Moving Costs in Columbia, IL
Two formulas cover every move out of Columbia. Under about 100 miles you pay for a crew's time: a two-bedroom home is $475 – $775 in our model. Beyond that you pay for weight and distance: $1,431 – $1,908 to Chicago, IL. 89 licensed movers are based within 30 miles. Every figure comes from the same published model as the calculator, not from any company.
Carrier counts from the FMCSA Motor Carrier Census, snapshot September 24, 2026. No paid placement.
- 2-bed local move
- $475 – $775
- 2 movers × 5–7 h + $75 travel
- 3-bed local move
- $795 – $1,425
- 3 movers × 6–9 h + travel
- 2-bed to Chicago
- $1,431 – $1,908
- ≈ 318 miles, transport only
- Movers within 30 mi
- 89
- 54 with interstate authority
In short
A two-bedroom local move in Columbia runs $475 – $775 in our model and a three-bedroom $795 – $1,425, billed by the hour. Long distance, a two-bedroom move to Chicago, IL is $1,431 – $1,908. 89 licensed movers are based within 30 miles. The largest Census flow out of Monroe County goes to St. Clair County, about 389 people a year.
What a move from Columbia costs
Local moves are crew × hours × an hourly rate; long-distance moves are weight × distance.
Local moves in Columbia: billed by the hour
A two-bedroom move in Columbia: 2 movers × 5–7 hours × $40–$50 an hour, plus $75 travel, is $475 – $775.
| Home | Crew | Hours | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 | 2–3 | $235 – $375 |
| 1 bedroom | 2 | 3–5 | $315 – $575 |
| 2 bedrooms | 2 | 5–7 | $475 – $775 |
| 3 bedrooms | 3 | 6–9 | $795 – $1,425 |
| 4 bedrooms | 4 | 8–10 | $1,355 – $2,075 |
| 5+ bedrooms | 4 | 10–12 | $1,675 – $2,475 |
Hourly rates are scaled to Illinois: hand movers there earn a median $19.50 an hour against $19.35 nationally (BLS, May 2025), so the model's national $40–$50 band becomes $40–$50 per mover per hour.
Long distance from Columbia: priced by weight and miles
Full-service, transport only. From Columbia, Chicago, IL is the nearest priced metro (≈ 318 mi) and Los Angeles, CA the farthest (≈ 1,848 mi); ≈ marks estimated miles.
| To | Miles | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 1,021 | $4,595 – $6,126 | $5,284 – $7,045 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,848 | $8,316 – $11,088 | $9,563 – $12,751 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 318 | $1,431 – $1,908 | $1,646 – $2,194 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 628 | $2,826 – $3,768 | $3,250 – $4,333 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 780 | $3,510 – $4,680 | $4,036 – $5,382 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 829 | $3,731 – $4,974 | $4,290 – $5,720 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,228 | $5,526 – $7,368 | $6,355 – $8,473 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 946 | $4,257 – $5,676 | $4,896 – $6,527 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 536 | $2,412 – $3,216 | $2,774 – $3,698 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,478 | $6,651 – $8,868 | $7,649 – $10,198 |
Long-distance lanes from Columbia, by home size
| From Columbia to | Miles | Studio | 1 bedroom | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 1,021 | $3,446 – $4,595 | $4,135 – $5,513 | $5,284 – $7,045 | $5,973 – $7,964 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,848 | $6,237 – $8,316 | $7,484 – $9,979 | $9,563 – $12,751 | $10,811 – $14,414 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 318 | $1,073 – $1,431 | $1,288 – $1,717 | $1,646 – $2,194 | $1,860 – $2,480 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 628 | $2,120 – $2,826 | $2,543 – $3,391 | $3,250 – $4,333 | $3,674 – $4,898 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 780 | $2,633 – $3,510 | $3,159 – $4,212 | $4,036 – $5,382 | $4,563 – $6,084 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 829 | $2,798 – $3,731 | $3,357 – $4,477 | $4,290 – $5,720 | $4,850 – $6,466 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,228 | $4,145 – $5,526 | $4,973 – $6,631 | $6,355 – $8,473 | $7,184 – $9,578 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 946 | $3,193 – $4,257 | $3,831 – $5,108 | $4,896 – $6,527 | $5,534 – $7,379 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 536 | $1,809 – $2,412 | $2,171 – $2,894 | $2,774 – $3,698 | $3,136 – $4,181 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,478 | $4,988 – $6,651 | $5,986 – $7,981 | $7,649 – $10,198 | $8,646 – $11,528 |
Distances marked ≈ are estimated. Full-service movers, transport only.
Licensed movers serving Columbia
89 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Columbia; the nearest and largest are below.
Roadside inspections: movers near Columbia
22 of the 89 movers listed here had at least one roadside inspection in the 24 months to September 13, 2026, 2,186 inspections in all. Inspectors put the vehicle out of service in 273 of 1,148 vehicle inspections (23.8%), above the 19.0% for listed movers nationally. Drivers were put out of service in 98 of 2,184 driver inspections (4.5%, against 13.0%). None has an acute or critical violation from an FMCSA investigation in the past 12 months.
| Carrier | Inspections | Vehicle out of service | Driver out of service |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Van LinesFenton, MO · USDOT 77949 | 2,112 | 268 of 1,102 | 71 of 2,110 |
| Pack and Load Moving and Storage LLCSaint Louis, MO · USDOT 4345256 | 15 | 0 of 8 | 7 of 15 |
| Midwest Moving and Storage LLCSaint Louis, MO · USDOT 3732496 | 10 | 0 of 7 | 3 of 10 |
| Phoenix Movers LLCSaint Louis, MO · USDOT 3929385 | 6 | 0 of 4 | 2 of 6 |
| American Central Moving LLCSaint Louis, MO · USDOT 4118947 | 6 | 0 of 4 | 4 of 6 |
| Federal Gateway Moving & Storage Limited Liability CoSaint Louis, MO · USDOT 642945 | 6 | 0 of 3 | 2 of 6 |
FMCSA Safety Measurement System carrier summary, 24-month window. How the comparison is calculated.
Who moves to and from Monroe County
Columbia sits in Monroe County, IL, home to about 34,047 people aged one and over. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 American Community Survey, about 327 (±179) people a year moved into the county from another state, about 41 (±52) from abroad and about 1,126 (±579) from elsewhere in Illinois. Going the other way, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 703 a year leaving for another state.
| To | People a year | From Columbia | 2-bedroom move |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County, ILBelleville moving costs | 389 ±248 | ≈ 15 mi to Belleville | $475 – $775 |
| Madison County, ILWood River moving costs | 116 ±89 | ≈ 34 mi to Wood River | $475 – $775 |
| St. Louis County, MOFlorissant moving costs | 109 ±83 | ≈ 28 mi to Florissant | $475 – $775 |
| Randolph County, IL | 107 ±80 | — | — |
| St. Louis City, MOSaint Louis moving costs | 80 ±67 | ≈ 14 mi to Saint Louis | $475 – $775 |
The largest groups of newcomers come from St. Clair County, IL (about 706), Randolph County, IL (about 149) and St. Louis City, MO (about 111). Across state lines, the largest flows out go to Missouri (about 371), Texas (about 89) and California (about 66); the largest flows in come from Missouri (about 207), Florida (about 51) and Nebraska (about 44).
US Census Bureau, ACS 2016–2020 county-to-county migration flows; people a year with a 90% margin of error. Miles are estimated from city coordinates; move prices are full-service, transport only, from the published model.
Nearby cost guides in Illinois
Moving to or from Illinois · Every priced route from Illinois · Chicago cost guide
Moving costs in Columbia: questions people ask
How much does it cost to hire movers in Columbia, IL?
A local move (under about 100 miles) is billed by the hour: $40–$50 per mover per hour plus about $75 travel in our model, so a two-bedroom home with two movers for 5–7 hours is $475 – $775 and a three-bedroom home with three movers is $795 – $1,425. Packing, stairs and long carries are extra.
How much is a long-distance move from Columbia?
Priced on weight and distance, about $5.00 per mile for a two-bedroom home in our model. From Columbia to Chicago, IL (about 318 miles) that is $1,431 – $1,908, and to Los Angeles, CA (about 1,848 miles) $8,316 – $11,088, transport only.
Are there licensed movers in Columbia?
89 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Columbia, 54 of them with interstate authority.
Where do people from Monroe County move?
The largest flows out of the county go to St. Clair County (about 389 a year), Madison County (about 116 a year), St. Louis County (about 109 a year), and roughly 703 people a year leave for another state, by the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 estimates. The table on this page prices a two-bedroom move to each destination.
What is the cheapest way to move out of Columbia?
For the same route and load, a moving container prices 28% below full-service movers and a freight trailer 52% below, because you do the loading. A rental truck is cheaper still on the transport line but adds fuel, lodging and your own days.
Sources. Costs from the published model; carriers from the FMCSA Motor Carrier Census (snapshot September 24, 2026) and Safety Measurement System; Census ACS migration flows.