Moving Guide US

Moving to the largest cities in the US, five at a time

Every guide is a convoy on the highway, with one moving truck for each city it covers. The longer the truck, the more people live in the city. Set the load gauge to fill every truck with a figure the guides publish, measured against the US at 100.

guides
9
city stops
45
sections
56

The highway

Newest first. Page 1 of 1.

  1. Guide 09

    Milwaukee, Albuquerque, Tucson, Fresno, and Mesa: Moving to America's 31st Through 35th Largest Cities

    If you are deciding among these five cities, you are comparing places of similar size, between 513,656 and 562,407 residents each, where the first weeks after a move ask for...

    1. Milwaukee

      Population 562,407 Metro price level 96.9 Metro housing rents 97.1 Metro utilities 91.5

    2. Albuquerque

      Population 556,588 Metro price level 95.5 Metro housing rents 89.2 Metro utilities 76.7

    3. Tucson

      Population 548,371 Metro price level 96.9 Metro housing rents 91.8 Metro utilities 83.0

    4. Fresno

      Population 555,549 Metro price level 102.2 Metro housing rents 95.7 Metro utilities 143.8

    5. Mesa

      Population 513,656 Metro price level 103.3 Metro housing rents 121.2 Metro utilities 83.0

    5 cities

  2. Guide 08

    Indianapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, and Washington DC: Moving to America's 16th Through 20th Largest Cities

    City rankings count people who live inside each city's legal boundary, not in the wider region around it, and that definition decides which cities land in this group. The Census...

    1. Indianapolis

      Population 901,116 Metro price level 95.7 Metro housing rents 88.9 Metro utilities not in this guide

    2. San Francisco

      Population 826,079 Metro price level 115.6 Metro housing rents 194.7 Metro utilities not in this guide

    3. Seattle

      Population 784,777 Metro price level 111.1 Metro housing rents 151.3 Metro utilities not in this guide

    4. Denver

      Population 740,613 Metro price level 105.8 Metro housing rents 146.9 Metro utilities not in this guide

    5. Washington, DC

      Population 693,645 Metro price level 108.9 Metro housing rents 151.1 Metro utilities not in this guide

    5 cities

  3. Guide 07

    Boston, Nashville, El Paso, Detroit, and Oklahoma City: Moving to America's 21st Through 25th Largest Cities

    Detroit now counts more residents than it did in 2020, and Boston counts fewer. The Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates put Detroit at 649,095 people on July 1, 2025, up...

    1. Boston

      Population 672,973 Metro price level 108.3 Metro housing rents 148.4 Metro utilities 172.4

    2. Nashville

      Population 721,074 Metro price level 96.3 Metro housing rents 104.6 Metro utilities 76.5

    3. El Paso

      Population 683,012 Metro price level 89.9 Metro housing rents 71.2 Metro utilities 91.2

    4. Detroit

      Population 649,095 Metro price level 100.3 Metro housing rents 94.7 Metro utilities 107.5

    5. Oklahoma City

      Population 719,849 Metro price level 90.4 Metro housing rents 73.9 Metro utilities 80.5

    5 cities

  4. Guide 06

    Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, and San Jose: Moving to America's Next 5 Most Populous Cities

    Four of these five cities do hold places six through nine on the national list, but San Jose no longer belongs in the group. In the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025...

    1. Philadelphia

      Population 1,574,281 Metro price level 102.6 Metro housing rents 113.1 Metro utilities not in this guide

    2. San Antonio

      Population 1,548,422 Metro price level 94.7 Metro housing rents 94.6 Metro utilities not in this guide

    3. San Diego

      Population 1,406,106 Metro price level 111.9 Metro housing rents 179.3 Metro utilities not in this guide

    4. Dallas

      Population 1,329,491 Metro price level 103.1 Metro housing rents 117.9 Metro utilities not in this guide

    5. San Jose

      Population 989,814 Metro price level 110.4 Metro housing rents 211.9 Metro utilities not in this guide

    5 cities

  5. Guide 05

    Austin, Jacksonville, Fort Worth, Columbus, and Charlotte: Moving to America's 11th Through 15th Largest Cities

    If you are weighing a move to one of these five cities, you are choosing among places that all sit near the one-million mark and all grew between 2020 and...

    1. Austin

      Population 1,002,632 Metro price level 98.1 Metro housing rents 120.4 Metro utilities not in this guide

    2. Jacksonville

      Population 1,017,689 Metro price level 99.5 Metro housing rents 109.8 Metro utilities not in this guide

    3. Fort Worth

      Population 1,028,117 Metro price level 103.1 Metro housing rents 117.9 Metro utilities not in this guide

    4. Columbus, Ohio

      Population 938,396 Metro price level 95.5 Metro housing rents 87.9 Metro utilities not in this guide

    5. Charlotte

      Population 964,784 Metro price level 97.3 Metro housing rents 97.6 Metro utilities not in this guide

    5 cities

  6. Guide 04

    New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix: Moving to America's 5 Most Populous Cities

    New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix are the five largest cities in the United States by population inside city limits, in that order, according to the Census...

    1. New York City

      Population 8,584,629 Metro price level 112.6 Metro housing rents 148.6 Metro utilities 130.0

    2. Los Angeles

      Population 3,869,089 Metro price level 113.6 Metro housing rents 170.4 Metro utilities 135.3

    3. Chicago

      Population 2,731,585 Metro price level 103.6 Metro housing rents 112.0 Metro utilities 77.7

    4. Houston

      Population 2,397,315 Metro price level 98.6 Metro housing rents 104.5 Metro utilities 95.1

    5. Phoenix

      Population 1,665,481 Metro price level 103.3 Metro housing rents 121.2 Metro utilities 83.0

    5 cities

  7. Guide 03

    Portland, Las Vegas, Memphis, Louisville, and Baltimore: Moving to America's 26th Through 30th Largest Cities

    Las Vegas sits above the 26th-to-30th bracket named in this title. The Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimates put Las Vegas 24th, with 679,817 residents on July 1, 2025, after adding...

    1. Portland, Oregon

      Population 635,109 Metro price level 105.4 Metro housing rents 125.1 Metro utilities 91.0

    2. Las Vegas

      Population 679,817 Metro price level 100.2 Metro housing rents 115.5 Metro utilities 91.1

    3. Memphis

      Population 609,647 Metro price level 92.2 Metro housing rents 79.8 Metro utilities 77.5

    4. Louisville

      Population 641,962 Metro price level 93.1 Metro housing rents 78.6 Metro utilities 82.2

    5. Baltimore

      Population 569,997 Metro price level 104.5 Metro housing rents 118.2 Metro utilities 110.3

    5 cities

  8. Guide 02

    Atlanta, Kansas City, Colorado Springs, Omaha, and Raleigh: Moving to America's 36th Through 40th Largest Cities

    "Only the lease holder can apply for services." That rule, from the start service page of the City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management, is one of the details this...

    1. Atlanta

      Population 529,110 Metro price level 100.1 Metro housing rents 111.0 Metro utilities 98.1

    2. Kansas City, Missouri

      Population 521,220 Metro price level 92.5 Metro housing rents 86.6 Metro utilities 92.0

    3. Colorado Springs

      Population 494,743 Metro price level 100.7 Metro housing rents 116.2 Metro utilities 79.6

    4. Omaha

      Population 488,797 Metro price level 91.9 Metro housing rents 86.4 Metro utilities 81.3

    5. Raleigh

      Population 506,306 Metro price level 98.2 Metro housing rents 103.5 Metro utilities 84.4

    5 cities

  9. Guide 01

    Moving to Georgia's Major Cities: Columbus, Augusta, Macon, Savannah, and Atlanta

    Georgia's major cities, measured by the people who live inside each city's limits, are these five. Atlanta leads Georgia with 529,110 residents on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau's...

    1. Columbus

      Population 202,171 Metro price level 89.3 Metro housing rents 61.2 Metro utilities 88.7

    2. Augusta

      Population 201,999 Metro price level 91.9 Metro housing rents 70.6 Metro utilities 88.2

    3. Macon

      Population 157,556 Metro price level 88.5 Metro housing rents 58.9 Metro utilities 89.4

    4. Savannah

      Population 149,440 Metro price level 95.2 Metro housing rents 86.0 Metro utilities 86.5

    5. Atlanta

      Population 529,110 Metro price level 100.1 Metro housing rents 111.0 Metro utilities 98.1

    5 cities

Exits, A to Z

Every city the guides cover, straight to its part of the guide. The number of an exit is the number of its guide.

  1. Exit 09 Albuquerque
  2. Exit 01 Atlanta
  3. Exit 02 Atlanta
  4. Exit 01 Augusta
  5. Exit 05 Austin
  6. Exit 03 Baltimore
  7. Exit 07 Boston
  8. Exit 05 Charlotte
  9. Exit 04 Chicago
  10. Exit 02 Colorado Springs
  11. Exit 01 Columbus
  12. Exit 05 Columbus, Ohio
  13. Exit 06 Dallas
  14. Exit 08 Denver
  15. Exit 07 Detroit
  16. Exit 07 El Paso
  17. Exit 05 Fort Worth
  18. Exit 09 Fresno
  19. Exit 04 Houston
  20. Exit 08 Indianapolis
  21. Exit 05 Jacksonville
  22. Exit 02 Kansas City, Missouri
  23. Exit 03 Las Vegas
  24. Exit 04 Los Angeles
  25. Exit 03 Louisville
  26. Exit 01 Macon
  27. Exit 03 Memphis
  28. Exit 09 Mesa
  29. Exit 09 Milwaukee
  30. Exit 07 Nashville
  31. Exit 04 New York City
  32. Exit 07 Oklahoma City
  33. Exit 02 Omaha
  34. Exit 06 Philadelphia
  35. Exit 04 Phoenix
  36. Exit 03 Portland, Oregon
  37. Exit 02 Raleigh
  38. Exit 06 San Antonio
  39. Exit 06 San Diego
  40. Exit 08 San Francisco
  41. Exit 06 San Jose
  42. Exit 01 Savannah
  43. Exit 08 Seattle
  44. Exit 09 Tucson
  45. Exit 08 Washington, DC