How we calculate our route figures
Every number on a route page is either measured, modelled, or derived from something we publish. This page states which, and where each figure falls short.
Last reviewed 2026-08-10
What we will and will not claim
We publish internal indices and label them as internal. We do not publish comparative or ranking claims — statements like “one of the busiest corridors in America” or “top 12% of US routes” — unless we have computed them against a stated population using a stated dataset.
Where a figure is a placeholder awaiting a real data load, we say so on the route page rather than presenting it as measured.
How we calculate costs
Route demand index
0–100 internal index
Primary comparison signal on route pages and directories. Drawn from DemandIndex / RoutePagePriority (Prompt 2). Legacy RoutePopularityScore is no longer shown as a comparison metric.
Current status: Internal corridor model — corridor migration volumes use DemandSignal (UN DESA / Census / ONS) when matched; quote-derived booking and popularity scores await first-party volume
Monthly demand index
0–100, where 100 is the busiest month
Seasonality curve for the corridor. The 12-month average and the peak-season label are computed from this series, never stored separately.
Current status: Internal seasonality model — pending first-party international quote volume by month
Average booking notice
Days
Median gap between quote submission and requested move date on the corridor.
Current status: Internal corridor model — corridor migration volumes use DemandSignal (UN DESA / Census / ONS) when matched; quote-derived booking and popularity scores await first-party volume
Households moving annually
Count
Origin-to-destination migration volume from DemandSignal when a corridor matches — UN DESA migrant stock (international), US Census ACS state-to-state flows, or ONS internal migration (UK). Corridors without a match omit the figure.
Current status: Internal corridor model — corridor migration volumes use DemandSignal (UN DESA / Census / ONS) when matched; quote-derived booking and popularity scores await first-party volume
Move complexity
Low / Medium / High
Distance band, typical building access at both ends, and the share of moves needing packing, storage, or vehicle transport.
Current status: Internal complexity model — customs, ocean transit, access at both ends, and service mix
Country price level
International route pages may show a country-level price-level comparison sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators (2023): GDP per capita in current US$ divided by GDP per capita in PPP international dollars. The United States equals 1.0 on that ratio. This is an economy-wide proxy, not a city rent or grocery index. If either country is missing from the WDI extract, or both ends are the same country, the section is omitted. We do not display the synthetic city CostOfLivingScore from MQE seed data.
How route scores work
Route scores combine distance, complexity, transit time and commercial signals from our corridor database. They are internal planning indices — not guarantees of service quality from individual movers.
Derived figures
Some figures are computed from others at render time so they cannot drift apart. For New York → London:
- Average demand index (72) — the mean of the twelve monthly values shown in the demand chart.
- Peak season (May–September) — the months scoring at or above 85% of the highest month.
- Transit window (14–28 days sea freight) — modelled door-to-door sea freight for international routes (14–28 days); air freight 3–7 days for smaller or urgent shipments. Domestic routes use 2 base days plus 1.5 days per 1,000 miles.
How the cost calculator works
The calculator applies configurable multipliers to a base cost band for your home size. It is deliberately simple and is not a quote.
| Input | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Packing required | ×1.15 on the cost band |
| Peak-season move date | ×1.1 for May to August |
| Storage required | +$200–$450 |
| Recommended mover type | Selected by home size — sea freight consolidated load for international routes; rental truck, container, or van line for domestic |
Migration demand on route pages
When a corridor matches a row in our DemandSignal table, we publish the measured figure with source name, reference period and a link to the original dataset. We do not rescale or invent migration volumes.
- International routes — UN DESA International Migrant Stock (bilateral origin/destination, mid-year).
- US domestic routes — US Census Bureau ACS state-to-state migration flows (prior 12 months).
- UK domestic routes — ONS internal migration matrix between local authorities (year ending June 2020).
Corridors with no matching measured statistic omit the migration block entirely rather than showing a placeholder number.
Intended data sources
- IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗ — household and exemption counts between counties
- Census ACS migration flows ↗ — county-level in and out migration estimates
- Our own quote volume, seasonality, and buyer acceptance data
- Google Search Console impressions and clicks per route page
Known limitations
- Migration data is filed annually and lags the current year.
- County-level data does not distinguish a city move from a suburban one.
- Cost bands are national averages adjusted for distance, not carrier pricing.
- Our own quote volume reflects our traffic mix, not the whole market.
Spotted a figure that looks wrong? Tell us and we will check it.