City guide · Texas
Moving to or from Austin
Living costs, weather, taxes and the routes we price, with a modelled price for each. Then get written estimates for your own move.
Austin at a glance
- Cost of living index
- 103 (US = 100)
- Typical 2-bedroom rent
- $1,950 a month
- Average high (yearly)
- 81°F
- Average low (yearly)
- 60°F
- Precipitation
- 34.3 in a year
- State income tax (top rate)
- None
- Sales tax (state and local average)
- 8.2%
Weather figures are yearly averages. Sources are listed at the foot of the page.
What a move to or from Austin costs
The routes we price from and to Austin, each with the modelled price for a 2-bedroom home. Open one for the distance, timing and what changes between the two cities.
Popular routes from Austin
- About 215 road miles$765–$1,0352-bedroom home, modelled
Austin to Dallas
- About 205 road miles$765–$1,0352-bedroom home, modelled
Austin to Fort Worth
- About 173 road miles$765–$1,0352-bedroom home, modelled
Austin to Houston
- About 87 road miles$986–$1,3332-bedroom home, modelled
Austin to San Antonio
- About 1,314 road miles$3,762–$5,0902-bedroom home, modelledGuide on Top Cross Country Movers
Austin to Miami
- About 1,104 road miles$3,172–$4,2912-bedroom home, modelledGuide on Top Cross Country Movers
Austin to Tampa
- About 1,170 road miles$3,357–$4,5422-bedroom home, modelledGuide on Top Cross Country Movers
Austin to Orlando
- About 888 road miles$2,565–$3,4702-bedroom home, modelledGuide on Top Cross Country Movers
Austin to Nashville
Popular routes to Austin
- About 215 road miles$765–$1,0352-bedroom home, modelled
Dallas to Austin
- About 205 road miles$765–$1,0352-bedroom home, modelled
Fort Worth to Austin
- About 173 road miles$765–$1,0352-bedroom home, modelled
Houston to Austin
- About 523 road miles$1,538–$2,0812-bedroom home, modelled
Little Rock to Austin
- About 542 road miles$1,592–$2,1542-bedroom home, modelled
New Orleans to Austin
- About 424 road miles$1,260–$1,7052-bedroom home, modelled
Oklahoma City to Austin
- About 87 road miles$986–$1,3332-bedroom home, modelled
San Antonio to Austin
- About 495 road miles$1,460–$1,9752-bedroom home, modelled
Tulsa to Austin
A modelled range from our cost model (road distance, typical volume for the home size and a season factor), not a quote. Written estimates come from licensed movers through the 8 Top Movers moving team.
What to plan for in Austin
Thinking about moving to or from Austin, TX? Here is the practical picture. The cost-of-living index is 103 (100 is the US average), a typical two-bedroom rents for about $1,950 a month, and across the year the average daily high is 81°F with an average low of 60°F. Texas has no state income tax, and the average combined state and local sales tax is 8.2%. This guide covers living costs, weather and timing, utilities, and the routes we price, each with a modelled price.
Cost of living in Austin
Austin's cost-of-living index is 103 against a national baseline of 100, and a two-bedroom rental runs roughly $1,950 a month. Texas has no state income tax, and the average combined state and local sales tax is 8.2%. Build your first-year budget around these figures, not just the cost of the move.
Weather and timing
Across the year, Austin's average daily high is 81°F and the average low is 60°F. These are yearly averages, so summer days run hotter and winter nights colder. Expect about 34.3 inches of precipitation a year. Weather is moderate most of the year; any off-peak month works well. Our cost model prices May through September, the busy moving season, higher than the rest of the year. If your dates can move, ask the movers to quote an October-to-April date as well and compare the written estimates side by side.
Setting up utilities in Austin
Line up your utilities before move day. In the Austin–Round Rock area the main providers include Austin Energy, Texas Gas Service, Austin Water. Schedule electricity and gas to start the day before you arrive so you never walk into a dark home.
Leaving Texas, or staying in it
A mover that carries your things across a state line must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and have a USDOT number, which you can look up on FMCSA's website before you book. The rules for a move that stays inside Texas are set by the state and vary, so ask the mover which state licence or permit, if any, covers your move. Either way, get the estimate in writing and make sure the company name on it matches the registration.
How to check any mover on FMCSA
Before you book, check the mover on the public federal record. It takes a few minutes and works for any company, whoever sent you the estimate.
Ask for the USDOT number
A mover that carries household goods across a state line needs a USDOT number from FMCSA. It belongs on the written estimate.
Look it up on SAFER
Enter the number in FMCSA's SAFER company snapshot. The legal name there should match the company on your estimate.
Check the operating status
The snapshot shows whether the company is authorized to operate. If it is not, or the name does not match, keep looking.
Know your rights
FMCSA's Protect Your Move pages explain estimates, valuation and claims. For a move inside one state, also check that state's mover licence.
Our top choice list
Our top picks and affiliated movers from our network. Each one is listed on 8 Top Movers, whose moving team handles the estimate requests from this site.
- Global Elegance Moving and LogisticsBased in Boca Raton, FL
- TapMoveBased in Sacramento, CA
- LoadRansBased in Vernon, CA
- Bristol Moving and StorageBased in Spotswood, NJ
- Hudson Van LinesBased in Randolph, NJ
- Royal Van LinesBased in West Milford, NJ
- Pacific Moving and StorageBased in Ladera Ranch, CA
- Apex Van LinesBased in Kirkland, WA
Global Elegance Moving and Logistics shares ownership with 8 Top Movers.
We may be compensated by movers in our network. Nobody pays for placement.
Questions about moving to Austin
Is Austin expensive to live in?
Austin has a cost-of-living index of 103 (100 is the US average), with a typical two-bedroom rent around $1,950 a month.
What's the weather like in Austin?
Across the year, the average daily high is 81°F and the average low is 60°F, with roughly 34.3 inches of precipitation. Those are yearly averages from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals, so summer days run hotter and winter nights colder.
When is the best time to move to Austin?
Our cost model prices May through September, the busy moving season, higher than the rest of the year. If your dates can move, ask the movers to quote an October-to-April date as well and compare the written estimates side by side.
How do I get a real price for a move to or from Austin?
Ask for written estimates. When you ask for estimates here, the 8 Top Movers moving team gets rates from the licensed movers in its network and brings back written estimates. You never pay us, and asking is never a booking.
Sources
- MERIC / BestPlaces metro cost index, 2025, retrieved 2026-01-15
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (metro), 2025, retrieved 2026-01-15
- NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals, retrieved 2026-01-15
- State public utility commission service-territory maps, 2025, retrieved 2026-01-15
- Tax Foundation, 2025 State Tax Data, retrieved 2026-01-15
Moving to or from Austin?
Tell us about your move once. The 8 Top Movers moving team gets rates from the licensed movers in its network and brings back written estimates. You never pay us, and asking is never a booking.