Moving to & from San Francisco, CA
San Francisco ranks #12/50 on BLS wages and #5/50 on mean outbound 2BR, both top tercile.
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High-wage, high-cost metro
According to PlainMove's metro corpus, San Francisco ranks #12 of 50 tracked metros by BLS-modeled base hourly rate (highest USD/hr = #1) and #5 of 50 by mean outbound 2-bedroom modeled cost (highest USD = #1). Modeled mean outbound 2BR is $3,282 across 49 origin routes (high depth vs corpus p33=0/p66=2).
- $3,282
- Mean outbound 2BR (modeled)
- 49
- Origin routes priced
- #12/50
- BLS base hourly (highest=#1)
- #5/50
- 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.
San Francisco's dual high ranks: wages #12/50, outbound 2BR #5/50
San Francisco (873,965 people, West) sits in the top wage and outbound-cost terciles, BLS base $21/hr (#12/50) and mean outbound 2BR $3,282 (#5/50) across 49 origin / 49 inbound priced corridors (nearest 25 each way listed below).
BLS base $21/hr · wage index 120% · mean outbound miles 1,658 · inbound 1,658. Cheapest outbound 2BR: San Jose, CA $597; dearest: Boston, MA $5,256. Modeled only, get FMCSA binding quotes.
San Francisco moving value score
A single 0-100 verdict combining San Francisco'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 San Francisco
| Destination | Miles | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | 4BR+ | $/mi (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| → San Jose, CA | 42 | $193 | $286 | $597 | $826 | $1,266 | $14.21 |
| → Sacramento, CA | 75 | $238 | $331 | $656 | $885 | $1,339 | $8.75 |
| → Los Angeles, CA | 347 | $607 | $700 | $1,142 | $1,371 | $1,942 | $3.29 |
| → Las Vegas, NV | 417 | $702 | $795 | $1,267 | $1,496 | $2,097 | $3.04 |
| → San Diego, CA | 458 | $758 | $851 | $1,340 | $1,569 | $2,188 | $2.93 |
| → Portland, OR | 534 | $861 | $954 | $1,476 | $1,705 | $2,356 | $2.76 |
| → Salt Lake City, UT | 599 | $949 | $1,042 | $1,592 | $1,821 | $2,500 | $2.66 |
| → Phoenix, AZ | 653 | $1,023 | $1,116 | $1,689 | $1,918 | $2,620 | $2.59 |
| → Seattle, WA | 679 | $1,058 | $1,151 | $1,735 | $1,964 | $2,677 | $2.56 |
| → Tucson, AZ | 752 | $1,157 | $1,250 | $1,866 | $2,095 | $2,839 | $2.48 |
| → Albuquerque, NM | 895 | $1,351 | $1,444 | $2,122 | $2,350 | $3,156 | $2.37 |
| → Denver, CO | 947 | $1,422 | $1,515 | $2,214 | $2,443 | $3,271 | $2.34 |
| → El Paso, TX | 993 | $1,367 | $1,455 | $2,097 | $2,309 | $3,064 | $2.11 |
| → Oklahoma City, OK | 1,386 | $1,859 | $1,946 | $2,736 | $2,948 | $3,851 | $1.97 |
| → Omaha, NE | 1,426 | $1,936 | $2,025 | $2,846 | $3,061 | $3,998 | $2.00 |
| → Dallas, TX | 1,481 | $1,978 | $2,065 | $2,890 | $3,103 | $4,041 | $1.95 |
| → San Antonio, TX | 1,487 | $1,985 | $2,073 | $2,900 | $3,113 | $4,053 | $1.95 |
| → Austin, TX | 1,500 | $2,002 | $2,089 | $2,921 | $3,134 | $4,079 | $1.95 |
| → Kansas City, MO | 1,504 | $2,035 | $2,124 | $2,975 | $3,190 | $4,157 | $1.98 |
| → Minneapolis, MN | 1,581 | $2,133 | $2,221 | $3,102 | $3,317 | $4,314 | $1.96 |
| → Houston, TX | 1,642 | $2,179 | $2,267 | $3,152 | $3,365 | $4,363 | $1.92 |
| → St. Louis, MO | 1,741 | $2,336 | $2,424 | $3,367 | $3,582 | $4,640 | $1.93 |
| → Memphis, TN | 1,799 | $2,376 | $2,463 | $3,408 | $3,620 | $4,677 | $1.89 |
| → Milwaukee, WI | 1,838 | $2,459 | $2,547 | $3,527 | $3,742 | $4,837 | $1.92 |
| → Chicago, IL | 1,855 | $2,481 | $2,569 | $3,555 | $3,770 | $4,872 | $1.92 |
Moving to San Francisco
| Origin | Miles | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | 4BR+ | $/mi (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA → | 42 | $193 | $286 | $597 | $826 | $1,266 | $14.21 |
| Sacramento, CA → | 75 | $238 | $331 | $656 | $885 | $1,339 | $8.75 |
| Los Angeles, CA → | 347 | $607 | $700 | $1,142 | $1,371 | $1,942 | $3.29 |
| Las Vegas, NV → | 417 | $702 | $795 | $1,267 | $1,496 | $2,097 | $3.04 |
| San Diego, CA → | 458 | $758 | $851 | $1,340 | $1,569 | $2,188 | $2.93 |
| Portland, OR → | 534 | $861 | $954 | $1,476 | $1,705 | $2,356 | $2.76 |
| Salt Lake City, UT → | 599 | $949 | $1,042 | $1,592 | $1,821 | $2,500 | $2.66 |
| Phoenix, AZ → | 653 | $1,023 | $1,116 | $1,689 | $1,918 | $2,620 | $2.59 |
| Seattle, WA → | 679 | $1,058 | $1,151 | $1,735 | $1,964 | $2,677 | $2.56 |
| Tucson, AZ → | 752 | $1,157 | $1,250 | $1,866 | $2,095 | $2,839 | $2.48 |
| Albuquerque, NM → | 895 | $1,351 | $1,444 | $2,122 | $2,350 | $3,156 | $2.37 |
| Denver, CO → | 947 | $1,422 | $1,515 | $2,214 | $2,443 | $3,271 | $2.34 |
| El Paso, TX → | 993 | $1,367 | $1,455 | $2,097 | $2,309 | $3,064 | $2.11 |
| Oklahoma City, OK → | 1,386 | $1,859 | $1,946 | $2,736 | $2,948 | $3,851 | $1.97 |
| Omaha, NE → | 1,426 | $1,936 | $2,025 | $2,846 | $3,061 | $3,998 | $2.00 |
| Dallas, TX → | 1,481 | $1,978 | $2,065 | $2,890 | $3,103 | $4,041 | $1.95 |
| San Antonio, TX → | 1,487 | $1,985 | $2,073 | $2,900 | $3,113 | $4,053 | $1.95 |
| Austin, TX → | 1,500 | $2,002 | $2,089 | $2,921 | $3,134 | $4,079 | $1.95 |
| Kansas City, MO → | 1,504 | $2,035 | $2,124 | $2,975 | $3,190 | $4,157 | $1.98 |
| Minneapolis, MN → | 1,581 | $2,133 | $2,221 | $3,102 | $3,317 | $4,314 | $1.96 |
| Houston, TX → | 1,642 | $2,179 | $2,267 | $3,152 | $3,365 | $4,363 | $1.92 |
| St. Louis, MO → | 1,741 | $2,336 | $2,424 | $3,367 | $3,582 | $4,640 | $1.93 |
| Memphis, TN → | 1,799 | $2,376 | $2,463 | $3,408 | $3,620 | $4,677 | $1.89 |
| Milwaukee, WI → | 1,838 | $2,459 | $2,547 | $3,527 | $3,742 | $4,837 | $1.92 |
| Chicago, IL → | 1,855 | $2,481 | $2,569 | $3,555 | $3,770 | $4,872 | $1.92 |
Other-state peers near San Francisco's wage and outbound cost
Long-haul vs local from San Francisco
Local vs. Long-Distance
49 outbound routes, when mileage rules change
San Francisco moving-cost questions
How much does it cost to move to or from San Francisco?
Modeled mean outbound 2BR from San Francisco is $3,282 (#5/50 in corpus) with BLS base $21/hr (#12/50). Binding FMCSA quotes still set the real price.
What affects moving costs from San Francisco?
Labor dominates here: BLS base $21/hr (#12/50) and wage index 120%. Distance, home size, and summer season still stack on top.
Where does San Francisco's cost model come from?
Wage height is the story here (#12/50). Estimates use BLS OES 2023 SOC 53-7062 wages × haversine miles; Census population is separate. No mover referral fees.
What to do with San Francisco's numbers
Compare a real route, then get quotes
- The cheapest outbound route from San Francisco is to San Jose, CA ($597); the priciest is to Boston, MA ($5,256).
- San Francisco's average outbound 2BR cost is $3,282 (#5 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.