South Carolina was one of the top states people moved to last year, demonstrating a high moving demand. While reasons for moving vary, if you’re looking for moving services in South Carolina, we can help. We narrowed down the top South Carolina moving companies to match the needs and budget of your move and answered some of the top questions about the process.
Compare South Carolina moving companies
Moving company | Move type | Move.org rating | Cost | Learn more |
| Full-service (long distance) | 
| $$$$ | Check Prices Check Prices | |
| Full-service (local) | 
| $$$ | Check Prices Check Prices | |
| Moving container | 
| $$$ | Check Prices Check Prices | |
| Truck rental | 
| $$ | Check Prices Check Prices | |
| Hourly labor | 
| $$ | Check Prices Check Prices |
International Van Lines—Best long-distance moving company
International Van Lines is our pick for the best long-distance moving company. It can move you anywhere in the country and is upfront about its prices (most moving companies aren’t). IVL also offers substantial discounts if you’re a senior or need to ship a car. Plus, the moving company provides 30 days of free storage to provide a buffer when moving into your new home. On the downside, it has below-average customer reviews and annoying website pop-up ads.
Pros
Transparent pricing
Local and long-distance moving
15% car shipping discount
15% senior discount
30 days of free storage 
Cons
Below-average customer reviews
Annoying pop-up ads First National Van Lines—Best local moving company
First National Van Lines is our pick for the best local moving company. While most moving brokers focus on helping you move between states, FNVL’s expertise enables you to move within the same state. It has a network of movers in nearly all US cities and receives above-average customer reviews. First National Van Lines can also give you a quote virtually or in person and provides attractive storage options. For example, it offers all customers a free month of storage and a remote video stream of their storage space. On the downside, FNVL’s website isn’t always up-to-date.
Pros
Services most U.S. cities
Excellent customer reviews
In-home and virtual quotes
30 days of free storage
Remote video storage Cons
Out-of-date website PODS—Best moving container company
PODS is one of your best moving options. Think of the company’s containers as storage units that you can hang onto until you've set a date with a driver to pick up and hook onto the back of a specialized truck. A PODS truck drops off a moving container at your home. Once you load it, PODS picks the container up and transports it to your new home, where you unload it. The container company has top-notch customer reviews, excellent storage options, and nationwide availability. And despite confusing invoices, PODS has some of the lowest rates for moving containers in the United States. In some cases, it's even more convenient and cheaper than rental trucks.
Pros
Low prices
Multiple container sizes
Lots of storage options
Positive customer reviews
46-state availability Cons
Confusing prices Penske—Best moving truck company
Penske Truck Rental is our pick for the best moving truck company. Renting a truck is the cheapest way to move, and Penske brings a lot to the table. It offers local and long-distance moving services everywhere in the country (except Alaska), provides reliable reservations, and has moving discounts. In addition, Penske has the highest customer satisfaction rating of any rental truck company. So if you’re able to pack, load, and drive, there’s no better option than Penske Truck Rental.
Pros
Lowest moving prices
Local and long-distance rentals
Excellent customer reviews
Moving discounts
Reliable reservations Cons
No service in Alaska HireAHelper—Best hourly moving labor company
HireAHelper is an excellent solution if you need help with only a few parts of the moving process. The company’s professional contractors can help you with everything from packing and loading to furniture assembly and junk removal. It’s also easy to find, with nearly 5,000 locations in all 50 states. Plus, HireAHelper movers get excellent customer reviews. Just be aware that you must hire your workers for at least two hours. It’s not cheap compared to other hourly moving labor companies, but customer reviews suggest the premium price is worth it.
Pros
Professional contractors
Packing and loading services
4,750+ locations
50-state availability
Positive customer reviews Cons
High prices
Two-hour minimum Move.org's top pick
International Van Lines is our pick for the best long-distance moving service. It has a vast network of cross-country movers, provides one month of free storage, and offers military and senior discounts. Want to move with Move.org's #1 pick?
What type of moving company is right for you?
Professional movers
They handle it all.
Professional movers load your stuff, ship it to your new home, and unload it all for you. It’s the easiest—but most expensive—option. Learn more.
Containers
You load, they ship.
You load up all your belongings, but the movers transport your container to your new home. It’s the middle road for effort and cost. Learn more.
Moving truck rentals
You do all the work.
Worried about costs? Rent a truck, load it yourself, drive it to your new home, and unload all your things. You do it all—and save a lot. Learn more.
What to know about living in South Carolina
Population
There are 5.191 million people living in South Carolina.1 The Palmetto State is moderately diverse,2 with 67% White and 28% Black or African American residents. Other groups represented in the state include Asian (2%) and Hispanic or Latino (6%) residents. South Carolina is home to a large veteran population, around 350,822 residents.
Employment
Roughly 2,403,238 people participated in the labor force in South Carolina last year, an average increase of 1.1% over the last five years.3 The top three employment sectors are manufacturing, real estate and rental and leasing, and retail trade. The average salary of $49,022 or approximately $23.57 per hour is low compared to the rest of the country.
Cost of living
South Carolina has a low cost of living, roughly 4% below the national average.5 While it didn’t make our list of top 10 metros with the lowest cost of living, it was close—South Carolina’s Columbia and Greenville-Anderson metro areas came in 11th and 12th place.6
While the cost of living is low, utility bills in South Carolina are higher than in many other states. Electricity bills alone in South Carolina average $138.00 a month.7 As a matter of fact, South Carolina came in 9th place for highest utility bill costs with an average total of $418.23 per month (electricity, natural gas, water, phone, internet, and streaming combined).
Home prices are the same as what you’d find in many places in the US right now. In December 2022, homes sold for an average of $368,400.8
South Carolina has a poverty rate above the national average; roughly 14.6% of South Carolinians live below the poverty line.1
Politics
South Carolina voted Republican in every election since 1976.9 Tim Scott (R) and Lindsey Graham (R) are the senators of South Carolina, while Henry McMaster (R) is the governor.
Current issues lawmakers in South Carolina are considering include:10
- How much money taxpayers can keep in their paychecks
- The Court’s decision after justices ruled the state’s six-week abortion ban violated the state Constitution
- Whether families can use public money to send their kids to private schools
- Teacher and law enforcement pay
- Greater investment in companies with social and environmental causes
Which long-distance movers have the best quality?
American Van Lines is our pick for the highest-quality interstate moving company. It’s expensive, but the company has decades of experience moving high-value items like pianos and artwork.
Best South Carolina movers FAQ
Moving costs in South Carolina vary depending on how far you’re moving, how much stuff you’re moving, the time of year, and your type of move. The average cost for professional movers is $9,060, while a moving container averages $3,800, and a moving truck costs around $1,128.11
Along with a low cost of living, low property taxes make South Carolina a cheap place to live compared to many other states. Also, Social Security benefits do not incur taxes in South Carolina.
The best part of South Carolina depends on what is important to you (place to retire, good schools for your kids, good housing prices, high diversity). Some top places include Greenville, Charleston, Tega Cay, Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, and Forest Acres.12
On average, a storage unit in South Carolina costs $110 per month,13 the size of your storage unit, the amenities you choose, and availability will ultimately determine the pricing at a given time. The industry average is $180 per month with the top self-storage companies.14
Methodology
We conducted intensive research to identify the best moving companies for long-distance moves and local moves, in addition to container moves, truck rentals, and hourly moving labor:
- Compare pricing transparency. We gather quotes, check for binding estimates, and read customer reviews about pricing to ensure each moving company’s prices are trustworthy.
- Review accreditation. We check every company’s records in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s database to confirm companies are properly authorized to transport household goods.
- Mystery shopping. We review every company’s website, pose as customers in calls to companies, and read customer reviews to analyze every company’s moving services, transit protection, and customer service. We also interview actual customers to learn how their moves went from start to finish.
- Site visits. We invite moving companies to our headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT, to share data and expertise. We verify the information they provide by comparing it to data gathered through independent research and interviews with other movers.
- Regular review. We routinely repeat this process to update our recommendations to reflect current data and trends. We also revise each review annually and make updates throughout the year.
Sources
- The United States Census Bureau, “QuickFacts: South Carolina,” July 2022. Accessed Jan 19, 2022.
- The United States Census Bureau, “Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census,” August 21, 2021. Accessed Jan 19, 2022.
- RentCafe, “Cost of Living in South Carolina,” September 2022. Accessed January 19, 2023.
- ZipRecruiter, “Average Salary in South Carolina,” December 2022. Accessed January 19, 2023.
- IBIS World, “South Carolina Industry Trends.” Accessed January 19, 2023.
- Asha Kennedy, Move.org, “US Cities with the Lowest Cost of Living in 2022,” August 23, 2022. Accessed January 19, 2023.
- Sarah Cimarusti, Move.org, “Utility Bills 101: Utilities Tips, Average Costs, Fees, and More,” December 29, 2022. Accessed January 19, 2023.
- Redfin,“South Carolina Real Estate, December 2022. Accessed January 19, 2023.
- 270toWin, “South Carolina Elections.” Accessed January 19, 2023.
- Joseph Bustos, The State, “Abortion, taxes, school choice: What to watch in 2023 as SC lawmakers return to the State House.” Accessed January 19, 2023.
- Colin Holmes, Move.org, “How Much Does it Cost to Move?” December 22, 2022. Accessed January 19, 2023.
- Niche.com, “2022 Best Places to Live in South Carolina.” Accessed January 19, 2023.
- RentCafe, “Storage Units in Maryland.” Accessed January 19, 2023.
- Kurt Manwaring, Move.org, “How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Storage Unit?” December 16, 2022. Accessed January 19, 2023.
