leaves. Deposit terms should sit on that same paperwork, and what a deposit can cover is worth reading before the first payment. Keep both lines next to the estimate you actually signed.
Leaving New Jersey, arriving in California.
| New Jersey | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US = 100) | 108.8 | 110.7 |
| Median home sale price | $579,900 | $887,400 |
| Median days on market | 35 | 33 |
| State income tax on wages | Taxes wages | Taxes wages |
| People who moved in 2024 | 8,021 arrived from California | 9,653 arrived from New Jersey |
Sources: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, read 22 Sept 2026; State revenue departments (wage tax, 2026); US Census Bureau, ACS, 2024.
When to go: in New Jersey, the busiest month for home sales over the last year was Jul 2025 and the quietest was Feb 2026. Movers fill up on the same calendar. Check your date.
Source: Data provided by Redfin, a national real estate brokerage (New Jersey homes sold by month).
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- How many people moved from New Jersey to California?
- The 2024 Census ACS counts 9,653 people moving from New Jersey to California, with a margin of plus or minus 2,769. The reverse flow is 8,021 people moving from California to New Jersey. The counts do not say why anyone moved.
- What is the most common New Jersey to California run?
- In our file the most common run is Newark to Los Angeles, 2,784 miles and about 50 hours of driving. Loading sits on top of that drive, so the job is not a single workday. Long-distance moves are priced by weight and miles.
- What do reviews report for price on this route?
- Across 80 reviews the median reported price is $4,250, from 80 priced reviews. The middle half runs from $3,140 to $6,500. Prices mix home sizes and distances, so the median is not a bid for your house.
- How often do reviews mention damage or a delay?
- Of those reviews, 30% mention damage and 14% mention a delay or a no-show. That is the pattern in our file for this run. It is not a forecast for one shipment.
- What should I confirm before I book?
- Use a mover with an active USDOT number and FMCSA household-goods authority. Ask for a binding or not-to-exceed estimate, and on a non-binding estimate the mover must deliver on payment of 110 percent of the estimate. Get the delivery window and the deposit terms in writing.
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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 New Jersey to California quote
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