Moving Costs in California, MD
Two formulas cover every move out of California. Under about 100 miles you pay for a crew's time: a two-bedroom home is $485 – $803 in our model. Beyond that you pay for weight and distance: $707 – $942 to Philadelphia, PA. 12 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 – $803
- 2 movers × 5–7 h + $75 travel
- 3-bed local move
- $813 – $1,479
- 3 movers × 6–9 h + travel
- 2-bed to Philadelphia
- $707 – $942
- ≈ 157 miles, transport only
- Movers within 30 mi
- 12
- 7 with interstate authority
In short
A two-bedroom local move in California runs $485 – $803 in our model and a three-bedroom $813 – $1,479, billed by the hour. Long distance, a two-bedroom move to Philadelphia, PA is $707 – $942. 12 licensed movers are based within 30 miles. The largest Census flow out of St. Mary's County goes to Calvert County, about 496 people a year.
What a move from California costs
Local moves are crew × hours × an hourly rate; long-distance moves are weight × distance.
Local moves in California: billed by the hour
A two-bedroom move in California: 2 movers × 5–7 hours × $41–$52 an hour, plus $75 travel, is $485 – $803.
| Home | Crew | Hours | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 | 2–3 | $239 – $387 |
| 1 bedroom | 2 | 3–5 | $321 – $595 |
| 2 bedrooms | 2 | 5–7 | $485 – $803 |
| 3 bedrooms | 3 | 6–9 | $813 – $1,479 |
| 4 bedrooms | 4 | 8–10 | $1,387 – $2,155 |
| 5+ bedrooms | 4 | 10–12 | $1,715 – $2,571 |
Hourly rates are scaled to Maryland: hand movers there earn a median $20.00 an hour against $19.35 nationally (BLS, May 2025), so the model's national $40–$50 band becomes $41–$52 per mover per hour.
Long distance from California: priced by weight and miles
Full-service, transport only. From California, Washington, DC is the nearest priced metro (≈ 59 mi) and Los Angeles, CA the farthest (≈ 2,713 mi); ≈ marks estimated miles.
| To | Miles | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 248 | $1,116 – $1,488 | $1,283 – $1,711 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 2,713 | $12,209 – $16,278 | $14,040 – $18,720 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 744 | $3,348 – $4,464 | $3,850 – $5,134 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 1,400 | $6,300 – $8,400 | $7,245 – $9,660 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 1,432 | $6,444 – $8,592 | $7,411 – $9,881 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 59 | $485 – $803 | $813 – $1,479 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,040 | $4,680 – $6,240 | $5,382 – $7,176 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 157 | $707 – $942 | $812 – $1,083 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 631 | $2,840 – $3,786 | $3,265 – $4,354 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 2,341 | $10,535 – $14,046 | $12,115 – $16,153 |
Long-distance lanes from California, by home size
| From California to | Miles | Studio | 1 bedroom | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 248 | $837 – $1,116 | $1,004 – $1,339 | $1,283 – $1,711 | $1,451 – $1,934 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 2,713 | $9,156 – $12,209 | $10,988 – $14,650 | $14,040 – $18,720 | $15,871 – $21,161 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 744 | $2,511 – $3,348 | $3,013 – $4,018 | $3,850 – $5,134 | $4,352 – $5,803 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 1,400 | $4,725 – $6,300 | $5,670 – $7,560 | $7,245 – $9,660 | $8,190 – $10,920 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 1,432 | $4,833 – $6,444 | $5,800 – $7,733 | $7,411 – $9,881 | $8,377 – $11,170 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 59 | $239 – $387 | $321 – $595 | $813 – $1,479 | $1,387 – $2,155 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,040 | $3,510 – $4,680 | $4,212 – $5,616 | $5,382 – $7,176 | $6,084 – $8,112 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 157 | $530 – $707 | $636 – $848 | $812 – $1,083 | $918 – $1,225 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 631 | $2,130 – $2,840 | $2,556 – $3,407 | $3,265 – $4,354 | $3,691 – $4,922 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 2,341 | $7,901 – $10,535 | $9,481 – $12,641 | $12,115 – $16,153 | $13,695 – $18,260 |
Distances marked ≈ are estimated. Full-service movers, transport only.
Licensed movers serving California
12 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of California; the nearest and largest are below.
Roadside inspections: movers near California
6 of the 12 movers listed here had at least one roadside inspection in the 24 months to September 13, 2026, 35 inspections in all. Inspectors put the vehicle out of service in 1 of 22 vehicle inspections (4.5%), below the 19.0% for listed movers nationally. Drivers were put out of service in 3 of 35 driver inspections (8.6%, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide Moving SystemsWaldorf, MD · USDOT 230034 | 15 | 0 of 8 | 1 of 15 |
| McKendree Moving & Storage IncWaldorf, MD · USDOT 1309579 | 6 | 1 of 4 | 0 of 6 |
| Southern Maryland Moving Company LLCPrince Frederick, MD · USDOT 4031000 | 6 | 0 of 4 | 1 of 6 |
| District Moving Companies IncWaldorf, MD · USDOT 985878 | 5 | 0 of 4 | 1 of 5 |
| Short's Moving Service LLCMechanicsville, MD · USDOT 1885997 | 2 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 2 |
| SJB Packing and Moving IncWaldorf, MD · USDOT 1669040 | 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 St. Mary's County
California sits in St. Mary's County, MD, home to about 111,853 people aged one and over. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 American Community Survey, about 3,578 (±668) people a year moved into the county from another state, about 493 (±278) from abroad and about 4,096 (±863) from elsewhere in Maryland. Going the other way, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 4,266 a year leaving for another state.
| To | People a year | From California | 2-bedroom move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calvert County, MD | 496 ±240 | — | — |
| Charles County, MDWaldorf moving costs | 418 ±216 | ≈ 37 mi to Waldorf | $485 – $803 |
| Norfolk City, VANorfolk moving costs | 340 ±203 | ≈ 117 mi to Norfolk | $527 – $702 |
| San Diego County, CAChula Vista moving costs | 305 ±209 | ≈ 2,676 mi to Chula Vista | $12,042 – $16,056 |
| Fairfax County, VASpringfield moving costs | 228 ±179 | ≈ 58 mi to Springfield | $485 – $803 |
The largest groups of newcomers come from Calvert County, MD (about 1,142), Charles County, MD (about 947) and Prince George's County, MD (about 570). Across state lines, the largest flows out go to Virginia (about 1,338), California (about 539) and Florida (about 483); the largest flows in come from Virginia (about 684), Florida (about 396) and California (about 253).
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 Maryland
Moving to or from Maryland · Every priced route from Maryland · Baltimore cost guide
Moving costs in California: questions people ask
How much does it cost to hire movers in California, MD?
A local move (under about 100 miles) is billed by the hour: $41–$52 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 – $803 and a three-bedroom home with three movers is $813 – $1,479. Packing, stairs and long carries are extra.
How much is a long-distance move from California?
Priced on weight and distance, about $5.00 per mile for a two-bedroom home in our model. From California to Philadelphia, PA (about 157 miles) that is $707 – $942, and to Los Angeles, CA (about 2,713 miles) $12,209 – $16,278, transport only.
Are there licensed movers in California?
12 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of California, 7 of them with interstate authority.
Where do people from St. Mary's County move?
The largest flows out of the county go to Calvert County (about 496 a year), Charles County (about 418 a year), Norfolk City (about 340 a year), and roughly 4,266 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 California?
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.