How we rate.

What we measure

For mover rankings, we use Google reviews as the data source. Each company's data score is computed as rating × ln(review_count + 1). The logarithm matters: a mover with 4.9 stars from 8 reviews shouldn't rank above one with 4.7 from 800 reviews. The log dampens the review-count term so quality and breadth both contribute, but neither dominates.

We sort by data score and take the top 10 in each state. Anything below the cut isn't listed. We exclude companies that are inactive, that operate primarily outside the state, or that fail a basic legitimacy check (active F-grade BBB rating, or a Yelp average below 3.5 across at least 50 reviews).

For state-level information — moving costs, climate notes, regulatory deadlines, top metros — we use public-data sources and cite them. The full source list is below.

How the editor pick works

The data shortlist is the floor, not the ceiling. From the top 10 by score, our editor selects three picks and writes a paragraph explaining each. The editor reads recent reviews (especially the lowest ones — patterns there matter more than averages), checks complaint resolution behavior, and weighs service-area coverage against the state's geography. A mover that's strong in Houston but doesn't service West Texas might still make the picks for a Houston-weighted audience, but the blurb says so.

The remaining seven movers from the shortlist are listed under "Other top-rated movers" without editorial commentary. They scored well on the data; the editor just had to pick three.

Picks are reviewed quarterly. If a mover's reviews trend down materially, or if a better candidate emerges from the data, the picks change.

What we don't claim

We don't currently verify FMCSA license status. We don't currently track BBB complaint history beyond the F-grade exclusion above. We don't currently audit a mover's insurance coverage or claims-payment record. Those checks are on the v2 roadmap; until then, this is a Google-review-led ranking with editor curation, not a full regulatory audit.

We don't claim our picks are the absolute best movers in the state. We claim they're the three our editor would call first based on the public data we can verify, and we show our reasoning so you can decide if it matches your situation.

Mover rankings are forthcoming as we build the dataset. State-level pages — costs, timelines, FAQs — are populated first, sourced from public data.

State-level data sources

• Population, top metros, demographics — U.S. Census Bureau (census.gov), American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
• State income tax, sales tax — state Departments of Revenue and the Tax Foundation's published state-by-state summaries.
• Vehicle registration deadlines — state Departments of Motor Vehicles (.gov sites per state).
• Voter registration deadlines — state Secretaries of State.
• School enrollment — state Departments of Education.
• Climate and weather — NOAA and climate.gov.
• Average moving costs — American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) industry surveys, U.S. Census ACS migration data.

Update cadence

Each state page is reviewed and re-verified quarterly. The "last verified" date at the bottom of each page is the date of the most recent editorial review. State data (costs, deadlines, regulations) changes less frequently than mover data; we re-pull mover review data more often than we touch the static state copy.

Editorial independence

Editorial rankings are independent of advertising. Affiliate links and paid mover placements live in clearly labeled ad zones — never on the rankings or editor picks. A paid advertiser can't buy their way into the top 10 or into an editor pick. If we ever change that policy, we'll say so on this page first, with a date.

Specifically: the database table that holds editor picks does not contain a column for affiliate URLs, phone numbers, or pricing — those are stored in a separate advertising table by design, so the two surfaces can't be conflated even by accident.

Corrections

If you see something wrong — a stale fact, a broken citation, a mover that shouldn't be in our shortlist, or one we've missed — email [email protected]. We respond to corrections within five business days. Material corrections are noted at the bottom of the affected page with a date.