Going from 3.9 million neighbors to under a million
Austin has 967,862 residents and Los Angeles has 3,857,897, so this move trades one of the country's largest cities for one about a quarter of the size. The first place that shows up is the home you can afford, and the second is your tax bill: California's state income tax runs as high as 13.3%, and Texas has none.
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The figures below come from the Census Bureau (American Community Survey 2019-2023), plus the federal price index for 2024. For the cost of the move itself, use the price range at the top of this page.
Austin's median home costs 42% less
A median home in Austin sells for $512,700. In Los Angeles the figure is $879,500. That gap is the reason this route is worth a serious look if you own: the sale of one home can cover a larger purchase at the other end, or a purchase with no mortgage.
Three things follow from it.
- Decide the order of the two closings. Sell before you buy, or buy before you sell. Closing dates in Los Angeles and Austin will not line up on their own, and your moving date has to sit between them. A mover booked for a date you cannot keep is a problem for both of you.
- Think about how much house you are about to have. A bigger home tempts you to bring more, and a heavier shipment changes the price. Weight and volume drive the cost on a route this long, so each piece of furniture is a decision about money. Weigh every low-value piece, such as a cheap bookcase, against the weight it adds.
- Sort your belongings before anyone quotes. A cleaner inventory gives a cleaner estimate.
Taxes cut the other way once you own. Texas funds its government through property taxes, which are higher than California's, so put them into any purchase calculation next to the lower price.
Income tax and rent: the monthly picture
Median household income is $91,461 in Austin against $80,366 in Los Angeles. Put that beside the housing figures and the arithmetic is simple: lower housing costs, higher typical income, and no state income tax. On the federal price index for 2024 (U.S. = 100), the Austin area scores 98 and the Los Angeles area 114, which puts Austin about 14% lower. Plan your budget around your own pay rather than these averages, but together these numbers are the argument for the move.
Rent narrows the gap. Median rent is $1,655 a month in Austin and $1,879 in Los Angeles, 12% lower, much smaller than the 42% difference in home values. Median two-bedroom rents are about $1,100 a month lower in Austin. If you rent now and plan to keep renting, expect a gentler change than the purchase market offers.
Lining up two leases with one truck
A rented home on each side makes the dates the hard part.
- Match the leases to the truck. If your Austin lease starts before the Los Angeles one ends, you pay for two homes. If it starts after, your belongings have nowhere to go. Ask your mover about storage-in-transit now, not on delivery day.
- Consider a short first lease. In Austin, 21% of residents had moved within the last twelve months, against 11% in Los Angeles. A short lease gives you time to learn the city before you commit to a purchase.
- Ask the Austin building about its loading zone and elevator before you sign. That decides how the last hour of your move goes.
- Agree a clean end date in Los Angeles. Get the move-out date in writing so the truck and the landlord work from the same day.
Renters are 56% of households in Austin and 64% in Los Angeles. In practice you are leaving a city built around renting for one that is still mostly rented but has a deeper market of houses to buy.
Where in Austin to look, and what I-35 does to the choice
Austin has grown fast, and its neighborhoods differ a lot from one another.
- Downtown and East Austin: urban and walkable, with a strong food and music scene, and the highest price point in the city.
- South Congress (SoCo) and South Lamar: eclectic, with local businesses.
- Mueller: a master-planned community on a former airport site, with parks, walkability and a mix of housing types.
- Round Rock, Cedar Park and Pflugerville: northern suburbs with more space, lower prices and strong school districts.
- Bee Cave and Lakeway: upscale western suburbs near Lake Travis, with a quieter pace and access to the outdoors.
Traffic on I-35 and MoPac can be brutal at rush hour. Before you commit to a neighborhood, work out where you will work and how you will get there. You can browse movers in Austin for crews who know the area and the local side of delivery.
Elevator in Los Angeles, driveway in Austin
This is the difference that changes the work itself. In Los Angeles, 49% of homes are in buildings of five or more units and 36% are detached houses. In Austin the split is 42% in larger buildings and 44% detached, so the balance tips slightly toward houses.
Leaving an apartment in Los Angeles usually means a freight elevator, a booked loading window, and a permit or a spot where a long truck can stand. Ask your building manager for the requirements in writing and pass them to your mover. Los Angeles buildings can restrict moves to set hours, and a late truck can lose the slot.
Arriving at a house in Austin means a driveway or street, steps at the front door and more floor space to carry things across. Tell your mover about the stairs at the destination so the crew is sized for the job. If you are arriving at an Austin apartment instead, ask about the loading rules there too, since the building is not guaranteed to be a house.
A move from a smaller Los Angeles apartment into a larger Austin house leaves rooms that your current furniture will not fill. Measure the new rooms before you decide what ships.
Santa Ana winds in fall, 100-degree summers in Austin
Los Angeles summers are warm and dry, with highs around 84°F and low humidity, and winters are mild, with lows around 48°F. The risk to plan around is fall. Wildfire smoke and Santa Ana wind events across Southern California can complicate loading days between September and November. If you load in that window, build flexibility into the date, watch air quality in the days before, and carry documents, medication and anything irreplaceable with you rather than in the truck.
Austin is harder on the other end of the year. Summers are long and intense, regularly exceeding 100°F with humidity.
- If you arrive in June, July or August, schedule early-morning unloading, keep water on hand, and protect heat-sensitive items such as candles, electronics and some instruments. Confirm the new home has a working A/C system before the truck pulls up.
- In winter, ice storms are a risk, as the February 2021 storm showed when the region's infrastructure was strained by extreme cold. Keep bottled water, a few days of food and a backup heat source on hand, and leave a couple of buffer days around a winter delivery.
- In spring, thunderstorms, hail and tornado watches are routine in Central Texas. Learn your neighborhood's shelter options and download a weather alert app before your first spring there. A delivery window can slip when the weather turns, so leave buffer days.
Late September through November and February through April tend to avoid the extremes at the Austin end, though the first of those windows overlaps Los Angeles fire season. Check conditions at both ends closer to the date instead of assuming.
Estimates, protection and paperwork on a California-to-Texas load
California and Texas are different states, so this is an interstate move and federal rules apply. Each rule below lands on a specific step.
The estimate. A written estimate should come from a survey of what you own in Los Angeles, in person or by video, unless you waive the survey in writing. A quote given over the phone with nothing seen is an FMCSA red flag. Get at least three estimates built on that kind of survey.
Every estimate must say whether it is binding or non-binding.
- A binding estimate means you pay the quoted amount at delivery in Austin, plus any service added after signing, plus up to 15% for impracticable operations. Anything above that is billed afterward.
- A non-binding estimate means the final bill follows the weighed shipment. The mover must release your goods once you pay 110% of the estimate at delivery, and any remaining balance is billed after 30 days.
- A not-to-exceed price is a common kind of binding estimate and a good one to ask for on a route this long, since it sets the most you will pay.
Damage protection. Full Value Protection comes with the move automatically: the mover must repair, replace or pay the replacement value of a damaged item. Released Value pays 60 cents per pound per article and applies only if you sign a written waiver choosing it, so read any form that mentions it. Either level is the mover's liability, not insurance; separate moving insurance is optional. Know the difference between the two before moving day.
The delivery window. No law fixes a number of days. The date or window is whatever is written on the bill of lading, and for a move this long it is often several business days, typically 3 to 7. The mover must give you 24 hours' notice and tell you as soon as it knows of a delay. Ask specifically about the window for your date and get it in writing. Because the truck may arrive late in that window, keep clothes, medication and documents with you.
The paperwork around it.
- Receive the bill of lading at least 3 days before loading, and you can cancel within those 3 days. Never sign it blank.
- There is no federal cap on deposits, and FMCSA treats a large cash deposit as a red flag.
- Claims go in writing within 9 months of delivery. The mover must acknowledge within 30 days and pay, decline or make an offer within 120 days. A note on the delivery receipt is not a claim.
Checking a mover's record before you sign
A job this far from home is not one where a crew can come back if something goes wrong, so check the company first.
- Look up the company's USDOT and MC numbers on FMCSA's search. An interstate mover will have them.
- Read the result. "Motor Carrier of Household Goods" means the company moves you. "Broker of Household Goods" means it hands you off to someone else, so ask who will carry your belongings.
- Read reviews, and notice how the company answers the negative ones, which tells you more than the star rating.
To start, browse movers in Los Angeles for companies that handle long-distance household goods, or find movers by what you need. If you are still comparing destinations, browse by state for California, Texas and other options.
After the truck: Texas registration, licenses and inspections
Keep the Texas list short.
- Vehicle: register within 30 days. If the car was already registered in your name in another state, a $90 new-resident tax replaces sales tax.
- Driver license: get a Texas license within 90 days of establishing residency, from the driver license office (DPS). Expect waits at those offices.
- Insurance and papers: bring proof of Texas auto insurance (Texas minimums apply) and documents showing you live in the state.
- Inspection and emissions: most cars no longer need a safety inspection since January 1, 2025, and a $7.50 fee applies instead. Emissions tests still apply in the Austin area.
For anything else, check with the state.
Questions that only come up on a Los Angeles-to-Austin move
Will the 13.3% California income tax disappear after I move?
You stop owing California's rate of up to 13.3% on income earned once you live in Texas, because Texas has no state income tax. The offset is property tax, which is higher in Texas than in California, so include it when you price a purchase.
When is the easiest stretch of the year to load in Los Angeles and unload in Austin?
Late September through November and February through April avoid the worst of Austin's weather, but fall in Los Angeles brings wildfire smoke and Santa Ana wind events that can complicate loading. If you must move in summer, schedule early-morning loading and unloading to beat the Austin heat.
Does a move into Austin mean I need a new license and plates right away?
You have 30 days to register a vehicle and 90 days to get a Texas license. A car already registered in your name elsewhere pays the $90 new-resident tax in place of sales tax, and emissions tests still apply around Austin.
Is the move worth it if I rent in Los Angeles?
The saving is smaller than the home-price gap: median rent is 12% lower in Austin, though two-bedroom rents are about $1,100 a month lower. Add the lack of a state income tax and a federal price index of 98 against 114, and the picture improves, but plan around your own pay.
How do I get a binding estimate for a move this long?
Ask each mover for an in-home or video survey of your belongings first. Then request a binding or not-to-exceed estimate, which caps the final price, and treat a firm quote that arrives without anyone seeing your belongings with suspicion.