Moving Costs in Iowa City, IA
Two formulas cover every move out of Iowa City. Under about 100 miles you pay for a crew's time: a two-bedroom home is $505 – $831 in our model. Beyond that you pay for weight and distance: $1,058 – $1,410 to Chicago, IL. 23 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
- $505 – $831
- 2 movers × 5–7 h + $75 travel
- 3-bed local move
- $849 – $1,533
- 3 movers × 6–9 h + travel
- 2-bed to Chicago
- $1,058 – $1,410
- ≈ 235 miles, transport only
- Movers within 30 mi
- 23
- 10 with interstate authority
In short
A two-bedroom local move in Iowa City runs $505 – $831 in our model and a three-bedroom $849 – $1,533, billed by the hour. Long distance, a two-bedroom move to Chicago, IL is $1,058 – $1,410. 23 licensed movers are based within 30 miles. The largest Census flow out of Johnson County goes to Linn County, about 1,522 people a year.
What a move from Iowa City costs
Local moves are crew × hours × an hourly rate; long-distance moves are weight × distance.
Local moves in Iowa City: billed by the hour
A two-bedroom move in Iowa City: 2 movers × 5–7 hours × $43–$54 an hour, plus $75 travel, is $505 – $831.
| Home | Crew | Hours | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 | 2–3 | $247 – $399 |
| 1 bedroom | 2 | 3–5 | $333 – $615 |
| 2 bedrooms | 2 | 5–7 | $505 – $831 |
| 3 bedrooms | 3 | 6–9 | $849 – $1,533 |
| 4 bedrooms | 4 | 8–10 | $1,451 – $2,235 |
| 5+ bedrooms | 4 | 10–12 | $1,795 – $2,667 |
Hourly rates are scaled to Iowa: hand movers there earn a median $20.91 an hour against $19.35 nationally (BLS, May 2025), so the model's national $40–$50 band becomes $43–$54 per mover per hour.
Long distance from Iowa City: priced by weight and miles
Full-service, transport only. From Iowa City, Chicago, IL is the nearest priced metro (≈ 235 mi) and Los Angeles, CA the farthest (≈ 1,797 mi); ≈ marks estimated miles.
| To | Miles | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 1,063 | $4,784 – $6,378 | $5,501 – $7,335 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,797 | $8,087 – $10,782 | $9,299 – $12,399 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 235 | $1,058 – $1,410 | $1,216 – $1,622 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 791 | $3,560 – $4,746 | $4,093 – $5,458 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 990 | $4,455 – $5,940 | $5,123 – $6,831 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 917 | $4,127 – $5,502 | $4,745 – $6,327 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,485 | $6,683 – $8,910 | $7,685 – $10,246 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 1,006 | $4,527 – $6,036 | $5,206 – $6,941 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 782 | $3,519 – $4,692 | $4,047 – $5,396 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,464 | $6,588 – $8,784 | $7,576 – $10,102 |
Long-distance lanes from Iowa City, by home size
| From Iowa City to | Miles | Studio | 1 bedroom | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 1,063 | $3,588 – $4,784 | $4,305 – $5,740 | $5,501 – $7,335 | $6,219 – $8,291 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,797 | $6,065 – $8,087 | $7,278 – $9,704 | $9,299 – $12,399 | $10,512 – $14,017 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 235 | $793 – $1,058 | $952 – $1,269 | $1,216 – $1,622 | $1,375 – $1,833 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 791 | $2,670 – $3,560 | $3,204 – $4,271 | $4,093 – $5,458 | $4,627 – $6,170 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 990 | $3,341 – $4,455 | $4,010 – $5,346 | $5,123 – $6,831 | $5,792 – $7,722 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 917 | $3,095 – $4,127 | $3,714 – $4,952 | $4,745 – $6,327 | $5,364 – $7,153 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,485 | $5,012 – $6,683 | $6,014 – $8,019 | $7,685 – $10,246 | $8,687 – $11,583 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 1,006 | $3,395 – $4,527 | $4,074 – $5,432 | $5,206 – $6,941 | $5,885 – $7,847 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 782 | $2,639 – $3,519 | $3,167 – $4,223 | $4,047 – $5,396 | $4,575 – $6,100 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,464 | $4,941 – $6,588 | $5,929 – $7,906 | $7,576 – $10,102 | $8,564 – $11,419 |
Distances marked ≈ are estimated. Full-service movers, transport only.
Licensed movers serving Iowa City
23 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Iowa City, 10 of them with interstate authority; 9 had a roadside inspection in the past 24 months. The Iowa City movers page lists every one with its USDOT number, fleet and inspection record, and its long-distance section keeps only those that can cross a state line.
Who moves to and from Johnson County
Iowa City sits in Johnson County, IA, home to about 148,991 people aged one and over. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 American Community Survey, about 7,192 (±1,032) people a year moved into the county from another state, about 1,885 (±699) from abroad and about 8,264 (±916) from elsewhere in Iowa. Going the other way, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 7,052 a year leaving for another state.
| To | People a year | From Iowa City | 2-bedroom move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County, IACedar Rapids moving costs | 1,522 ±429 | ≈ 27 mi to Cedar Rapids | $505 – $831 |
| Polk County, IADes Moines moving costs | 536 ±216 | ≈ 126 mi to Des Moines | $567 – $756 |
| Cook County, ILChicago moving costs | 390 ±154 | ≈ 235 mi to Chicago | $1,058 – $1,410 |
| Story County, IAAmes moving costs | 377 ±223 | ≈ 129 mi to Ames | $581 – $774 |
| Washington County, IA | 302 ±136 | — | — |
The largest groups of newcomers come from Linn County, IA (about 1,551), Polk County, IA (about 859) and Cook County, IL (about 585). Across state lines, the largest flows out go to Illinois (about 1,014), Texas (about 637) and New York (about 619); the largest flows in come from Illinois (about 2,239), California (about 600) and Minnesota (about 595).
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 Iowa
Moving to or from Iowa · Every priced route from Iowa · Des Moines cost guide
Moving costs in Iowa City: questions people ask
How much does it cost to hire movers in Iowa City, IA?
A local move (under about 100 miles) is billed by the hour: $43–$54 per mover per hour plus about $75 travel in our model, so a two-bedroom home with two movers for 5–7 hours is $505 – $831 and a three-bedroom home with three movers is $849 – $1,533. Packing, stairs and long carries are extra.
How much is a long-distance move from Iowa City?
Priced on weight and distance, about $5.00 per mile for a two-bedroom home in our model. From Iowa City to Chicago, IL (about 235 miles) that is $1,058 – $1,410, and to Los Angeles, CA (about 1,797 miles) $8,087 – $10,782, transport only.
Are there licensed movers in Iowa City?
23 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Iowa City, 10 of them with interstate authority. The Iowa City movers page lists each one with its USDOT number.
Where do people from Johnson County move?
The largest flows out of the county go to Linn County (about 1,522 a year), Polk County (about 536 a year), Cook County (about 390 a year), and roughly 7,052 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 Iowa City?
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.