Moving Costs in Columbus, IN
Two formulas cover every move out of Columbus. Under about 100 miles you pay for a crew's time: a two-bedroom home is $485 – $789 in our model. Beyond that you pay for weight and distance: $1,076 – $1,434 to Chicago, IL. 6 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
- $485 – $789
- 2 movers × 5–7 h + $75 travel
- 3-bed local move
- $813 – $1,452
- 3 movers × 6–9 h + travel
- 2-bed to Chicago
- $1,076 – $1,434
- ≈ 239 miles, transport only
- Movers within 30 mi
- 6
- 3 with interstate authority
In short
A two-bedroom local move in Columbus runs $485 – $789 in our model and a three-bedroom $813 – $1,452, billed by the hour. Long distance, a two-bedroom move to Chicago, IL is $1,076 – $1,434. 6 licensed movers are based within 30 miles. The largest Census flow out of Bartholomew County goes to Johnson County, about 455 people a year.
What a move from Columbus costs
Local moves are crew × hours × an hourly rate; long-distance moves are weight × distance.
Local moves in Columbus: billed by the hour
A two-bedroom move in Columbus: 2 movers × 5–7 hours × $41–$51 an hour, plus $75 travel, is $485 – $789.
| Home | Crew | Hours | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 | 2–3 | $239 – $381 |
| 1 bedroom | 2 | 3–5 | $321 – $585 |
| 2 bedrooms | 2 | 5–7 | $485 – $789 |
| 3 bedrooms | 3 | 6–9 | $813 – $1,452 |
| 4 bedrooms | 4 | 8–10 | $1,387 – $2,115 |
| 5+ bedrooms | 4 | 10–12 | $1,715 – $2,523 |
Hourly rates are scaled to Indiana: hand movers there earn a median $19.87 an hour against $19.35 nationally (BLS, May 2025), so the model's national $40–$50 band becomes $41–$51 per mover per hour.
Long distance from Columbus: priced by weight and miles
Full-service, transport only. From Columbus, Chicago, IL is the nearest priced metro (≈ 239 mi) and Los Angeles, CA the farthest (≈ 2,119 mi); ≈ marks estimated miles.
| To | Miles | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 745 | $3,353 – $4,470 | $3,855 – $5,140 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 2,119 | $9,536 – $12,714 | $10,966 – $14,621 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 239 | $1,076 – $1,434 | $1,237 – $1,649 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 877 | $3,947 – $5,262 | $4,538 – $6,051 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 985 | $4,433 – $5,910 | $5,097 – $6,797 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 556 | $2,502 – $3,336 | $2,877 – $3,836 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,149 | $5,171 – $6,894 | $5,946 – $7,928 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 670 | $3,015 – $4,020 | $3,467 – $4,623 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 450 | $2,025 – $2,700 | $2,329 – $3,105 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,753 | $7,889 – $10,518 | $9,072 – $12,096 |
Long-distance lanes from Columbus, by home size
| From Columbus to | Miles | Studio | 1 bedroom | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 745 | $2,514 – $3,353 | $3,017 – $4,023 | $3,855 – $5,140 | $4,358 – $5,811 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 2,119 | $7,152 – $9,536 | $8,582 – $11,443 | $10,966 – $14,621 | $12,396 – $16,528 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 239 | $807 – $1,076 | $968 – $1,291 | $1,237 – $1,649 | $1,398 – $1,864 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 877 | $2,960 – $3,947 | $3,552 – $4,736 | $4,538 – $6,051 | $5,130 – $6,841 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 985 | $3,324 – $4,433 | $3,989 – $5,319 | $5,097 – $6,797 | $5,762 – $7,683 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 556 | $1,877 – $2,502 | $2,252 – $3,002 | $2,877 – $3,836 | $3,253 – $4,337 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,149 | $3,878 – $5,171 | $4,653 – $6,205 | $5,946 – $7,928 | $6,722 – $8,962 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 670 | $2,261 – $3,015 | $2,714 – $3,618 | $3,467 – $4,623 | $3,920 – $5,226 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 450 | $1,519 – $2,025 | $1,823 – $2,430 | $2,329 – $3,105 | $2,633 – $3,510 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,753 | $5,916 – $7,889 | $7,100 – $9,466 | $9,072 – $12,096 | $10,255 – $13,673 |
Distances marked ≈ are estimated. Full-service movers, transport only.
Licensed movers serving Columbus
6 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Columbus; the nearest and largest are below.
Roadside inspections: movers near Columbus
3 of the 6 movers listed here had at least one roadside inspection in the 24 months to September 13, 2026, 8 inspections in all. Inspectors put the vehicle out of service in 0 of 6 vehicle inspections (0.0%), below the 19.0% for listed movers nationally. Drivers were put out of service in 1 of 8 driver inspections (12.5%, against 13.0%). With fewer than 30 vehicle inspections, a single out-of-service order moves that rate by several points, so treat it as a small sample. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skydra Moving LLCBrownstown, IN · USDOT 4340137 | 4 | 0 of 4 | 0 of 4 |
| A Soft Touch Moving & StorageBloomington, IN · USDOT 707793 | 3 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 3 |
| Greenwood Moving & Storage IncGreenwood, IN · USDOT 265315 | 1 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 1 |
FMCSA Safety Measurement System carrier summary, 24-month window. How the comparison is calculated.
Who moves to and from Bartholomew County
Columbus sits in Bartholomew County, IN, home to about 82,326 people aged one and over. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 American Community Survey, about 1,489 (±374) people a year moved into the county from another state, about 1,519 (±442) from abroad and about 3,044 (±647) from elsewhere in Indiana. Going the other way, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 1,513 a year leaving for another state.
| To | People a year | From Columbus | 2-bedroom move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County, INGreenwood moving costs | 455 ±237 | ≈ 34 mi to Greenwood | $485 – $789 |
| Monroe County, INBloomington moving costs | 340 ±180 | ≈ 38 mi to Bloomington | $485 – $789 |
| Shelby County, INShelbyville moving costs | 316 ±179 | ≈ 28 mi to Shelbyville | $485 – $789 |
| Jennings County, IN | 293 ±244 | — | — |
| Davidson County, TNNashville moving costs | 222 ±299* | ≈ 251 mi to Nashville | $1,130 – $1,506 |
The largest groups of newcomers come from Johnson County, IN (about 794), Jennings County, IN (about 325) and Marion County, IN (about 267). Across state lines, the largest flows out go to Tennessee (about 283), Kentucky (about 238) and Washington (about 151); the largest flows in come from Florida (about 192), South Carolina (about 164) and Illinois (about 158).
US Census Bureau, ACS 2016–2020 county-to-county migration flows; people a year with a 90% margin of error. * The margin is as large as the estimate: a handful of households, not a count. Miles are estimated from city coordinates; move prices are full-service, transport only, from the published model.
Nearby cost guides in Indiana
Moving to or from Indiana · Every priced route from Indiana · Indianapolis cost guide
Moving costs in Columbus: questions people ask
How much does it cost to hire movers in Columbus, IN?
A local move (under about 100 miles) is billed by the hour: $41–$51 per mover per hour plus about $75 travel in our model, so a two-bedroom home with two movers for 5–7 hours is $485 – $789 and a three-bedroom home with three movers is $813 – $1,452. Packing, stairs and long carries are extra.
How much is a long-distance move from Columbus?
Priced on weight and distance, about $5.00 per mile for a two-bedroom home in our model. From Columbus to Chicago, IL (about 239 miles) that is $1,076 – $1,434, and to Los Angeles, CA (about 2,119 miles) $9,536 – $12,714, transport only.
Are there licensed movers in Columbus?
6 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Columbus, 3 of them with interstate authority.
Where do people from Bartholomew County move?
The largest flows out of the county go to Johnson County (about 455 a year), Monroe County (about 340 a year), Shelby County (about 316 a year), and roughly 1,513 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 Columbus?
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.