Quiet Zeros

Calculators / Home & loans

What this move really costs

A real moving expense calculator: the truck or movers, packing, the storage unit, the gap between move-out and move-in, utility deposits, re-registering a car, relocating a pet — then nets out your employer's relocation package or lump sum, after the tax it usually owes, to see if it's actually enough. Nothing you type leaves this page.

mi

100 miles or less is priced as a local move; farther is priced as long-distance.

Drives the estimated shipment weight and truck size — everything below scales from this.

Full-service long-distance is priced by weight × distance, the way movers actually quote it — not a flat rate.

$

Varies a lot by provider and credit history — $150–$400 total is typical. Edit freely.

$

Title transfer, registration and license fees together — anywhere from about $80 to $400 depending on the state.

Total one-time cost of this move

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Where the money goes

This is a one-time number.

Data sources & vintage

Moving-cost ranges compiled September 2026 from mover and self-storage industry pricing surveys; the moving-expense tax treatment is confirmed current under the 2025 tax law. These are ranges, not quotes — get 2–3 real mover quotes before you book.

How this is calculated

Transport cost depends on how you move and how far: a DIY truck rental scales with distance and truck size; full-service long-distance movers price by estimated shipment weight × distance, the way real mover quotes work, not a flat fee. Local moves (100 miles or less) use a flat or hourly local rate instead. Packing, insurance, storage, temporary lodging or a home-overlap period, utility deposits, vehicle re-registration and pet relocation are added as flat or scaled estimates you can edit.

An employer relocation payment is netted out last. Since the 2017 tax law suspended the moving-expense deduction for civilians — made permanent by the 2025 tax law — any reimbursement your employer pays is ordinary taxable W-2 income unless they've specifically grossed it up to cover that tax. We assume it's taxed at your marginal rate unless you say otherwise.

This is a one-time number — it doesn't include the ongoing difference in income, property and sales tax between states, which is a separate, permanent yearly effect. Use the link below to see that half of the picture in the Take-Home Pay tool, pre-filled with the two states you picked here.

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