Written by: Kate Becker
Date:

Once you start preparing for your relocation, you’ll see that moving isn’t as simple as people make it out to be. In fact, it’s quite a complicated process; which is the reason there’s a whole moving industry built around it, to begin with. And with most things, if you want to do them successfully – you need to understand them well. So, before you sign your moving contract; taking a look at some of the more interesting moving industry statistics may be a good idea. And luckily for you – we’re here to help you out with that!

A large number of companies

Did you know that according to the American Moving & Storage Association – there are around 7000 moving companies in the US! That’s definitely an impressive number! And it shows that moving in the US is definitely something that happens all the time; with the help of an extremely developed service industry. That’s a good thing too – because having so many companies can only mean one thing; the moving industry is a competitive market. And that’s great for customers because it ensures constant quality across the board. When you have so many competitors out there, you can either be just as good or leave the business.

Mostly small businesses

Of course, such a large number of companies in any given market also lends itself to another conclusion; these are probably mostly smaller companies. And that’s exactly correct! In fact, most of those 7000 moving companies are small businesses. To be more precise, 47.8% of these companies don’t employ more than 5 people; which is definitely one of the most interesting moving industry statistics. Indeed, large corporate entities make up less than 10% of the moving industry. So, when you look at it more closely – you’ll see that moving is an industry mostly run by enterpreneurs!

Number of employees

Naturally, with so many smaller companies in such a competitive market; you must be wondering how many people the moving industry employs? That’s one of the most interesting moving industry statistics; there are around 122,600 people currently working in moving companies. As you can see, this is an industry that feeds a lot of families; as these people receive an aggregate annual payroll of around $3.6 billion! This makes the moving industry extremely valuable.

Two rows of moving trucks on a parking lot, seen from above.

The moving industry employs many people!

Rate of growth

With such an interesting market, it’s worth wondering – how is the moving industry faring these days? After all, many sectors have suffered serious setbacks in the previous decade. Well, the answer is – moving companies are actually doing pretty well. While the entire industry had suffered a slump during the world economic crisis; for the past few years, it has experienced steady growth once more. In fact, in the previous year, the moving industry has reported a growth of almost 3%.

The number of people who move

Now that we’ve established how developed the moving industry is – it’s worth taking a look at some of the most interesting moving industry statistics regarding its customers. After all, no service industry can exist without its clientele; so exploring the ways people move is important if we want to understand the business of relocation. So, for starters – do many people move? Well, yes – annually, around 35.1 million Americans relocate, for lots of different reasons! When you’re hiring the finest cross country moving companies Delaware has, for example; know that you’re just one person among millions!

Where people relocate is one of the most interesting moving industry statistics

With so many people relocating each year, the next logical question is – where do they go? Knowing this will help us understand the geographical dynamics of the moving industry a lot better. With that in mind – you should know that, of all the people who relocate in the US; around 82% of them move within the same state. That’s only logical too; a local move is a much smaller change and a much easier transition to make. That’s why far fewer people hire cross country movers Iowa if they’re living in New York.

A yellow moving truck driving down a highway.

People tend to move locally most often, rather than moving across the country.

Biggest moving industry cities

If you want to learn more about the world of relocation through some of the more interesting moving industry statistics; you should look into the locations of local moves a bit deeper. Sure, we’ve established that most people move somewhere close by – but in what areas do people move around the most? Where is the local moving industry the most developed? In fact – New York City, Houston, and Chicago are the three cities with most local relocations.

The states with the most relocations

While we’re on the subject of the places with the most local moves, it’s worth bearing something in mind; the term ‘local moving’ is wider than you might think. When we say someone is relocating locally, we don’t just mean they’re moving to a new apartment a few blocks down. This actually means someone is moving within the same state. So, with that in mind – which states have the most internal relocation? In the US, Florida, Texas, and California are places people move around locally the most.

Why do people move?

Sure, we’ve shared a few of the most interesting moving industry statistics that show where people move. But, in order to understand the moving industry, you have to look at it from other angles as well. So, it’s not just about where customers move; it’s also about why they’re moving. Knowing this allows moving companies useful insights into what their clientele needs. Naturally, there are many reasons to relocate. But most people say that they’re relocating in order to find new or better accommodations – around 17%!

A suburban home surrounded by autumn trees, and a white picket fence.

In most cases, people relocate around the US in search of a better home.