Moving From New York to Houston: Movers, Costs, and Benefits

Hot take: Most cities are alike. They’ve all got an upscale artsy district, an upscale business district, affordable(ish) suburbs, and bums on the sidewalk. New York and Houston have their similarities, but any true Texan - and any true New Yorker - will tell you otherwise.

Moving from New York to Texas doesn’t just mean packing your bags and boxing up your stuff. It means getting used to a whole new way of life in a whole new city, and it also means searching for just the right moving company. Fortunately, iMoving is here to help you find your bearings and find your movers.

We’ll keep the sales pitch brief: iMoving is an easy-to-use marketplace that lists out all the best movers for your needs.

We know the ins and outs of moving, and we’re also old hands at the NY - Houston route. Sales pitch over. Let’s take a look at what you can expect on a moving day.

Long-distance moving usually takes between 2 and 21 days, but since New York and Houston are roughly 1,620 miles apart, you’re looking at a 4 or 5-day minimum. Long-distance movers aren’t allowed to drive more than 400 highway miles per day.

Most people assume that if they have less stuff, it’ll get moved faster. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Sure, it’ll be faster to load up the truck, but moving companies don’t like to send half-empty trucks all over the place.

Instead, they’ll bundle multiple moves together for better efficiency, and there’ll be delays for pickups and dropoffs along the way.

There are a lot of factors at play when you’re figuring out the price of your New York to Houston move. Here’s what goes into your final quote:

1. Distance

Anything under 100 miles counts as a local move and gets billed per mover, per hour. Anything over 100 miles counts as a long-distance move and gets billed per mile and per pound/cubic feet. Guess which one your New York to Houston move is?

2. Weight/Volume

Some long distance movers will measure out all your stuff and assign a cubic feet value for the whole haul. Others will assign a weight in pounds.

Rarely, they’ll actually take the time to weigh the truck before and after they load up, but sometimes that’s just a marketing gimmick. In any case, the physical size of your move makes a huge difference in your final price. Try downsizing.

3. Packing

Packing is one of the most time-consuming parts of your move, and depending on how much stuff you have to box up, it can also be one of the most expensive.

If you don’t feel like buying all the packing supplies and doing it yourself, you can pay your moving company for the add-on service. It may set you back a few hundred bucks, but the convenience is really worth it.

4. Access Fees

Since you’re moving in a big city, your movers will have to deal with long hallways, extra flights of stairs, and elevators. These will all rack up additional fees.

Make sure you communicate with your moving company ahead of time, so there aren’t any unpleasant surprises on either end of the table.

4. Shuttle Fees

Also since you’re moving in a big city, your movers will have to deal with complicated parking ordinances. New York, like most big cities, is pretty averse to having big rigs parking on those tiny little streets.

Your movers will have to use a smaller box truck to transport your stuff to a waiting big rig that’s parked outside of city limits, or in a secure staging area. It’s an extra step, and of course, it’s an extra fee.

4. Insurance

Most moving companies treat your stuff with the TLC it deserves. Most of them. If you want to be reimbursed for the full value of any lost, damaged, or destroyed belongings, you’ll have to shell out for full value coverage.

Otherwise, you’re stuck with the federally mandated minimum insurance coverage, which is just good for $0.60 per pound.

5. Time of Year

The time of year can make a huge difference when it comes to how much you pay. As you’d expect, the summer months are more popular, so the prices get jacked up from June through August (and sometimes in May and September, too). Take our advice and try to schedule your move for any time school’s in session.

6. Expedited Delivery

If your move doesn’t fill up an entire truck or trailer, your movers may end up making extra stops for pickups and deliveries along the route.

Choose expedited delivery, but expect to pay a little extra for the added convenience. Keep in mind that some moving companies don’t even offer expedited delivery, so you’ll need to shop accordingly.

Not sure whether you want to make the move? Here are some reasons New Yorkers are heading to Houston:

• A little less crazy: We don’t need to tell you that New York is getting chaotic. Sure, you can sit on Twitter/X and say “it’s not THAT bad” all you want, but at least Houston doesn’t have body parts discovered on subway tracks.

• Wide open spaces: Houston is a city, too, but Texas has a lot more real estate. Plenty of people live in the suburbs, and if that sounds like some kind of purgatory to you, well, enjoy living in that closet for $4000 a month I guess.

• Cheaper: Speaking of rent, Houston is a lot cheaper than New York City. Hell, everywhere is cheaper than New York City (except maybe the Bay Area, but we’re not talking about them today).

• Better weather: Texas gets the occasional flood or storm, but it’s certainly not as bad as your average Tuesday in New York. “Oh, iMoving, but the spring is so pretty here” Yeah well you also had flooded subways and frozen pipes.

• Political shift: We’re staying out of whatever culture war the media is trying to drum up today. We’ll just say Texas is (usually) red, and New York is as blue as they come. Some people get fed up and want to move someplace with different politics.

New York has plenty to see, but don’t underestimate Houston. Here’s a quick look at some of the popular pastimes in H-Town.

• Minute Maid Park: You may have been on Yankee turf before, but Houston is Astros territory. Cheer on your new team at Minute Maid Park, or just tailgate and enjoy the barbecue and brews.

• Houston Museum District: We usually spend a few bullet points talking about different museums, but Houston keeps most of them in one easy-to-access area. The Houston Museum of Natural Science lives here, as does the Museum of Fine Arts.

• Johnson Space Center: Houston has had a long history of spaceflight and space exploration, so it’s only fitting they’ve got a whole center for it. It’s worth the day trip to check out all the cool exhibits.

• Hermann Park: Centrally located Hermann Park is a nice slice of green in the middle of Houston. It’s hard to beat Central Park, but Hermann Park is a great spot for picnics, walks, and even golf, rental boats on the lake, and a miniature train.

• The Galleria: The largest shopping mall in Texas. The Galleria is packed with all sorts of shops, ranging from the pedestrian to the ultra-chic. If you’re looking to spend some of that New York money, the Galleria’s the place to go.

Houston has plenty to do and see, and these are just a few popular examples. Take some time to do a little exploring, and you’ll find your new favorite haunt.

You’ve seen the neighborhoods, and you’ve seen the top picks for our New York to Houston moving companies. You’ve also learned a little bit more about what you can expect on the big day. Now, all you have to do is tell us a little more, and book your movers.

H-Town is waiting, and NYC is only getting pricier and sketchier. Use iMoving to find your New York to Houston movers, and let’s get you on the road!