($1,553) Cost of Moving From South Carolina to California
Quick answer: The average cost to move from South Carolina to California ranges from $1,867 to $9,213 and takes seven–21 days. The top cost factors are how much you’re moving, your move date, and whether you hire a company or do the move yourself.
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Moving the reverse route? We’ve got you covered with our moving from California to South Carolina guide.
Our track record
The best South Carolina to California full-service movers
Moving from South Carolina to California? With thousands of moving companies in the U.S., hiring the right interstate moving company can be a challenge.
To simplify your search, we've selected the most reliable movers based on our detailed analysis of customer reviews, pricing, and service offerings.
Start with these top long-distance moving companies serving South Carolina for your California relocation:
- Safeway Moving: Best overall value
- Mayzlin Relocation: Best for personalized service
- American Van Lines: Most experienced mover
- Allied Van Lines: Best for contents coverage
- North American Van Lines: Best customized plans
- GPS tracking en route
- Veteran-owned
- Dedicated move coordinator
- Flat-rate pricing
- Donates a portion of moves to charity
- Family-owned, with locations covering the East Coast
- Full refund if you cancel within 7 days of your move
- Hands-on customer service
- 24/7 support
- Price-matching policy
- Experienced & fully trained moving crews
- Specializes in moving art & antiques
- Competitive pricing
- Can handle last-minute moves
- Climate-controlled storage
- Fragile packing
- Storage options
- 24/7 shipment tracking
- Quick & efficient
- Accurate quotes
- Custom crates for electronics & art
- Satellite shipment tracking
- 1,500 local agents covering all 50 states
- Self-packing option
- No deposit required
The best local moving companies in South Carolina
- HD Auston Moving Systems: 4.76 out of 5 stars
- Ballantyne & Beyond Moving: 4.8 out of 5 stars
- TWO MEN AND A TRUCK: 4.76 out of 5 stars
- Hilldrup: 4.76 out of 5 stars
- Smooth Move Charleston: 4.72 out of 5 stars
HD Auston Moving Systems

DOT #: 271654
Years in Business: 79
200 Pate Drive, Greenville, SC 29609 USHD Auston Moving Systems, with its home base in Greenville, SC, is a seasoned moving firm that has been in business since 1945. They offer a comprehensive selection of services which sets them apart from other local competitors. Offering both local and long-distance residential moving, they also extend services into office relocations. Their professional team is even equipped to handle special items, such as pianos. They pride themselves on their customer service, offering both packing and unpacking services, as well as crating services for those hard-to-pack or valuable items. Unlike many of its competitors, HD Auston Moving Systems accepts credit cards and does not require a deposit, which adds to the convenience when planning a move. HD Auston Moving Systems has a varied online reputation with a modest 2.5 rating from 13 Yelp reviews, but a much stronger 4.7 average from an impressive 183 Google My Business reviews. This suggests that while there may be a few mixed opinions, the majority of customers are highly satisfied. Their Better Business Bureau rating of A+ further emphasizes their commitment to customer satisfaction and business ethics. Overall, HD Auston Moving Systems shows a long history of quality service and a robust client-friendly approach.
Review Profiles
Services Offered
Move Distances
- Local moves
- Interstate moves
- International moves
Available services
- Packing
- Unpacking
- Offices
- Pianos
- Crating
- Storage
Additional Information
- Pay by credit card
- DOT #: 271654
Ballantyne & Beyond Moving

DOT #: 2557751
Years in Business: 16
1228 Transformation Ln, Fort Mill, SC 29707Ballantyne & Beyond Moving, established in 2009, offers top-notch local residential moving services in and around Fort Mill, SC. Unlike many competitors, they extend their expertise to long-distance and international moves, as well as office relocations, and provide comprehensive packing and unpacking services. With a Better Business Bureau rating of A+ and an impressive 4.7-star average from 134 Google reviews, their reputation stands strong, although their Yelp average of 3.5 suggests some room for improvement. Flexible payment options, including credit cards and no required deposit, make them a convenient choice for a stress-free moving experience.
Review Profiles
Services Offered
Move Distances
- Local moves
- Interstate moves
- International moves
Available services
- Packing
- Unpacking
- Offices
- Pianos
- Crating
- Storage
- Fragile-only packing
Additional Information
- Pay by money order
- Pay by cash
- Pay by credit card
- DOT #: 2557751
- State license #: 9784-A
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

DOT #: 2527384
Years in Business: 22
2731 White Horse Road, Greenville, SC 29611 USTwo Men and a Truck has been a trusted local residential moving company in Greenville, SC since 2003. Offering comprehensive services, including packing, unpacking, and labor-only options, they also specialize in moving heavy items like pianos and safes. While their Yelp reviews are mixed, with an average rating of 2.8 from 37 reviews, their Google My Business profile boasts a much higher average rating of 4.7 from 730 reviews. With a Better Business Bureau rating of A+, they stand out among local movers for their reliability and customer satisfaction.
Review Profiles
Services Offered
Move Distances
- Local moves
- Interstate moves
Available services
- Packing
- Unpacking
- Pianos
- Storage
- Safes
Additional Information
- Pay by credit card
- DOT #: 2527384
- State license #: 9664-B
Alternative Business Names
- Upward Endeavors, LLC
Hilldrup

DOT #: 22302
Years in Business: 121
750 Berry Shoals Rd, Duncan, SC 29334Hilldrup, a local moving company based in Duncan, SC, specializes in residential moves within the area and stands out for its comprehensive range of services. Unlike many competitors, Hilldrup offers additional conveniences such as packing, unpacking, crating, and fragile-only packing options. This company is well-regarded, boasting a high average rating of 4.8 from 137 Google reviews, although Yelp reviews show a slightly lower average of 3.7. Customers can also enjoy flexible payment options with no deposit required and shipment tracking to ensure peace of mind. Hilldrup’s solid reputation and extensive services make it a reliable choice for local moves.
Review Profiles
Services Offered
Move Distances
- Local moves
- Interstate moves
- International moves
Available services
- Packing
- Unpacking
- Offices
- Pool Tables
- Art
- Antiques
- Crating
- Shipment tracking
- Storage
- Fragile-only packing
Additional Information
- Pay by credit card
- DOT #: 22302
- State license #: 167-G
Smooth Move Charleston

DOT #: 2357653
Years in Business: 12
4767 Rivers Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405 USSmooth Move Charleston has been a trusted provider of local residential moving services in and around Charleston, SC, since 2014. Known for their comprehensive offerings, which include packing, unpacking, and labor-only services, they stand out among other local movers. Consumer feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with an impressive average rating of 4.9 on Google from 569 reviews and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Unlike many competitors, Smooth Move Charleston accepts credit cards and requires no deposit, making them a convenient and reliable choice for your next move.
Review Profiles
Services Offered
Move Distances
- Local moves
- Interstate moves
Available services
- Packing
- Unpacking
- Offices
- Pianos
- Pool Tables
- Storage
Additional Information
- Pay by credit card
- DOT #: 2357653
- State license #: 9823
Alternative Business Names
- Go Smooth Move, LLC
The best South Carolina to California moving container companies
Moving containers allow you to save money without having to go the full DIY route. While you’ll have to handle loading and unloading, the container company has you covered on transportation — they’ll pick up your pod in South Carolina and drop it off at your new home in California.
Check out these highly rated moving container companies:
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The best South Carolina to California moving truck rentals
Moving truck rentals are the most cost-effective way to move from South Carolina to California, although they’re also the most labor-intensive. You’ll save big by doing all the heavy lifting and driving.
We like these rental moving trucks:
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The best South Carolina to California labor-only movers
If you need help moving some or all of your items into a container or rental truck, you can hire labor-only movers. They’ll send over a professional crew the right size for your move and you’ll pay only for the amount of time they work.
Consider one of these top-notch moving labor companies for your move from South Carolina to California:
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How we chose the best moving companies for your SC to CA move
How much does it cost to move from South Carolina to California?
The table below lays out average cost ranges to move from South Carolina to California for different moving services depending on the size of your home.
Move size | Moving company | Moving container | Rental truck |
---|---|---|---|
Studio / 1 Bedroom | $1,553 - $6,109 | $1,637 - $4,109 | $1,655 - $3,303 |
2 - 3 bedrooms | $4,168 - $9,213 | $2,934 - $5,983 | $1,867 - $3,932 |
4+ bedrooms | $7,673 - $13,445 | $4,040 - $8,294 | $2,217 - $4,872 |
*These price ranges are a rough estimate based on 2,504 miles and historical averages. The actual size of your move, additional services required, truck parking access, market conditions, and availability can greatly affect your final costs.
Cost to hire movers from South Carolina to California
Cost of moving containers from South Carolina to California
Cost of moving truck rentals from South Carolina to California
Factors affecting the cost of moving from SC to CA
What to know before moving from SC to CA
If you’re moving to California from South Carolina, you’ll want to compare what life will be like.
Cost of living: South Carolina vs. California
South Carolina | California | |
---|---|---|
Average rent cost | $1,065 | $1,856 |
Average home cost | $295,769 | $771,057 |
Average income (per capita) | $63,623 | $91,905 |
Cost of Living Index | 96 | 134 |
Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 5.4% |
Average Sales Tax | 7.46% | 8.68% |
State Income Tax | 7.0% | 13.3% |
- Rent is about 74% more expensive in California than in South Carolina.
- Home prices are about 161% higher in California than in South Carolina.
- The average income is about 44% higher in California than in South Carolina.
- Cost of living is 40% lower in California than in South Carolina.
- California has a higher unemployment rate than South Carolina by about 15%.
- Sales taxes are 16% higher in California than in South Carolina.
- Income taxes are 90% higher in California than in South Carolina.
How life is different in California vs. South Carolina
California | South Carolina | |
---|---|---|
Population | 39,029,342 | 5,373,555 |
Political leaning | Democratic 59-41 | Republican 58-42 |
Summer high | 87ºF | 91ºF |
Winter low | 59ºF | 33ºF |
Annual rain | 22" | 48" |
Annual snow | 7" | 1" |
Crime index | 28.43 | 28.0 |
- The population of California is approximately 626% greater than the population of South Carolina.
- In the last presidential election, California voted Democratic and South Carolina voted Republican.
- The average high in the summertime in California is 87ºF and in South Carolina, it’s 91ºF.
- During the coldest part of the year, California reaches the temperature of 59ºF and South Carolina gets down to 33ºF.
- You can expect about 22 inches of annual rainfall in California versus 48 inches of rainfall in South Carolina.
- In California, it snows about 7 inches annually versus 1 inch of snow in South Carolina.
- California has a higher crime rate than South Carolina with a crime index of 28.43 vs. 28.0.
Comparing the pros of South Carolina vs. California
Getting a fresh start in a new location is exciting. Here’s a side-by-side look at the perks of living in California compared to South Carolina.
Pros of living in South Carolina | Pros of living in California |
---|---|
Warm southern hospitality | Ample economic opportunity |
Plentiful outdoor activities | Pleasant weather |
Beautiful landscapes | Abundant recreational options |
Consistently gorgeous weather | High quality of life |
Rich historical significance | Fresh and healthy foods |
Comparing the cons of living in South Carolina vs. California
Everything can’t be sunshine and rainbows all the time, no matter where you live. Here are some things to be aware of when leaving South Carolina for California.
Cons of living in South Carolina | Cons of living in California |
---|---|
High cost of living | High cost of living |
Hurricane frequency | Heavy tax burdens |
Low quality of healthcare | Natural disasters |
High taxes | Terrible traffic |
Abundance of construction | Strange laws |