Costly And Competitive: The Price Some Pay To Leave California, Moving Trucks and Trailers in High Demand

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - As the cost of living gets more competitive in California, so does the price to leave the state.

Every person has a reason, Jen Jones has three.

"Politics is one of them, cost of living is another," Jones said. "But the main factor is my parents are older."

She's making the move to her brand new home near Austin, Texas. Much of her stuff is already there. Though getting the rest of her things to arrive safely has proven to be a challenge.

"I'm already at my wits' end with everything going on," Jones said. "It was just another blow."

That blow, she references, is an email referring to her U-Haul trailer being canceled days before the move.

"Because they didn't have adequate supply," Jones said.

The struggle to get another one in time hasn't been easy. She said the company told her trailers can't be taken out of state - unless it's going to Washington, Oregon or Nevada. None of which are her future home states.

Jones chose not to get her trailer locally, and was willing to make the trek across state and county lines for it. The difference in cost? A trailer from U-Haul in Sacramento would cost her $749. In South Lake Tahoe, where she luckily found one at the last minute, it was only $150.

Financial expert Sanjay Varshney has been tracking the California exodus for years. He said desperate times call for desperate measures. For many, the attempts to escape the state get more dire.

"Moving out is becoming extremely expensive because there's a rush at the exit," said Varshney. "Maybe you're going into some other rural area where one may be sitting in the lot and you get lucky."

The trend, he said, has picked up so much speed that the price to get out of the Golden State is getting more costly and competitive.

U-Haul told CBS13 they have plenty of inventory for in-town moves, but said that one-way equipment is in high demand. A spokesperson for the company also said it's in better shape, now, than it has been over the last year and a half. In regards to cancellations, the company hasn't seen an uptick. U-Haul says they depend heavily on current customers to return their equipment on time to the right location, in order for a future customer to utilize it next.

Jones said she's gotten advice from others like her, in a Facebook group called 'Leaving California.' She says she's prepared to give others the same words of wisdom she's received, and feels for those who may have to deal with the headache.

"These kinds of experiences are not unique," Jones said. "They're very common."

Now feeling lucky to lock down a trailer at the last minute, she's eager to hit the road and hug her family. But she feels people who choose to leave the state may have to pay the price.