Moving Costs in Pella, IA
Two formulas cover every move out of Pella. 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: $1,445 – $1,926 to Chicago, IL. 4 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
- $1,445 – $1,926
- ≈ 321 miles, transport only
- Movers within 30 mi
- 4
- 2 with interstate authority
In short
A two-bedroom local move in Pella 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 $1,445 – $1,926. 4 licensed movers are based within 30 miles. The largest Census flow out of Marion County goes to Story County, about 426 people a year.
What a move from Pella costs
Local moves are crew × hours × an hourly rate; long-distance moves are weight × distance.
Local moves in Pella: billed by the hour
A two-bedroom move in Pella: 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 Pella: priced by weight and miles
Full-service, transport only. From Pella, Chicago, IL is the nearest priced metro (≈ 321 mi) and Los Angeles, CA the farthest (≈ 1,711 mi); ≈ marks estimated miles.
| To | Miles | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 1,148 | $5,166 – $6,888 | $5,941 – $7,921 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,711 | $7,700 – $10,266 | $8,854 – $11,806 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 321 | $1,445 – $1,926 | $1,661 – $2,215 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 738 | $3,321 – $4,428 | $3,819 – $5,092 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 952 | $4,284 – $5,712 | $4,927 – $6,569 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 997 | $4,487 – $5,982 | $5,159 – $6,879 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,518 | $6,831 – $9,108 | $7,856 – $10,474 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 1,089 | $4,901 – $6,534 | $5,636 – $7,514 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 822 | $3,699 – $4,932 | $4,254 – $5,672 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,379 | $6,206 – $8,274 | $7,136 – $9,515 |
Long-distance lanes from Pella, by home size
| From Pella to | Miles | Studio | 1 bedroom | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 1,148 | $3,875 – $5,166 | $4,649 – $6,199 | $5,941 – $7,921 | $6,716 – $8,954 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,711 | $5,775 – $7,700 | $6,930 – $9,239 | $8,854 – $11,806 | $10,009 – $13,346 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 321 | $1,083 – $1,445 | $1,300 – $1,733 | $1,661 – $2,215 | $1,878 – $2,504 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 738 | $2,491 – $3,321 | $2,989 – $3,985 | $3,819 – $5,092 | $4,317 – $5,756 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 952 | $3,213 – $4,284 | $3,856 – $5,141 | $4,927 – $6,569 | $5,569 – $7,426 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 997 | $3,365 – $4,487 | $4,038 – $5,384 | $5,159 – $6,879 | $5,832 – $7,777 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,518 | $5,123 – $6,831 | $6,148 – $8,197 | $7,856 – $10,474 | $8,880 – $11,840 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 1,089 | $3,675 – $4,901 | $4,410 – $5,881 | $5,636 – $7,514 | $6,371 – $8,494 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 822 | $2,774 – $3,699 | $3,329 – $4,439 | $4,254 – $5,672 | $4,809 – $6,412 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,379 | $4,654 – $6,206 | $5,585 – $7,447 | $7,136 – $9,515 | $8,067 – $10,756 |
Distances marked ≈ are estimated. Full-service movers, transport only.
Licensed movers serving Pella
4 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Pella; the nearest and largest are below.
Roadside inspections: movers near Pella
1 of the 4 movers listed here had at least one roadside inspection in the 24 months to September 13, 2026, 21 inspections in all. Inspectors put the vehicle out of service in 1 of 5 vehicle inspections (20.0%), above the 19.0% for listed movers nationally. Drivers were put out of service in 1 of 21 driver inspections (4.8%, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C & K Transfer LLCGrinnell, IA · USDOT 206 | 21 | 1 of 5 | 1 of 21 |
FMCSA Safety Measurement System carrier summary, 24-month window. How the comparison is calculated.
Who moves to and from Marion County
Pella sits in Marion County, IA, home to about 32,937 people aged one and over. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 American Community Survey, about 868 (±357) people a year moved into the county from another state, about 58 (±34) from abroad and about 1,643 (±387) from elsewhere in Iowa. Going the other way, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 665 a year leaving for another state.
| To | People a year | From Pella | 2-bedroom move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story County, IAAmes moving costs | 426 ±245 | ≈ 66 mi to Ames | $505 – $831 |
| Polk County, IADes Moines moving costs | 354 ±152 | ≈ 45 mi to Des Moines | $505 – $831 |
| Dallas County, IAWaukee moving costs | 114 ±129* | ≈ 60 mi to Waukee | $505 – $831 |
| Mahaska County, IAOskaloosa moving costs | 114 ±124* | ≈ 19 mi to Oskaloosa | $505 – $831 |
| Johnson County, IAIowa City moving costs | 108 ±80 | ≈ 86 mi to Iowa City | $505 – $831 |
The largest groups of newcomers come from Polk County, IA (about 304), Douglas County, NE (about 283) and Mahaska County, IA (about 215). Across state lines, the largest flows out go to Missouri (about 209), Kansas (about 77) and Indiana (about 64); the largest flows in come from Nebraska (about 290), Colorado (about 95) and Illinois (about 93).
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 Iowa
Moving to or from Iowa · Every priced route from Iowa · Des Moines cost guide
Moving costs in Pella: questions people ask
How much does it cost to hire movers in Pella, 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 Pella?
Priced on weight and distance, about $5.00 per mile for a two-bedroom home in our model. From Pella to Chicago, IL (about 321 miles) that is $1,445 – $1,926, and to Los Angeles, CA (about 1,711 miles) $7,700 – $10,266, transport only.
Are there licensed movers in Pella?
4 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Pella, 2 of them with interstate authority.
Where do people from Marion County move?
The largest flows out of the county go to Story County (about 426 a year), Polk County (about 354 a year), Dallas County (about 114 a year), and roughly 665 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 Pella?
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.