HireAHelper Analysis Shows Summer 2022 is the Most Expensive Time to Move — Ever

June 28, 2022 at 10:12 AM EDT

Surging gas prices, the rise in inflation, and strained supply chains push the cost of moving to an all-time high in the United States

Online moving marketplace, HireAHelper, a Porch Group (PRCH) company, today revealed new research finding that summer 2022 is the most expensive time in history for moving in the United States. HireAHelper conducted an analysis of its U.S. moving data, as well as the data from its moving partners, examining moving costs from January 2018 through May 2022, and found that the average cost of moving has reached $427 — an all-time high. That’s 15% higher than in May of 2021.

“The moving industry is feeling the impact of the current economic climate and it’s created a perfect storm for consumers looking to relocate,” said Miranda Marquit, Chief Data Analyst at HireAHelper. “Gas prices, inflation, and supply chain disruptions have made the cost of moving surge quite quickly, like a financial flash flood for those who had made plans to move this summer — potentially washing them out.”

The analysis revealed several trends, including a steady increase in the cost of moving month-over-month since January 2021, indicating that costs will likely continue to rise through August, when moving costs tend to peak each year.

HireAHelper’s study also found that these impacts are seen the most in Maine, where prices have surged 51% year-over-year. Other states being impacted by higher moving costs include Nebraska (+30%), Utah (+28%), Alabama (+27%), Idaho (+27%), and Delaware (+26%).

Other key findings include:

The average cost of a move is set to reach $454 by August this year, coinciding with peak demand for moving services
Moving in 2022 is more expensive in 39 out of 45 states, for which the data is available, with Maine seeing a 51% spike
The rise in the cost of moving affects 90 out of 108 cities, most notably Columbia, SC (+42%) and Seattle, WA (+39%)
Moving was at its absolute cheapest during the pandemic ($320 on average) when demand for moving services was at its lowest

How was HireAHelper’s summer moving analysis conducted?

HireAHelper's summer moving analysis examined over 233,000 local moves in the U.S. booked from January 2018 through May 2022.

States and cities with fewer than 100 moves in the last 12 months were excluded from the state-by-state and city-by-city analysis, respectively. However, calculations of the cost of moving by month of the year or day of the week do include data from all states and cities.

To access the study findings, please visit: https://blog.hireahelper.com/2022-study-this-is-the-most-expensive-year-in-history-to-move/

About HireAHelper

HireAHelper, part of the Porch Group collection of home improvement SAAS and consumer platforms, provides an online moving marketplace where consumers can instantly compare real-time quotes and availability from local movers to book a range of moving services, from Full-Service movers to hourly moving labor. Since 2007, HireAHelper has spearheaded the Hybrid™ Moving phenomenon, an alternative moving approach that blends the use of moving labor with do-it-yourself transportation, resulting in dramatic cost savings for consumers. For more information visit www.HireAHelper.com.