Moving to & from Seattle, WA
Seattle ranks #14/50 on BLS wages and #3/50 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, Seattle ranks #14 of 50 tracked metros by BLS-modeled base hourly rate (highest USD/hr = #1) and #3 of 50 by mean outbound 2-bedroom modeled cost (highest USD = #1). Modeled mean outbound 2BR is $3,415 across 49 origin routes (high depth vs corpus p33=0/p66=2).
- $3,415
- Mean outbound 2BR (modeled)
- 49
- Origin routes priced
- #14/50
- BLS base hourly (highest=#1)
- #3/50
- 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.
Seattle's dual high ranks: wages #14/50, outbound 2BR #3/50
Seattle (749,256 people, West) sits in the top wage and outbound-cost terciles, BLS base $21/hr (#14/50) and mean outbound 2BR $3,415 (#3/50) across 49 origin / 49 inbound priced corridors (nearest 25 each way listed below).
BLS base $21/hr · wage index 120% · mean outbound miles 1,734 · inbound 1,734. Cheapest outbound 2BR: Portland, OR $783; dearest: Honolulu, HI $5,310. Modeled only, get FMCSA binding quotes.
Seattle moving value score
A single 0-100 verdict combining Seattle'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 Seattle
| Destination | Miles | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | 4BR+ | $/mi (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| → Portland, OR | 146 | $334 | $427 | $783 | $1,012 | $1,496 | $5.36 |
| → Sacramento, CA | 625 | $985 | $1,078 | $1,639 | $1,868 | $2,558 | $2.62 |
| → San Francisco, CA | 679 | $1,058 | $1,151 | $1,735 | $1,964 | $2,677 | $2.56 |
| → Salt Lake City, UT | 700 | $1,087 | $1,180 | $1,773 | $2,002 | $2,724 | $2.53 |
| → San Jose, CA | 710 | $1,100 | $1,193 | $1,791 | $2,020 | $2,746 | $2.52 |
| → Las Vegas, NV | 872 | $1,320 | $1,413 | $2,080 | $2,309 | $3,105 | $2.39 |
| → Los Angeles, CA | 960 | $1,440 | $1,533 | $2,238 | $2,466 | $3,300 | $2.33 |
| → Denver, CO | 1,020 | $1,521 | $1,614 | $2,345 | $2,574 | $3,433 | $2.30 |
| → San Diego, CA | 1,064 | $1,581 | $1,674 | $2,424 | $2,652 | $3,531 | $2.28 |
| → Phoenix, AZ | 1,114 | $1,649 | $1,742 | $2,513 | $2,742 | $3,642 | $2.26 |
| → Albuquerque, NM | 1,183 | $1,743 | $1,836 | $2,636 | $2,865 | $3,795 | $2.23 |
| → Tucson, AZ | 1,219 | $1,792 | $1,884 | $2,701 | $2,929 | $3,874 | $2.22 |
| → Omaha, NE | 1,366 | $1,860 | $1,949 | $2,747 | $2,962 | $3,875 | $2.01 |
| → El Paso, TX | 1,376 | $1,846 | $1,934 | $2,720 | $2,932 | $3,831 | $1.98 |
| → Minneapolis, MN | 1,391 | $1,892 | $1,980 | $2,788 | $3,003 | $3,926 | $2.00 |
| → Anchorage, AK | 1,435 | $2,085 | $2,178 | $3,087 | $3,315 | $4,353 | $2.15 |
| → Kansas City, MO | 1,503 | $2,034 | $2,122 | $2,973 | $3,188 | $4,155 | $1.98 |
| → Oklahoma City, OK | 1,523 | $2,030 | $2,118 | $2,959 | $3,171 | $4,125 | $1.94 |
| → Dallas, TX | 1,680 | $2,227 | $2,314 | $3,214 | $3,427 | $4,439 | $1.91 |
| → Milwaukee, WI | 1,687 | $2,267 | $2,356 | $3,277 | $3,493 | $4,530 | $1.94 |
| → St. Louis, MO | 1,720 | $2,309 | $2,398 | $3,332 | $3,547 | $4,597 | $1.94 |
| → Chicago, IL | 1,733 | $2,326 | $2,414 | $3,353 | $3,569 | $4,623 | $1.93 |
| → Austin, TX | 1,770 | $2,339 | $2,427 | $3,360 | $3,573 | $4,619 | $1.90 |
| → San Antonio, TX | 1,786 | $2,359 | $2,447 | $3,386 | $3,599 | $4,651 | $1.90 |
| → Memphis, TN | 1,863 | $2,456 | $2,543 | $3,512 | $3,724 | $4,805 | $1.89 |
Moving to Seattle
| Origin | Miles | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | 4BR+ | $/mi (2BR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR → | 146 | $334 | $427 | $783 | $1,012 | $1,496 | $5.36 |
| Sacramento, CA → | 625 | $985 | $1,078 | $1,639 | $1,868 | $2,558 | $2.62 |
| San Francisco, CA → | 679 | $1,058 | $1,151 | $1,735 | $1,964 | $2,677 | $2.56 |
| Salt Lake City, UT → | 700 | $1,087 | $1,180 | $1,773 | $2,002 | $2,724 | $2.53 |
| San Jose, CA → | 710 | $1,100 | $1,193 | $1,791 | $2,020 | $2,746 | $2.52 |
| Las Vegas, NV → | 872 | $1,320 | $1,413 | $2,080 | $2,309 | $3,105 | $2.39 |
| Los Angeles, CA → | 960 | $1,440 | $1,533 | $2,238 | $2,466 | $3,300 | $2.33 |
| Denver, CO → | 1,020 | $1,521 | $1,614 | $2,345 | $2,574 | $3,433 | $2.30 |
| San Diego, CA → | 1,064 | $1,581 | $1,674 | $2,424 | $2,652 | $3,531 | $2.28 |
| Phoenix, AZ → | 1,114 | $1,649 | $1,742 | $2,513 | $2,742 | $3,642 | $2.26 |
| Albuquerque, NM → | 1,183 | $1,743 | $1,836 | $2,636 | $2,865 | $3,795 | $2.23 |
| Tucson, AZ → | 1,219 | $1,792 | $1,884 | $2,701 | $2,929 | $3,874 | $2.22 |
| Omaha, NE → | 1,366 | $1,860 | $1,949 | $2,747 | $2,962 | $3,875 | $2.01 |
| El Paso, TX → | 1,376 | $1,846 | $1,934 | $2,720 | $2,932 | $3,831 | $1.98 |
| Minneapolis, MN → | 1,391 | $1,892 | $1,980 | $2,788 | $3,003 | $3,926 | $2.00 |
| Anchorage, AK → | 1,435 | $2,085 | $2,178 | $3,087 | $3,315 | $4,353 | $2.15 |
| Kansas City, MO → | 1,503 | $2,034 | $2,122 | $2,973 | $3,188 | $4,155 | $1.98 |
| Oklahoma City, OK → | 1,523 | $2,030 | $2,118 | $2,959 | $3,171 | $4,125 | $1.94 |
| Dallas, TX → | 1,680 | $2,227 | $2,314 | $3,214 | $3,427 | $4,439 | $1.91 |
| Milwaukee, WI → | 1,687 | $2,267 | $2,356 | $3,277 | $3,493 | $4,530 | $1.94 |
| St. Louis, MO → | 1,720 | $2,309 | $2,398 | $3,332 | $3,547 | $4,597 | $1.94 |
| Chicago, IL → | 1,733 | $2,326 | $2,414 | $3,353 | $3,569 | $4,623 | $1.93 |
| Austin, TX → | 1,770 | $2,339 | $2,427 | $3,360 | $3,573 | $4,619 | $1.90 |
| San Antonio, TX → | 1,786 | $2,359 | $2,447 | $3,386 | $3,599 | $4,651 | $1.90 |
| Memphis, TN → | 1,863 | $2,456 | $2,543 | $3,512 | $3,724 | $4,805 | $1.89 |
Other-state peers near Seattle's wage and outbound cost
Long-haul vs local from Seattle
Local vs. Long-Distance
49 outbound routes, when mileage rules change
Seattle moving-cost questions
How much does it cost to move to or from Seattle?
Modeled mean outbound 2BR from Seattle is $3,415 (#3/50 in corpus) with BLS base $21/hr (#14/50). Binding FMCSA quotes still set the real price.
What affects moving costs from Seattle?
Labor dominates here: BLS base $21/hr (#14/50) and wage index 120%. Distance, home size, and summer season still stack on top.
Where does Seattle's cost model come from?
Wage height is the story here (#14/50). Estimates use BLS OES 2023 SOC 53-7062 wages × haversine miles; Census population is separate. No mover referral fees.
What to do with Seattle's numbers
Compare a real route, then get quotes
- The cheapest outbound route from Seattle is to Portland, OR ($783); the priciest is to Honolulu, HI ($5,310).
- Seattle's average outbound 2BR cost is $3,415 (#3 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.