Cost to move from California
A 2–3 bedroom move out of California ranges from about $330 (a rental truck to Nevada, 240 miles) to $23,580 (full-service movers to Maine, 3,110 miles).
Moving cost: $1,020–$13,410
Moving about 1,530 miles from California to Texas costs roughly $1,020 – $13,410, depending on how much of the work you hire out.
Distance between the states' population centers by road (estimate).
| Moving method | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) Truck rental, taxes and fees. Add fuel, damage coverage, lodging and your time. | $1,020 – $4,600 |
| Moving container You pack and load; the company drives the container. | $1,870 – $4,980 |
| Full-service movers Packing, loading, transport and unloading. | $3,000 – $13,410 |
These ranges are based on summer (peak-season) quotes. A move between October and April usually costs less: peak prices run 20–30% higher.
A rental truck also burns about 153 gallons of fuel over this distance. One-way truck rental prices depend on direction: a truck headed where many people are moving often costs more than the same trip in reverse.
Ranges combine 198 published quote ranges on 22 interstate routes (moveBuddha, retrieved 2026-09-24) with 47 independent published prices from U-Pack, HireAHelper and Move.org, which raised the top of several ranges. They are not quotes; get at least three written estimates.
Alaska and Hawaii ranges come from published carrier rates and moving quotes, dated in each row (Matson's household-goods rates, U-Pack, Royal Hawaiian Movers). See how we estimate.
Moving cost from California to each state (2–3 bedrooms)
| Destination | Miles | Truck | Container | Full service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 240 | $330–$720 | $1,110–$2,120 | $1,860–$5,120 |
| Arizona | 530 | $480–$1,590 | $1,280–$2,760 | $2,120–$6,980 |
| Utah | 620 | $530–$1,870 | $1,340–$2,960 | $2,200–$7,560 |
| Idaho | 750 | $600–$2,260 | $1,410–$3,250 | $2,310–$8,400 |
| Oregon | 770 | $610–$2,320 | $1,430–$3,290 | $2,330–$8,530 |
| New Mexico | 860 | $660–$2,590 | $1,480–$3,490 | $2,410–$9,100 |
| Colorado | 960 | $710–$2,890 | $1,540–$3,710 | $2,500–$9,750 |
| Washington | 970 | $720–$2,920 | $1,540–$3,740 | $2,510–$9,810 |
| Wyoming | 970 | $720–$2,920 | $1,540–$3,740 | $2,510–$9,810 |
| Montana | 1,030 | $750–$3,100 | $1,580–$3,870 | $2,560–$10,200 |
| South Dakota | 1,440 | $970–$4,330 | $1,820–$4,780 | $2,920–$12,840 |
| Nebraska | 1,470 | $990–$4,420 | $1,840–$4,840 | $2,950–$13,030 |
| Oklahoma | 1,480 | $990–$4,450 | $1,840–$4,870 | $2,960–$13,090 |
| Kansas | 1,500 | $1,000–$4,510 | $1,860–$4,910 | $2,980–$13,220 |
| North Dakota | 1,530 | $1,020–$4,600 | $1,870–$4,980 | $3,000–$13,410 |
| Texas | 1,530 | $1,020–$4,600 | $1,870–$4,980 | $3,000–$13,410 |
| Iowa | 1,730 | $1,130–$5,210 | $1,990–$5,420 | $3,180–$14,700 |
| Arkansas | 1,750 | $1,140–$5,270 | $2,000–$5,470 | $3,200–$14,830 |
| Minnesota | 1,760 | $1,140–$5,300 | $2,010–$5,490 | $3,210–$14,890 |
| Missouri | 1,760 | $1,140–$5,300 | $2,010–$5,490 | $3,210–$14,890 |
| Louisiana | 1,920 | $1,230–$5,780 | $2,100–$5,840 | $3,350–$15,920 |
| Wisconsin | 1,990 | $1,270–$5,990 | $2,150–$6,000 | $3,410–$16,370 |
| Mississippi | 2,000 | $1,270–$6,020 | $2,150–$6,020 | $3,420–$16,440 |
| Illinois | 2,010 | $1,280–$6,050 | $2,160–$6,040 | $3,430–$16,500 |
| Indiana | 2,130 | $1,340–$6,410 | $2,230–$6,310 | $3,540–$17,270 |
| Tennessee | 2,160 | $1,360–$6,500 | $2,250–$6,380 | $3,560–$17,470 |
| Alabama | 2,180 | $1,370–$6,560 | $2,260–$6,420 | $3,580–$17,590 |
| Kentucky | 2,210 | $1,390–$6,650 | $2,270–$6,490 | $3,610–$17,790 |
| Michigan | 2,260 | $1,410–$6,800 | $2,300–$6,600 | $3,650–$18,110 |
| Ohio | 2,350 | $1,460–$7,070 | $2,360–$6,800 | $3,730–$18,690 |
| Georgia | 2,360 | $1,470–$7,100 | $2,360–$6,820 | $3,740–$18,750 |
| West Virginia | 2,490 | $1,540–$7,490 | $2,440–$7,110 | $3,860–$19,590 |
| South Carolina | 2,530 | $1,560–$7,610 | $2,460–$7,200 | $3,890–$19,850 |
| North Carolina | 2,590 | $1,590–$7,790 | $2,500–$7,330 | $3,940–$20,230 |
| Florida | 2,650 | $1,620–$7,970 | $2,530–$7,460 | $4,000–$20,620 |
| Virginia | 2,680 | $1,640–$8,060 | $2,550–$7,530 | $4,020–$20,810 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,700 | $1,650–$8,120 | $2,560–$7,570 | $4,040–$20,940 |
| Washington, DC | 2,720 | $1,660–$8,180 | $2,580–$7,620 | $4,060–$21,070 |
| Maryland | 2,730 | $1,670–$8,210 | $2,580–$7,640 | $4,070–$21,130 |
| Delaware | 2,800 | $1,700–$8,430 | $2,620–$7,800 | $4,130–$21,580 |
| New York | 2,840 | $1,720–$8,550 | $2,650–$7,880 | $4,170–$21,840 |
| New Jersey | 2,860 | $1,730–$8,610 | $2,660–$7,930 | $4,180–$21,970 |
| Vermont | 2,930 | $1,770–$8,820 | $2,700–$8,080 | $4,240–$22,420 |
| Connecticut | 2,940 | $1,780–$8,850 | $2,710–$8,110 | $4,250–$22,480 |
| New Hampshire | 3,020 | $1,820–$9,090 | $2,750–$8,280 | $4,320–$23,000 |
| Massachusetts | 3,030 | $1,830–$9,120 | $2,760–$8,310 | $4,330–$23,060 |
| Rhode Island | 3,030 | $1,830–$9,120 | $2,760–$8,310 | $4,330–$23,060 |
| Maine | 3,110 | $1,870–$9,360 | $2,810–$8,480 | $4,400–$23,580 |
Moving to Alaska or Hawaii goes by sea or through Canada, so we price them from published carrier rates and quotes: a 2–3 bedroom move from California starts at about $6,250 of ocean freight (before trucking and loading) to Alaska and $5,350 to Hawaii.
Before you book
- Compare the total cost of living in your destination with the California relocation rankings.
- Get three written estimates and check each interstate mover's USDOT number with the FMCSA.
- Weighing a portable container against a truck or full-service movers? See what moving containers cost and when they're worth it.
- Read how to cut the cost of a long-distance move and the moving out of state checklist.