Moving Costs in Waterloo, IA
Two formulas cover every move out of Waterloo. 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: $1,292 – $1,722 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
- $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
- $1,292 – $1,722
- ≈ 287 miles, transport only
- Movers within 30 mi
- 6
- 1 with interstate authority
In short
A two-bedroom local move in Waterloo 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 $1,292 – $1,722. 6 licensed movers are based within 30 miles. The largest Census flow out of Black Hawk County goes to Polk County, about 914 people a year.
What a move from Waterloo costs
Local moves are crew × hours × an hourly rate; long-distance moves are weight × distance.
Local moves in Waterloo: billed by the hour
A two-bedroom move in Waterloo: 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 Waterloo: priced by weight and miles
Full-service, transport only. From Waterloo, Chicago, IL is the nearest priced metro (≈ 287 mi) and Los Angeles, CA the farthest (≈ 1,764 mi); ≈ marks estimated miles.
| To | Miles | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 1,112 | $5,004 – $6,672 | $5,755 – $7,673 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,764 | $7,938 – $10,584 | $9,129 – $12,172 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 287 | $1,292 – $1,722 | $1,485 – $1,980 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 832 | $3,744 – $4,992 | $4,306 – $5,741 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 1,044 | $4,698 – $6,264 | $5,403 – $7,204 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 978 | $4,401 – $5,868 | $5,061 – $6,748 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,568 | $7,056 – $9,408 | $8,114 – $10,819 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 1,060 | $4,770 – $6,360 | $5,486 – $7,314 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 865 | $3,893 – $5,190 | $4,476 – $5,968 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,444 | $6,498 – $8,664 | $7,473 – $9,964 |
Long-distance lanes from Waterloo, by home size
| From Waterloo to | Miles | Studio | 1 bedroom | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 1,112 | $3,753 – $5,004 | $4,504 – $6,005 | $5,755 – $7,673 | $6,505 – $8,674 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,764 | $5,954 – $7,938 | $7,144 – $9,526 | $9,129 – $12,172 | $10,319 – $13,759 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 287 | $969 – $1,292 | $1,162 – $1,550 | $1,485 – $1,980 | $1,679 – $2,239 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 832 | $2,808 – $3,744 | $3,370 – $4,493 | $4,306 – $5,741 | $4,867 – $6,490 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 1,044 | $3,524 – $4,698 | $4,228 – $5,638 | $5,403 – $7,204 | $6,107 – $8,143 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 978 | $3,301 – $4,401 | $3,961 – $5,281 | $5,061 – $6,748 | $5,721 – $7,628 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,568 | $5,292 – $7,056 | $6,350 – $8,467 | $8,114 – $10,819 | $9,173 – $12,230 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 1,060 | $3,578 – $4,770 | $4,293 – $5,724 | $5,486 – $7,314 | $6,201 – $8,268 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 865 | $2,919 – $3,893 | $3,503 – $4,671 | $4,476 – $5,968 | $5,060 – $6,747 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,444 | $4,874 – $6,498 | $5,848 – $7,798 | $7,473 – $9,964 | $8,447 – $11,263 |
Distances marked ≈ are estimated. Full-service movers, transport only.
Licensed movers serving Waterloo
6 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Waterloo, 1 of them with interstate authority; 2 had a roadside inspection in the past 24 months. The Waterloo 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 Black Hawk County
Waterloo sits in Black Hawk County, IA, home to about 130,231 people aged one and over. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 American Community Survey, about 2,275 (±548) people a year moved into the county from another state, about 600 (±260) from abroad and about 5,856 (±718) from elsewhere in Iowa. Going the other way, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 2,666 a year leaving for another state.
| To | People a year | From Waterloo | 2-bedroom move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County, IADes Moines moving costs | 914 ±314 | ≈ 105 mi to Des Moines | $473 – $630 |
| Dallas County, IAWaukee moving costs | 821 ±332 | ≈ 117 mi to Waukee | $527 – $702 |
| Linn County, IACedar Rapids moving costs | 670 ±369 | ≈ 58 mi to Cedar Rapids | $505 – $831 |
| Bremer County, IAWaverly moving costs | 587 ±254 | ≈ 20 mi to Waverly | $505 – $831 |
| Johnson County, IAIowa City moving costs | 504 ±257 | ≈ 83 mi to Iowa City | $505 – $831 |
The largest groups of newcomers come from Polk County, IA (about 695), Linn County, IA (about 642) and Grundy County, IA (about 536). Across state lines, the largest flows out go to Florida (about 352), Indiana (about 279) and Minnesota (about 239); the largest flows in come from California (about 283), Illinois (about 274) and North Carolina (about 222).
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 Waterloo: questions people ask
How much does it cost to hire movers in Waterloo, 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 Waterloo?
Priced on weight and distance, about $5.00 per mile for a two-bedroom home in our model. From Waterloo to Chicago, IL (about 287 miles) that is $1,292 – $1,722, and to Los Angeles, CA (about 1,764 miles) $7,938 – $10,584, transport only.
Are there licensed movers in Waterloo?
6 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Waterloo, 1 of them with interstate authority. The Waterloo movers page lists each one with its USDOT number.
Where do people from Black Hawk County move?
The largest flows out of the county go to Polk County (about 914 a year), Dallas County (about 821 a year), Linn County (about 670 a year), and roughly 2,666 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 Waterloo?
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.