Because of COVID-19, thousands upon thousands of Americans had to relocate. Some moved back to their hometowns in order to stay close to family and reduce their living expenses. Others decided to move to more affordable places, with job opportunities and cheaper costs of living.
- images/moving-from-washington-to-arizona-imgs
- Washington State Capitol.min.jpg
- Phoenix, Arizona.min.jpg
- Full-service movers.min.jpg
- Moving across the country.jpg
- A woman covered in money.min.jpg
- While Washington is considered one of the best places to live in America, thousands of residents are leaving the Evergreen State in search of more affordable places.
- A sunny day in Olympia, the capital of Washington State.
One of these affordable states is Arizona. According to data from realtors, over 200 people have moved to the Grand Canyon State every day since the pandemic started. While a significant number of people moved to this state from places such as New York, most of the people who relocated to Arizona came from the West Coast, including Washington.
In 2019 alone, over 17,000 people were moving from Washington to Arizona, making the Grand Canyon State one of the top 3 destinations for people leaving the Evergreen State. In this article, we’re going to help you understand why Arizona has such a great number of inbound moves and how you can successfully move from Washington to Arizona!
Contents:
How Much Does It Cost to Move From Washington to Arizona?
Moving is a complex process that can turn out to be quite expensive — especially if you don’t plan ahead and don’t do thorough research on the different types of moves you can make. Depending on the type of move, your relocation process will be considerably cheaper or more expensive than you may imagine.
- Arizona is a popular destination, especially among younger people looking for jobs and affordable costs of living.
- View of Downtown Phoenix from a distance.
Many factors are included in the final costs of moving. For instance, some factors include the number of bedrooms in your current home, how much furniture you have, the number of special items (i.e items that require special equipment in order to be moved), among other factors.
To help you calculate whether or not your current budget is good enough, below we’ll explain three different types of relocation processes for you to choose from. Additionally, we will also show you the estimated moving costs for each of these moving types based on the possible sizes of a house or apartment.
Here is everything you need to know about how much it costs to relocate from Washington to Arizona.
Hiring a full-service moving company
The most common and well-known type of moving is hiring a full-service mover. These moving companies will help you along the way of relocating to anywhere in the country, from the moment you start packing to the moment you get to your new address.
- Full-service movers can help you relocate from Washington to Arizona. Not only can they move the furniture in your house but they can also help relocate most items you possess, like bulky items and other specialty items.
- Full-service movers helping a family relocate.
While full-service movers offer a wide range of services, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to hire all of them. For some households, the basic packing-loading-transporting-unloading moving package is more than enough. However, you can also add extra services, such as piano moving, in case you need it.
Here are the estimated moving costs of hiring a full-service moving company to relocate from Washington to Arizona.
- Studio/1 Bedroom: $2599 – $4332
- 2-3 Bedrooms: $4024 – $6707
- 4+ Bedrooms: $4737 – $7895
- Office-Commercial Moving: $7357 – $10409
Renting a DIY moving truck
For some people, the process of moving to a new place is something that is meant to be shared with their family exclusively. Indeed, preparing to relocate across the country (the distance between Washington and Arizona is approximately 1400 miles) is the type of process that helps people build long-lasting memories.
In case you want to create these types of memories with your family, one of your best options is to rent a DIY moving truck. When you rent one of these, you take charge of the moving process without needing to get anyone involved, no matter how cheap their services. You and your family will be responsible for packing and loading the moving truck, as well as driving it across the country to your destination.
The only downside (for some people) of renting a moving truck is that you have to pay for every expense of the moving process. That is, you will have to pay for moving insurance, pay for gasoline, and also pay for any repairs that the truck may need on the way to Arizona.
Here are the estimated moving costs of renting a DIY moving truck to relocate from Washington to Arizona. Note that these estimates don’t include additional expenses (gas, repairs, insurance, et cetera).
- Studio/1 Bedroom: starting at $1607
- 2-3 Bedrooms: starting at $1887
- 4+ Bedrooms: starting at $2167
- Office-Commercial Moving: starting at $2447
Renting a moving container
The third moving option that you have is basically the best of both worlds. What we mean is, renting a moving container is less expensive than both of the previous options we gave you and it is also a lot less time demanding.
When you rent a moving container, all you have to do is pack your belongings and load them into the container. Once you pay the renting expenses, you just have to wait for the moving company to drop off the container. They’ll give you a number of days to fill up the container and, once you do, they’ll send a truck to pick it up and drive it from Washington to Arizona.
Here are the estimated moving costs of renting a moving container to relocate from Washington to Arizona.
- Studio/1 Bedroom: starting at $1420
- 2-3 Bedrooms: starting at $1583
- 4+ Bedrooms: starting at $1725
- Office-Commercial Moving: starting at $1930
How to Hire Movers from Washington to Arizona?
While you may think that there is only one type of mover that you can hire, the truth is that there are different types. Depending on where you are moving from and to, the type of mover that you need will vary. This means that you can’t simply hire the first moving company you come across with.
Moving from the state of Washington to Arizona is not a simple moving process, especially because of the distance between these two states. But don’t worry — all it takes is the right mover for this process to occur as smoothly as possible.
Below, we’ll explain the different types of movers you can hire and how you can hire these movers to relocate from Washington to Arizona.
Interstate & Long-Distance Movers
When you move from one state to another, you will need to hire an interstate mover. Unlike local (or intrastate) movers, these professionals can help you relocate across states limits. The only downside of hiring interstate movers is that, sometimes, they can’t help you relocate to long distances.
In this case, you will need to hire a long-distance mover. For some companies, any distance over 400 miles is considered a long distance. As previously mentioned, the distance between Washington State and Arizona is approximately 1400 miles, which technically means that this is a long-distance move — but not quite.
Cross-Country Movers
The reason why we mentioned that moving from Washington to Arizona is not quite a long-distance move is that there is a way too long distance between them. When you leave Washington, at the far end of the West Coast, to move to Arizona, a southwestern state, you are making a cross-country move.
- The distance between Washington State and Arizona is considerably large, which means you may need to rely on cross-country movers in order to relocate. Check our guide on long distance moving!
- Illustration of a long distance move process.
In this particular case, long-distance movers may not be able to help you and you may need to hire a cross-country mover. Luckily, there are many cross-country movers readily available to assist you in your relocation process.
Moving Brokers
Truth be told, there are more moving companies out there than one is able to count. Because of that, it’s not unusual for people to find it quite difficult to find just one ideal mover among so many companies.
Instead of worrying needlessly, you can hire a moving broker to help relocate from Washington to Arizona. These professionals are specialists in finding the ideal mover based on a client’s needs and budget, and they’ll certainly help you find a moving company to move to Arizona.
5 Best Moving Companies to Help Relocate from Washington to Arizona
When you are looking for the ideal mover, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that you have to think this decision through. Hiring the first mover that you see may end up causing a lot of problems in your relocation process!
In order to avoid spending unnecessary money and having quite a hard time, our top advice for you is that you do your research before booking any mover. Given the many options available in the market, it’s not unusual for families to fall prey to scammers.
To help you find your ideal mover, here are the 5 best moving companies to help relocate from Washington to Arizona!
Hansen Bros. Moving
Hansen Bros. Moving is one of the top moving companies in the state of Washington. This company has been helping families relocate all over the country since 1890. With offices in different locations across the Evergreen State, Hansen Bros offers a wide range of services, including cross-country moving, senior moving, international moving, and more.
Whether you need to relocate the furniture from your home or if you have to move your car, Hansen Bros Moving can assist you. You can get free moving quotes directly from their website or through the phone.
Arizona Discount Movers
In case you want to hire movers in your new location, one of the most reliable movers you can hire is Arizona Discount Movers. As its name suggests, this company is quite affordable, which makes it a perfect fit for those working on a tight budget.
Arizona Discount Movers offers services that include apartment moving, packing and unpacking, commercial moving, local and interstate moving, as well as specialty items moving. If you want to get a quote from this company, you can do it via their website or via phone call.
National Van Lines
National is one of the top moving companies in the country, and there are plenty of reasons for that. Since its foundation in 1929, National Van Lines has successfully helped thousands of families have a great start to a new chapter in their lives.
With a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars on Better Business Bureau, this leading mover offers all the moving services that you need, whether it’s residential or commercial moving or even international moving. In order to get a free quote from this company, you can either call their phone number or fill out an electronic form on their website.
Arpin Van Lines
Another nationwide company that has been operating for over 90 years is Arpin Van Lines. Since 1900, this mover has over 400 agents all over the United States, which means that you can easily relocate anywhere without any major problems, including moving from Washington to Arizona.
Arpin is a top-rated moving company, and that title is thanks to the fact that this mover provides high-quality services. With an A+ rating on BBB, Arpin is the best choice for those who are looking for the best moving services possible, regardless of budget.
Stevens Worldwide Van Lines
The second-oldest moving company on our list is Stevens Worldwide Van Lines. With over a century of experience in the moving market, this company assists over 15,000 families relocate across America — and sometimes even move to other continents — every year.
Similar to the previous companies on this list, Stevens offers a broad range of moving services, including apartment moving, commercial moving, specialty items moving, and much more. You can get free quotes from Stevens Worldwide Van Lines on their website or by calling their toll-free number.
What Are the Top Benefits of Moving from Washington to Arizona?
If you are considering relocating from Washington to Arizona (or to any other state in the country), one of the very first things you should do is make a list of all the advantages and disadvantages of moving.
While we can help you get started on the list, keep in mind that the pros and cons of relocating anywhere are mostly personal and may vary according to what you expect to find in your new address.
To help you, here are a few general pros and cons of moving from Washington to Arizona. While all of them may not fit your preferences, you will certainly agree with some of the following bullet points:
Pros of Living in Washington
- Pet-friendly
- Nowadays, most families have pets at home. Having a dog or cat or any other animal at home certainly turns our days brighter! If you have a beloved pet, you’re probably quite happy living in Washington, considering that this is one of the most pet-friendly states in America!
- Job opportunities
- One of the top priorities for most Americans is to have a decent job to pay their bills and live a comfortable life. In Washington, that’s not a hard thing to find! The job market in this state has plenty of opportunities for most residents.
- Traveling options
- The state of Washington is unarguably one of the most beautiful states in the country — and that means that you have plenty of places to visit living here. On top of that, this state is also close to Canada, which is another fan-favorite destination!
Pros of Moving to Arizona
- Dreamy weather
- For the people who live in Washington, moving to Arizona is like a dream come true because it means escaping the wet weather of the Evergreen State. Leaving cloudy days behind and welcoming sunny, warm days? Now, that’s a pro!
- Costs of living
- Unlike Washington, living in Arizona is significantly more affordable than most other states in the country. Housing and living expenses are not as costly as other states in the region, which makes Arizona a great place to buy a home.
- Melting pot
- If you want to live surrounded by different cultures and people, moving to Arizona is ideal for you. Due to its proximity to states like California and a country like Mexico, Arizona welcomes people from all over!
Cons of Living in Washington
- Changing weather
- The weather in Washington is quite tricky sometimes. Depending on where you live, you probably have to deal with a lot of rain all year round. In this case, it’s no wonder why you’d be interested in relocating to a sunny place like Arizona!
- Costs of living
- Living in Washington is certainly a positive experience overall, but all the benefits of living in this state come at a certain price. The costs of living in Washington are above the national average, and this fact alone is enough to make residents want to relocate.
- Sales tax
- If you don’t want to pay sales taxes, there are only five states where you’ll be able to do that — and Washington is not one of them. On the contrary, this state has one of the highest sales taxes in the country, going up to 10% in cities like Seattle.
Cons of Moving to Arizona
- Landscape and weather
- While this may not necessarily be something you consider a disadvantage, the weather and landscapes in Arizona are quite uniform — meaning that you’ll have to get used to seeing the same “barren” sights and sunny days for most of the time.
- Public transportation
- Like most other states, Arizona is not exactly the leading example in public transportation. If you don’t relocate to one of the larger cities in the state, you’ll likely need your own transportation mode in order to get around town.
- Jobs in smaller cities
- Like public transportation, finding high-wage jobs in smaller cities will be quite the task in Arizona. Even though there are plenty of jobs in Arizona, the high-paying jobs you may be looking for are probably concentrated in the largest cities.
Comparison: Price of Living in Washington vs. Price of Living in Arizona
One of the differences between Washington and Arizona that we highlighted in the previous section was the cost of living. While Arizona has a cost of living index of 95, Washington is above the national average at 105.
In order to illustrate the differences in the costs of living in each state, we’ve prepared a table that displays the different living expenses in Washington and Arizona.
EXPENSES | WASHINGTON | ARIZONA |
| Housing | $1,906 | $1,251 |
| Food | $941 | $783 |
| Child care | $1,811 | $1,517 |
| Transportation | $1,274 | $1,195 |
| Health care | $1,032 | $1,193 |
| Other necessities | $1,032 | $737 |
| Taxes | $997 | $792 |
| Monthly Total | $8,993 | $7,468 |
| Annual Total | $107,916 | $89,619 |
All estimates presented in the table above were calculated considering the expenses of a family of two adults and two children. The data was retrieved from the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator.
Best Places to Move to in Arizona
Arizona has so many beautiful places that it can be quite hard to choose just one. To make this decision easier for yourself, you have to first consider all the things you are looking for in a city.
Are you looking into moving to a big city or do you want to move to somewhere quiet where you can start a family? Regardless of your future goals, Arizona has plenty of options for you. Check out some of the best places to move to in Arizona.
- Phoenix
- Moving to Arizona means that you are more than like to see the name Phoenix being thrown around a couple of times. That’s because Phoenix is the largest city in Arizona and concentrates most part of the population of the state. While it is not like Seattle, this city is ideal for those who are used to the pace of the big city.
- Scottsdale
- As we mentioned previously, most of the people who are moving to Arizona are doing so with the goal of finding a job. If this situation applies to you, you may like to know that Scottsdale is one of the top destinations for employment!
- Chandler
- Not everyone is looking forward to living in a big city like Phoenix, and that’s okay. If you want to live somewhere a little bit calmer and that is considered an ideal place to raise a family, the city of Chandler is a strong candidate!
- Mesa
- While Mesa is not as large as Phoenix and not as calm as Chandler, it is the perfect place for younger people who want to work and enjoy their free time with friends. This city has a significant percentage of young adults and offers plenty of indoor and outdoor activities that you’re going to love!
In the end, is Moving from Washington to Arizona Worth It?
If you are still not feeling confident about moving from Washington to Arizona, there’s nothing to be worried about. Relocating between these two states is a delicate process, especially considering the distance between them. Most people moving to a new address have doubts, but hopefully, our article helped answer some of the questions you had.
While we can’t affirm that moving from Washington to Arizona is ideal for you personally, we can go over some important points that may help you decide if this relocation is worth it or not.
- For most people, money will determine whether relocating to a new place is worth it. However, there is more to the moving process than that!
- A woman covered in dollar bills deciding if something is worth it.
In terms of the economy, it is safe to say that moving to Arizona from Washington is worth it. Washington has a cost of living index that is above the national average, whereas Arizona is below the average. Also, Arizona has more affordable housing options than The Evergreen State, which means that finding a place to live here is easier.
As for job opportunities, both states have plenty to offer, so you shouldn’t worry about not finding a good job at your new address. Though we have to mention that most of the high-paying jobs in Arizona are concentrated in larger cities like Phoenix.
Overall, the quality of life in both states is quite similar and, once you find the perfect house and the perfect mover, you’ll be ready to embark on an amazing journey that will mark your life!
How to Move from Washington to Arizona?
It may be an understatement to say this, but moving is not the type of process that can be done in the heat of the moment. First of all, relocating requires quite a bit of money — and every process that takes money should be taken seriously and be well-planned, right?
Before you go ahead and hire the first mover that tells you they can help you relocate, you should take a moment to plan this process through. We promise that all you will have to do is follow the list we’re going to show you and your moving process will be divine. Here are 10 tips on how to move from Washington to Arizona!
- Plan Ahead
- The first thing you need to do before actually moving to Arizona is to plan ahead. You are certainly looking forward to having a smooth moving process, aren’t you? Well, the only to truly achieve that is by planning and not letting things happen as they go. To help you with planning ahead, we prepared a downloadable moving checklist that has everything you need!
- Downsize
- We know that packing and moving things around is not fun and you probably want to avoid that for as long as possible. However, if you pack some stuff you don’t use and try to sell it or donate it, you will be saving yourself a lot of money when you have to actually relocate!
- Get Moving Quotes
- The best way to save money when purchasing products or services is by comparing prices from different companies. Before you hire a mover, you should try to get moving quotes from multiple moving companies and compare their fares. You can easily do that by using our free moving costs calculator!
- Book Movers
- Once you compare the quotes and find the most affordable mover, it’s time to hire their services. If you book a moving company a few months ahead of your actual moving date, you are likely to save some extra money.
- Visit Your New Area
- In case you have some available time and you want to visit your new location prior to moving there, you can always visit your new area. This way, you’ll be able to decide whether or not moving from Washington to Arizona is what you want.
- Start Packing
- As we said before, packing is not fun — or at least that’s what you may be thinking right now. If you read our guide on how to make moving fun for you and your family, you’ll see that packing and transporting items around the house is not as tedious as you originally thought!
- Create an Essentials Box
- Some people prefer to relocate to a new city by car. This way, they can get to enjoy a road trip before arriving at their new home. If this is something you may be interested in, one of the most valuable tips we can give you is to create an Essentials box. In thix box, you’ll place everything you’ll want easy access to during the move, like snacks, clothes, water, and more.
- Say Farewells
- If you don’t take the time to say farewells, we can assure you that you will miss out on saying goodbye to some of the most important people in your life. Start visiting friends and family at least a couple of weeks ahead of moving — and don’t forget to bring some tissues!
- Get Some Rest
- The entire process of moving is quite stressful and busy, especially when you’re moving from Washington to Arizona. The closer you get to the moving date, the busier you will be — and, consequently, you may end up forgetting to take a minute for yourself. Don’t forget to get some rest or else you won’t have nearly as much fun in the process as you should!
- Enjoy the Move
- We’re not going to lie to you: long-distance moving is not easy. This process will require a lot of your time, money, and patience. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s no way to enjoy it. Keep in mind that you’re turning a page in your life and starting an exciting brand-new chapter of your life in a new home!
Moving Services to Help You Relocate from Washington to Arizona
When it comes to moving, you should keep two things in mind: 1) there are hundreds of movers more than ready to help you relocate, and 2) most of these movers offer a wide range of moving services.
Depending on the type of move and the type of items you want to relocate, you will need to hire specific moving services that not all companies offer. For instance, not every mover will be able to help you relocate across the state line.
Below, we will list 9 of the top moving services to help you relocate from Washington to Arizona.
- Furniture Transportation
- Unless you are selling everything you currently own, you are probably wondering how in the world you’re going to move the living room couch or the dining room table. It’s simple: all you have to do is hire a mover that offers furniture transportation services — which is basically every mover.
- Residential Movers
- If you are moving from one house to another house, you don’t have to worry too much about finding a mover. 99% of the moving companies in the US will help you with residential moving services, whether you’re moving from a house or if you need an apartment mover.
- Piano Transportation
- All types of pianos are large and heavy items. Does that mean you can’t transport them? Absolutely not! You can easily move a piano from Washington to Arizona — as long as your mover offers this type of service.
- Art and Antiques Movers
- Do you collect fragile items like art pieces and antiques? In this case, you don’t have to worry about the integrity of these items. All you have to do is hire a mover that offers art and antiques moving services and you’ll be good to go.
- Hot Tub Movers
- Like pianos, hot tubs are bulky items. Luckily, it is not hard to find hot tub movers. One quick search on the internet and you’ll find the right guys to relocate a hot tub from Washington to Arizona.
- Pool Table Movers
- Buying a new pool table can be quite expensive, especially if you don’t get to sell yours for a reasonable price. Did you know that moving a pool table to Arizona can be cheaper than buying a new one? All you have to do is find the right mover!
- Office Movers
- As we mentioned before, some people choose to relocate their businesses to their new address — and surprisingly enough, this is not a hard process. If you want to move an office/business from Washington to Arizona, all you need to do is find the right office mover and let them take care of the rest.
- Long-Distance Movers
- The distance between Washington and Arizona is approximately 1400 miles. This means that you can’t simply hire a local mover and expect them to be able to help you. For this particular moving process, you will need to hire long-distance movers.
- Last-Minute Movers
Plans can change suddenly, and when it comes to moving, things are not any different. In case your plans have changed and you need to relocate to The Grand Canyon State earlier than originally planned, all you have to do is hire last-minute movers.