Moving to & from Portland, OR
Portland ranks #8/50 on BLS wages and #4/50 on mean outbound 2BR, both top tercile.
Get cost updates for this metro (RSS)
High-wage, high-cost metro
According to PlainMove's metro corpus, Portland ranks #8 of 50 tracked metros by BLS-modeled base hourly rate (highest USD/hr = #1) and #4 of 50 by mean outbound 2-bedroom modeled cost (highest USD = #1). Modeled mean outbound 2BR is $3,369 across 49 origin routes (high depth vs corpus p33=0/p66=2).
- $3,369
- Mean outbound 2BR (modeled)
- 49
- Origin routes priced
- #8/50
- BLS base hourly (highest=#1)
- #4/50
- Mean outbound 2BR (highest=#1)
Figures are BLS OES wage-and-distance model outputs, not carrier quotes. Confirm any mover at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.
Portland's dual high ranks: wages #8/50, outbound 2BR #4/50
Portland (652,503 people, West) sits in the top wage and outbound-cost terciles, BLS base $21/hr (#8/50) and mean outbound 2BR $3,369 (#4/50) across 49 origin / 49 inbound priced corridors (nearest 25 each way listed below).
BLS base $21/hr · wage index 120% · mean outbound miles 1,707 · inbound 1,707. Cheapest outbound 2BR: Seattle, WA $783; dearest: Honolulu, HI $5,158. Modeled only, get FMCSA binding quotes.
Portland moving value score
A single 0-100 verdict combining Portland's standing on 2 of 2 cost measures against every other tracked city.
16/100
Percentile-weighted across 2 of 2 measures
- Labor rate
- F · 29th percentile
- Modeled 2BR move cost
- F · 3rd percentile
Moving from Portland
| Destination | Miles | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | 4BR+ | $/mi (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| → Seattle, WA | 146 | $334 | $427 | $783 | $1,012 | $1,496 | $5.36 |
| → Sacramento, CA | 482 | $790 | $883 | $1,383 | $1,612 | $2,241 | $2.87 |
| → San Francisco, CA | 534 | $861 | $954 | $1,476 | $1,705 | $2,356 | $2.76 |
| → San Jose, CA | 566 | $905 | $997 | $1,533 | $1,762 | $2,427 | $2.71 |
| → Salt Lake City, UT | 634 | $997 | $1,090 | $1,655 | $1,884 | $2,578 | $2.61 |
| → Las Vegas, NV | 755 | $1,161 | $1,254 | $1,871 | $2,100 | $2,846 | $2.48 |
| → Los Angeles, CA | 825 | $1,256 | $1,349 | $1,996 | $2,225 | $3,001 | $2.42 |
| → San Diego, CA | 931 | $1,400 | $1,493 | $2,186 | $2,415 | $3,236 | $2.35 |
| → Denver, CO | 981 | $1,468 | $1,561 | $2,275 | $2,504 | $3,347 | $2.32 |
| → Phoenix, AZ | 1,005 | $1,501 | $1,594 | $2,318 | $2,547 | $3,400 | $2.31 |
| → Albuquerque, NM | 1,106 | $1,638 | $1,731 | $2,499 | $2,727 | $3,624 | $2.26 |
| → Tucson, AZ | 1,110 | $1,643 | $1,736 | $2,506 | $2,735 | $3,633 | $2.26 |
| → El Paso, TX | 1,286 | $1,734 | $1,821 | $2,573 | $2,786 | $3,650 | $2.00 |
| → Omaha, NE | 1,368 | $1,863 | $1,951 | $2,750 | $2,965 | $3,880 | $2.01 |
| → Minneapolis, MN | 1,423 | $1,932 | $2,021 | $2,841 | $3,056 | $3,992 | $2.00 |
| → Oklahoma City, OK | 1,484 | $1,982 | $2,069 | $2,895 | $3,108 | $4,047 | $1.95 |
| → Kansas City, MO | 1,494 | $2,023 | $2,111 | $2,958 | $3,174 | $4,136 | $1.98 |
| → Anchorage, AK | 1,540 | $2,228 | $2,320 | $3,274 | $3,503 | $4,586 | $2.13 |
| → Dallas, TX | 1,631 | $2,165 | $2,253 | $3,134 | $3,347 | $4,341 | $1.92 |
| → Austin, TX | 1,707 | $2,260 | $2,348 | $3,258 | $3,471 | $4,493 | $1.91 |
| → Milwaukee, WI | 1,715 | $2,303 | $2,391 | $3,324 | $3,539 | $4,587 | $1.94 |
| → San Antonio, TX | 1,718 | $2,274 | $2,362 | $3,276 | $3,488 | $4,515 | $1.91 |
| → St. Louis, MO | 1,719 | $2,308 | $2,396 | $3,330 | $3,546 | $4,595 | $1.94 |
| → Chicago, IL | 1,754 | $2,352 | $2,441 | $3,388 | $3,603 | $4,666 | $1.93 |
| → Houston, TX | 1,833 | $2,418 | $2,506 | $3,463 | $3,676 | $4,745 | $1.89 |
Moving to Portland
| Origin | Miles | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | 4BR+ | $/mi (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA → | 146 | $334 | $427 | $783 | $1,012 | $1,496 | $5.36 |
| Sacramento, CA → | 482 | $790 | $883 | $1,383 | $1,612 | $2,241 | $2.87 |
| San Francisco, CA → | 534 | $861 | $954 | $1,476 | $1,705 | $2,356 | $2.76 |
| San Jose, CA → | 566 | $905 | $997 | $1,533 | $1,762 | $2,427 | $2.71 |
| Salt Lake City, UT → | 634 | $997 | $1,090 | $1,655 | $1,884 | $2,578 | $2.61 |
| Las Vegas, NV → | 755 | $1,161 | $1,254 | $1,871 | $2,100 | $2,846 | $2.48 |
| Los Angeles, CA → | 825 | $1,256 | $1,349 | $1,996 | $2,225 | $3,001 | $2.42 |
| San Diego, CA → | 931 | $1,400 | $1,493 | $2,186 | $2,415 | $3,236 | $2.35 |
| Denver, CO → | 981 | $1,468 | $1,561 | $2,275 | $2,504 | $3,347 | $2.32 |
| Phoenix, AZ → | 1,005 | $1,501 | $1,594 | $2,318 | $2,547 | $3,400 | $2.31 |
| Albuquerque, NM → | 1,106 | $1,638 | $1,731 | $2,499 | $2,727 | $3,624 | $2.26 |
| Tucson, AZ → | 1,110 | $1,643 | $1,736 | $2,506 | $2,735 | $3,633 | $2.26 |
| El Paso, TX → | 1,286 | $1,734 | $1,821 | $2,573 | $2,786 | $3,650 | $2.00 |
| Omaha, NE → | 1,368 | $1,863 | $1,951 | $2,750 | $2,965 | $3,880 | $2.01 |
| Minneapolis, MN → | 1,423 | $1,932 | $2,021 | $2,841 | $3,056 | $3,992 | $2.00 |
| Oklahoma City, OK → | 1,484 | $1,982 | $2,069 | $2,895 | $3,108 | $4,047 | $1.95 |
| Kansas City, MO → | 1,494 | $2,023 | $2,111 | $2,958 | $3,174 | $4,136 | $1.98 |
| Anchorage, AK → | 1,540 | $2,228 | $2,320 | $3,274 | $3,503 | $4,586 | $2.13 |
| Dallas, TX → | 1,631 | $2,165 | $2,253 | $3,134 | $3,347 | $4,341 | $1.92 |
| Austin, TX → | 1,707 | $2,260 | $2,348 | $3,258 | $3,471 | $4,493 | $1.91 |
| Milwaukee, WI → | 1,715 | $2,303 | $2,391 | $3,324 | $3,539 | $4,587 | $1.94 |
| San Antonio, TX → | 1,718 | $2,274 | $2,362 | $3,276 | $3,488 | $4,515 | $1.91 |
| St. Louis, MO → | 1,719 | $2,308 | $2,396 | $3,330 | $3,546 | $4,595 | $1.94 |
| Chicago, IL → | 1,754 | $2,352 | $2,441 | $3,388 | $3,603 | $4,666 | $1.93 |
| Houston, TX → | 1,833 | $2,418 | $2,506 | $3,463 | $3,676 | $4,745 | $1.89 |
Other-state metros near Portland's $21/hr wage
Long-haul vs local from Portland
Local vs. Long-Distance
49 outbound routes, when mileage rules change
Portland moving-cost questions
How much does it cost to move to or from Portland?
Modeled mean outbound 2BR from Portland is $3,369 (#4/50 in corpus) with BLS base $21/hr (#8/50). Binding FMCSA quotes still set the real price.
What affects moving costs from Portland?
Labor dominates here: BLS base $21/hr (#8/50) and wage index 120%. Distance, home size, and summer season still stack on top.
Where does Portland's cost model come from?
Wage height is the story here (#8/50). Estimates use BLS OES 2023 SOC 53-7062 wages × haversine miles; Census population is separate. No mover referral fees.
What to do with Portland's numbers
Compare a real route, then get quotes
- The cheapest outbound route from Portland is to Seattle, WA ($783); the priciest is to Honolulu, HI ($5,158).
- Portland's average outbound 2BR cost is $3,369 (#4 of 50 tracked metros). Household size and distance change the real figure, see the route table above.
- Get at least three binding estimates from FMCSA-registered carriers before booking. PlainMove does not publish carrier records. See methodology for how these estimates are built.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BLS labor data and route distance. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.