Moving to & from San Jose, CA
San Jose ranks #13/50 on BLS wages and #6/50 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, San Jose ranks #13 of 50 tracked metros by BLS-modeled base hourly rate (highest USD/hr = #1) and #6 of 50 by mean outbound 2-bedroom modeled cost (highest USD = #1). Modeled mean outbound 2BR is $3,250 across 49 origin routes (high depth vs corpus p33=0/p66=2).
- $3,250
- Mean outbound 2BR (modeled)
- 49
- Origin routes priced
- #13/50
- BLS base hourly (highest=#1)
- #6/50
- 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 Jose's dual high ranks: wages #13/50, outbound 2BR #6/50
San Jose (1,013,240 people, West) sits in the top wage and outbound-cost terciles, BLS base $21/hr (#13/50) and mean outbound 2BR $3,250 (#6/50) across 49 origin / 49 inbound priced corridors (nearest 25 each way listed below).
BLS base $21/hr · wage index 120% · mean outbound miles 1,638 · inbound 1,638. Cheapest outbound 2BR: San Francisco, CA $597; dearest: Boston, MA $5,230. Modeled only, get FMCSA binding quotes.
San Jose moving value score
A single 0-100 verdict combining San Jose'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 Jose
| Destination | Miles | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | 4BR+ | $/mi (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| → San Francisco, CA | 42 | $193 | $286 | $597 | $826 | $1,266 | $14.21 |
| → Sacramento, CA | 89 | $257 | $350 | $681 | $910 | $1,370 | $7.65 |
| → Los Angeles, CA | 305 | $550 | $643 | $1,067 | $1,296 | $1,848 | $3.50 |
| → Las Vegas, NV | 382 | $655 | $748 | $1,205 | $1,433 | $2,019 | $3.15 |
| → San Diego, CA | 416 | $701 | $794 | $1,265 | $1,494 | $2,094 | $3.04 |
| → Portland, OR | 566 | $905 | $997 | $1,533 | $1,762 | $2,427 | $2.71 |
| → Salt Lake City, UT | 586 | $932 | $1,025 | $1,569 | $1,798 | $2,471 | $2.68 |
| → Phoenix, AZ | 614 | $970 | $1,063 | $1,619 | $1,848 | $2,533 | $2.64 |
| → Seattle, WA | 710 | $1,100 | $1,193 | $1,791 | $2,020 | $2,746 | $2.52 |
| → Tucson, AZ | 712 | $1,103 | $1,196 | $1,794 | $2,023 | $2,751 | $2.52 |
| → Albuquerque, NM | 863 | $1,308 | $1,401 | $2,064 | $2,293 | $3,085 | $2.39 |
| → Denver, CO | 927 | $1,395 | $1,488 | $2,179 | $2,407 | $3,227 | $2.35 |
| → El Paso, TX | 956 | $1,321 | $1,409 | $2,036 | $2,249 | $2,990 | $2.13 |
| → Oklahoma City, OK | 1,358 | $1,824 | $1,911 | $2,690 | $2,903 | $3,794 | $1.98 |
| → Omaha, NE | 1,408 | $1,913 | $2,002 | $2,816 | $3,031 | $3,961 | $2.00 |
| → Dallas, TX | 1,449 | $1,938 | $2,025 | $2,838 | $3,051 | $3,977 | $1.96 |
| → San Antonio, TX | 1,451 | $1,940 | $2,028 | $2,842 | $3,054 | $3,981 | $1.96 |
| → Austin, TX | 1,465 | $1,958 | $2,045 | $2,864 | $3,077 | $4,009 | $1.95 |
| → Kansas City, MO | 1,482 | $2,007 | $2,096 | $2,938 | $3,154 | $4,112 | $1.98 |
| → Minneapolis, MN | 1,570 | $2,119 | $2,207 | $3,084 | $3,299 | $4,291 | $1.96 |
| → Houston, TX | 1,608 | $2,137 | $2,224 | $3,097 | $3,310 | $4,295 | $1.93 |
| → St. Louis, MO | 1,719 | $2,308 | $2,396 | $3,330 | $3,546 | $4,595 | $1.94 |
| → Memphis, TN | 1,772 | $2,342 | $2,429 | $3,364 | $3,576 | $4,623 | $1.90 |
| → Milwaukee, WI | 1,823 | $2,440 | $2,528 | $3,502 | $3,718 | $4,807 | $1.92 |
| → Chicago, IL | 1,838 | $2,459 | $2,547 | $3,527 | $3,742 | $4,837 | $1.92 |
Moving to San Jose
| Origin | Miles | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | 4BR+ | $/mi (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA → | 42 | $193 | $286 | $597 | $826 | $1,266 | $14.21 |
| Sacramento, CA → | 89 | $257 | $350 | $681 | $910 | $1,370 | $7.65 |
| Los Angeles, CA → | 305 | $550 | $643 | $1,067 | $1,296 | $1,848 | $3.50 |
| Las Vegas, NV → | 382 | $655 | $748 | $1,205 | $1,433 | $2,019 | $3.15 |
| San Diego, CA → | 416 | $701 | $794 | $1,265 | $1,494 | $2,094 | $3.04 |
| Portland, OR → | 566 | $905 | $997 | $1,533 | $1,762 | $2,427 | $2.71 |
| Salt Lake City, UT → | 586 | $932 | $1,025 | $1,569 | $1,798 | $2,471 | $2.68 |
| Phoenix, AZ → | 614 | $970 | $1,063 | $1,619 | $1,848 | $2,533 | $2.64 |
| Seattle, WA → | 710 | $1,100 | $1,193 | $1,791 | $2,020 | $2,746 | $2.52 |
| Tucson, AZ → | 712 | $1,103 | $1,196 | $1,794 | $2,023 | $2,751 | $2.52 |
| Albuquerque, NM → | 863 | $1,308 | $1,401 | $2,064 | $2,293 | $3,085 | $2.39 |
| Denver, CO → | 927 | $1,395 | $1,488 | $2,179 | $2,407 | $3,227 | $2.35 |
| El Paso, TX → | 956 | $1,321 | $1,409 | $2,036 | $2,249 | $2,990 | $2.13 |
| Oklahoma City, OK → | 1,358 | $1,824 | $1,911 | $2,690 | $2,903 | $3,794 | $1.98 |
| Omaha, NE → | 1,408 | $1,913 | $2,002 | $2,816 | $3,031 | $3,961 | $2.00 |
| Dallas, TX → | 1,449 | $1,938 | $2,025 | $2,838 | $3,051 | $3,977 | $1.96 |
| San Antonio, TX → | 1,451 | $1,940 | $2,028 | $2,842 | $3,054 | $3,981 | $1.96 |
| Austin, TX → | 1,465 | $1,958 | $2,045 | $2,864 | $3,077 | $4,009 | $1.95 |
| Kansas City, MO → | 1,482 | $2,007 | $2,096 | $2,938 | $3,154 | $4,112 | $1.98 |
| Minneapolis, MN → | 1,570 | $2,119 | $2,207 | $3,084 | $3,299 | $4,291 | $1.96 |
| Houston, TX → | 1,608 | $2,137 | $2,224 | $3,097 | $3,310 | $4,295 | $1.93 |
| St. Louis, MO → | 1,719 | $2,308 | $2,396 | $3,330 | $3,546 | $4,595 | $1.94 |
| Memphis, TN → | 1,772 | $2,342 | $2,429 | $3,364 | $3,576 | $4,623 | $1.90 |
| Milwaukee, WI → | 1,823 | $2,440 | $2,528 | $3,502 | $3,718 | $4,807 | $1.92 |
| Chicago, IL → | 1,838 | $2,459 | $2,547 | $3,527 | $3,742 | $4,837 | $1.92 |
Other-state metros near San Jose's $21/hr wage
Long-haul vs local from San Jose
Local vs. Long-Distance
49 outbound routes, when mileage rules change
San Jose moving-cost questions
How much does it cost to move to or from San Jose?
Modeled mean outbound 2BR from San Jose is $3,250 (#6/50 in corpus) with BLS base $21/hr (#13/50). Binding FMCSA quotes still set the real price.
What affects moving costs from San Jose?
Labor dominates here: BLS base $21/hr (#13/50) and wage index 120%. Distance, home size, and summer season still stack on top.
Where does San Jose's cost model come from?
Wage height is the story here (#13/50). Estimates use BLS OES 2023 SOC 53-7062 wages × haversine miles; Census population is separate. No mover referral fees.
What to do with San Jose's numbers
Compare a real route, then get quotes
- The cheapest outbound route from San Jose is to San Francisco, CA ($597); the priciest is to Boston, MA ($5,230).
- San Jose's average outbound 2BR cost is $3,250 (#6 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.