Californians coming to Idaho might feel sticker shock in one aspect of moving
For people moving from California to the Treasure Valley, the high prices might be surprising.
No, not the cost of housing. Compared to what they receive for their California houses — where the median sales price exceeds $700,000 — Ada County’s record November median sales price of $425,000 still seems like a bargain.
It’s the high cost of renting a truck from U-Haul or another company, if you chose to move yourself, that would lighten your wallet. A family driving a rental truck from Los Angeles to Boise pays more four times as much as someone moving from Boise to Los Angeles, for instance.
A 15-foot truck, which U-Haul International says can accommodate belongings from a one-bedroom home or a two-bedroom apartment, would cost $2,384 for a move from Los Angeles to Boise. The rental includes five days of use of the truck and 1,054 miles.
The same rental for a family traveling in the opposite direction would cost only $561.
A 20-foot truck, with room for possessions from a two-bedroom house or three-bedroom apartment, is renting for $3,576 from the L.A. area to Boise. The same truck from Boise to L.A. would be only $617.
“Leaving California is getting expensive due to high demand and a shortage of available trucks,” Mark Perry, a professor of finance and business economics at the University of Michigan-Flint, tweeted last fall. “Moving to California is getting really cheap due to low demand and a surplus of available trucks.”
U-Haul considers many factors in setting its rates from one location to another, including supply and demand, spokesperson Jeff Lockridge said in an email.
“We strive to make our equipment available to everyone, regardless of where customers are traveling,” Lockridge said. “However, managing the allocation of our fleet and seeing that do-it-yourself moving equipment is available at all our 22,000-plus rental locations can lead to lowering pricing when traveling to certain markets.”
Or vice-versa.
U-Haul charges similar prices for trucks to Boise from other California cities. In San Francisco, the 15-foot truck rents for $1,913. It’s $1,968 in San Jose and $2,474 in San Diego.
The price to rent a truck going the opposite direction to each of those cities costs between $450 and $582.
U-Haul has a certain number of trucks dedicated for local use, meaning they will be returned to the same location where they were rented. Others are meant for one-way trips.
Last year, Idaho ranked 11th in the United States for U-Haul trucks entering the state vs. leaving. The previous year, in 2018, it was No. 5.
Florida and Texas led the 2019 list for incoming states. Washington was No. 5, while Nevada was No. 24, Montana was No. 26, Wyoming was No. 27 and Oregon was No. 29.
California was next-to-last, with Illinois being No. 50.
More people are leaving California than are moving there. But counting births, the nation’s most populous state grew to 39.8 million, up 21,200 people, from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020.
During that same time frame, 135,600 more people left the state than moved there. It’s the 12th time since 1900 the state has had a net migration loss, and the third-largest ever recorded, The Associated Press reported.
Idaho has long been a draw for some Californians, and it’s still a source of many out-of-state home buyers.
Other truck rental companies also charge more for Californians moving to the Boise area than those leaving Idaho.
Penske showed limited availability for its 12-foot and 16-foot trucks in Los Angeles, and its online booking site did not show prices. A 22-foot truck, which the company said could be filled with items from three to five rooms, would cost $6,808 from the L.A. area, a price that includes unlimited mileage.
The same-size truck from Boise to Southern California would rent for $923. Penske quoted a price of $583 for a 12-foot or a 16-foot truck from Boise, also including unlimited mileage.
Budget Truck Rental quoted a price of $3,599 for a 12-foot truck from California. The company’s 16-foot and 26-foot trucks were listed as “sold out.” A 26-foot truck was available on Dec. 29 for $5,400. Budget’s trucks also come with unlimited miles.
No Budget trucks were available in Boise.
This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
