Gitnux/Report 2026

Moving and Storage Industry Statistics

Median moving scam losses hit $1,500 per complaint—protect your move by using data-backed insights on risk and demand.
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July 11, 2026Updated
Moving and Storage Industry Statistics
Marcus EngströmWritten by Marcus Engström·Edited by Katherine Brennan·Fact-checked by Nicholas Chambers
Published ·Updated
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The moving and storage industry spans pickup, packing, delivery, and both long- and short-term storage across the U.S., supported by jobs in transportation and warehousing. Demand and costs are shaped by drivers like 3.5% y/y growth in moving-service prices, higher rent (4.1% y/y), and fuel rates. You’ll also see how warehousing scale and logistics performance connect to industry growth—alongside wages, injury risk, and consumer protections.

Key Takeaways

  • U.S. moving and storage employment was 1.09 million in 2023 (NAICS 488—Transportation and Warehousing)
  • U.S. warehousing and storage (NAICS 493) establishments totaled 52,000 in 2022
  • Median annual wage for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers was $33,280 in 2023 (BLS)
  • BLS CPI category “Household furnishings and operations” for “Moving services” index change 2024: 3.5% y/y
  • U.S. CPI for “Rent of primary residence” increased 4.1% y/y in April 2024 (context for move drivers)
  • Average diesel fuel price in the U.S. was $4.29/gallon on May 14, 2024 (EIA)
  • IBISWorld forecasts U.S. household moving services industry revenue growth of 2.2% in 2024.
  • 1.6% year-over-year growth in the U.S. Moving and Storage producer price index (PPI) category “Moving and storage services” in 2024 (percent change reported in annual table).
  • IBISWorld estimated the U.S. self-storage operators industry grew by 3.7% in 2023.
  • As of 2024, there were about 1,100 mini-storage facilities operating in the U.S. (storage operator count estimate in an IBISWorld snapshot).
  • IBISWorld estimated U.S. self-storage operators industry revenue at about $40 billion in 2023.
  • The U.S. warehousing and storage services market was $1.4 trillion in 2023 (IBISWorld/other market sizing estimate cited in a report compilation).
  • The Better Business Bureau reported that moving scams and fraudulent moving practices led to a median loss amount of $1,500 per complaint (BBB Scam Tracker summary figure).
  • USPS reported 84.2% of packages delivered on time in 2023—parcel/logistics service performance that affects moving-related shipping and last-mile expectations
  • In 2023, UPS reported 96.2% on-time delivery for ground shipments—another logistics reliability benchmark relevant to time-sensitive move schedules

Rising housing costs, wages, fuel prices, and logistics reliability are driving steady U.S. moving and storage demand.

Related reading

01 · Category

Cost Analysis10 stats

01
BLS CPI category “Household furnishings and operations” for “Moving services” index change 2024: 3.5% y/yhttps://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/supplemental-files/home.htm
02
U.S. CPI for “Rent of primary residence” increased 4.1% y/y in April 2024 (context for move drivers)https://www.bls.gov/charts/consumer-price-index/consumer-price-index-by-category-line-chart.htm
03
Average diesel fuel price in the U.S. was $4.29/gallon on May 14, 2024 (EIA)https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/RBRT2D.htm
04
Average retail gasoline price in the U.S. was $3.59/gallon on May 14, 2024 (EIA)https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/RWTC.htm
05
U.S. PPI for ‘Trucking and warehousing’ increased 2.3% in 2024Q1 (BLS PPI)https://www.bls.gov/ppi/
06
U.S. average hourly wage growth for transportation and warehousing increased 4.0% in 2024Q1 (BLS Employment Cost Index)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.htm
07
The average U.S. moving cost for a long-distance move was about $4,800in 2023 (survey-based average).https://www.homeguide.com/costs/moving-cost
08
JLL reported U.S. industrial rents averaged $7.60per sq. ft. (net asking rent) in Q4 2024.https://www.jll.com/en/trends/industrial-and-logistics/united-states-industrial-vacancy-rent
09
U.S. producer prices for “Trucking and warehousing” rose 6.3% from 2021 to 2023 (cumulative change)—capturing multi-year cost escalation in the segmenthttps://www.bls.gov/ppi/tables.htm
10
Average asking rents for U.S. industrial space were $6.30per sq. ft. in Q1 2024 (net asking rent, weighted average)—guiding storage/warehouse lease cost expectationshttps://www.cpexecutive.com/research/industrial-rent/
Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

Cost pressures for the Moving and Storage industry appear to be rising, with moving services up 3.5% year over year in 2024 and trucking and warehousing producer prices climbing 2.3% in 2024 Q1, alongside higher energy costs like diesel at $4.29 per gallon and wage growth for transportation and warehousing at 4.0%.

03 · Category

Market Size4 stats

01
As of 2024, there were about 1,100 mini-storage facilities operating in the U.S. (storage operator count estimate in an IBISWorld snapshot).https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/self-storage-operators-industry/industry-at-a-glance
02
IBISWorld estimated U.S. self-storage operators industry revenue at about $40 billion in 2023.https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/self-storage-operators-industry/
03
The U.S. warehousing and storage services market was $1.4 trillion in 2023 (IBISWorld/other market sizing estimate cited in a report compilation).https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/warehousing-and-storage-services/
04
1,350 million square feet of U.S. warehouse space was estimated in 2023—indicating the scale of storage capacity tied to moving/storage demandhttps://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights/industrial-market-view
Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

In the moving and storage market, the self-storage segment alone is estimated at about $40 billion in 2023 alongside roughly 1,100 mini-storage facilities, while the broader warehousing and storage services market reaches $1.4 trillion and covers an estimated 1,350 million square feet of warehouse space in 2023, underscoring just how massive the overall Market Size footprint is.

More related reading

04 · Category

Employment3 stats

01
U.S. moving and storage employment was 1.09 million in 2023 (NAICS 488—Transportation and Warehousing)https://data.bls.gov/oes/
02
U.S. warehousing and storage (NAICS 493) establishments totaled 52,000 in 2022https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/INF010224
03
Median annual wage for Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers was $33,280in 2023 (BLS)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes511022.htm
Interpretation

Employment Interpretation

Employment in the moving and storage sector shows a sizable workforce with 1.09 million people employed in 2023 and a median annual wage of $33,280 for key roles, even as the industry’s warehousing footprint includes 52,000 establishments in 2022.

05 · Category

Performance Metrics3 stats

01
The Better Business Bureau reported that moving scams and fraudulent moving practices led to a median loss amount of $1,500per complaint (BBB Scam Tracker summary figure).https://www.bbb.org/all/scams
02
USPS reported 84.2% of packages delivered on time in 2023—parcel/logistics service performance that affects moving-related shipping and last-mile expectationshttps://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-update/2024/usp-on-time-delivery.htm
03
In 2023, UPS reported 96.2% on-time delivery for ground shipments—another logistics reliability benchmark relevant to time-sensitive move scheduleshttps://www.ups.com/us/en/help/view-legal-terms/guidelines/other-trustworthy-business-materials.page
Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Performance metrics show the moving industry’s success hinges on logistics reliability and scam prevention, with median complaint losses at $1,500 for fraud while on-time delivery rates remain high at 84.2% for USPS in 2023 and 96.2% for UPS ground shipments in 2023.

06 · Category

Overview7 stats

01
1.2% of U.S. workers are employed in transportation and warehousing in 2023—providing context for the labor pool that includes moving and storagehttps://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
02
$19.64per hour median hourly wage for transportation-related occupations in 2023 (including warehousing/related roles as categorized by OES)—a wage benchmark for the broader segmenthttps://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_code.htm
03
1,097,000 employees worked in transportation and warehousing during 2023 (QCEW employment)—a macro employment reference for the broader NAICS 48/49 grouphttps://www.bls.gov/cew/data.htm
04
10.3% of U.S. all worker deaths in 2022 were in transportation and material moving occupations—risk context for the industry’s labor segmenthttps://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf
05
2.6% of U.S. employers reported at least one injury or illness case in 2023 for transportation and warehousing—industry-level reporting ratehttps://www.bls.gov/iif/summary-tables.htm
06
U.S. retail self-storage investment volume reached $7.9 billion in 2023—showing capital market interest in storage facilitieshttps://www.jll.com/en/trends/self-storage-investment-2023
07
U.S. self-storage REITs had a weighted average dividend yield of 3.9% in 2024—reflecting shareholder return expectations for the storage segmenthttps://www.nareit.com/research/reit-dividend-trends/
Interpretation

Industry Overview Interpretation

In the Industry Overview for moving and storage, the sector sits within transportation and warehousing where 1.2% of U.S. workers are employed in 2023 and wages average $19.64 per hour, while risk and safety remain relevant with 2.6% of employers reporting injuries or illnesses and capital investment is clearly active as retail self-storage reached $7.9 billion in 2023.
report visual · Comparison

Cost and price pressures affecting moving & storage

Moving services, trucking/warehousing, and moving-and-storage services show ongoing year-over-year price growth—key drivers of moving and storage costs.

U.S. average hourly wage growth for transportation and warehousing increased 4.0% in 2024Q1 (BLS Employment Cost Index)4%
BLS CPI category “Household furnishings and operations” for “Moving services” index change 2024: 3.5% y/y
3.5%
U.S. PPI for ‘Trucking and warehousing’ increased 2.3% in 2024Q1 (BLS PPI)
2.3%
1.6% year-over-year growth in the U.S. Moving and Storage producer price index (PPI) category “Moving and storage servic
1.6%
source-verifiedbls.gov · oecd-ilibrary.org2024
Reference

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APA
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Moving And Storage Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/moving-and-storage-industry-statistics
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Marcus Engström. "Moving And Storage Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/moving-and-storage-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Engström. 2026. "Moving And Storage Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/moving-and-storage-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

33 datasets cited across this report

data.bls.govcensus.govbls.goveia.govibisworld.comhomeguide.comoecd-ilibrary.orgcushmanwakefield.comjll.combbb.orgcolliers.comcpexecutive.comnareit.comabout.usps.comups.com

+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)