Moving Costs in St. Joseph, MO
Two formulas cover every move out of St. Joseph. Under about 100 miles you pay for a crew's time: a two-bedroom home is $465 – $761 in our model. Beyond that you pay for weight and distance: $2,120 – $2,826 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
- $465 – $761
- 2 movers × 5–7 h + $75 travel
- 3-bed local move
- $777 – $1,398
- 3 movers × 6–9 h + travel
- 2-bed to Chicago
- $2,120 – $2,826
- ≈ 471 miles, transport only
- Movers within 30 mi
- 4
- 0 with interstate authority
In short
A two-bedroom local move in St. Joseph runs $465 – $761 in our model and a three-bedroom $777 – $1,398, billed by the hour. Long distance, a two-bedroom move to Chicago, IL is $2,120 – $2,826. 4 licensed movers are based within 30 miles. The largest Census flow out of Buchanan County goes to Platte County, about 747 people a year.
What a move from St. Joseph costs
Local moves are crew × hours × an hourly rate; long-distance moves are weight × distance.
Local moves in St. Joseph: billed by the hour
A two-bedroom move in St. Joseph: 2 movers × 5–7 hours × $39–$49 an hour, plus $75 travel, is $465 – $761.
| Home | Crew | Hours | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 | 2–3 | $231 – $369 |
| 1 bedroom | 2 | 3–5 | $309 – $565 |
| 2 bedrooms | 2 | 5–7 | $465 – $761 |
| 3 bedrooms | 3 | 6–9 | $777 – $1,398 |
| 4 bedrooms | 4 | 8–10 | $1,323 – $2,035 |
| 5+ bedrooms | 4 | 10–12 | $1,635 – $2,427 |
Hourly rates are scaled to Missouri: hand movers there earn a median $18.79 an hour against $19.35 nationally (BLS, May 2025), so the model's national $40–$50 band becomes $39–$49 per mover per hour.
Long distance from St. Joseph: priced by weight and miles
Full-service, transport only. From St. Joseph, Chicago, IL is the nearest priced metro (≈ 471 mi) and Los Angeles, CA the farthest (≈ 1,572 mi); ≈ marks estimated miles.
| To | Miles | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 1,279 | $5,756 – $7,674 | $6,619 – $8,825 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,572 | $7,074 – $9,432 | $8,135 – $10,847 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 471 | $2,120 – $2,826 | $2,437 – $3,250 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 577 | $2,597 – $3,462 | $2,986 – $3,981 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 806 | $3,627 – $4,836 | $4,171 – $5,561 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 1,109 | $4,991 – $6,654 | $5,739 – $7,652 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,496 | $6,732 – $8,976 | $7,742 – $10,322 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 1,213 | $5,459 – $7,278 | $6,277 – $8,370 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 828 | $3,726 – $4,968 | $4,285 – $5,713 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,223 | $5,504 – $7,338 | $6,329 – $8,439 |
Long-distance lanes from St. Joseph, by home size
| From St. Joseph to | Miles | Studio | 1 bedroom | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 1,279 | $4,317 – $5,756 | $5,180 – $6,907 | $6,619 – $8,825 | $7,482 – $9,976 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,572 | $5,306 – $7,074 | $6,367 – $8,489 | $8,135 – $10,847 | $9,196 – $12,262 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 471 | $1,590 – $2,120 | $1,908 – $2,543 | $2,437 – $3,250 | $2,755 – $3,674 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 577 | $1,947 – $2,597 | $2,337 – $3,116 | $2,986 – $3,981 | $3,375 – $4,501 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 806 | $2,720 – $3,627 | $3,264 – $4,352 | $4,171 – $5,561 | $4,715 – $6,287 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 1,109 | $3,743 – $4,991 | $4,491 – $5,989 | $5,739 – $7,652 | $6,488 – $8,650 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,496 | $5,049 – $6,732 | $6,059 – $8,078 | $7,742 – $10,322 | $8,752 – $11,669 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 1,213 | $4,094 – $5,459 | $4,913 – $6,550 | $6,277 – $8,370 | $7,096 – $9,461 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 828 | $2,795 – $3,726 | $3,353 – $4,471 | $4,285 – $5,713 | $4,844 – $6,458 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,223 | $4,128 – $5,504 | $4,953 – $6,604 | $6,329 – $8,439 | $7,155 – $9,539 |
Distances marked ≈ are estimated. Full-service movers, transport only.
Licensed movers serving St. Joseph
4 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of St. Joseph, 0 of them with interstate authority; 0 had a roadside inspection in the past 24 months. The St. Joseph movers page lists every one with its USDOT number, fleet and inspection record.
Who moves to and from Buchanan County
St. Joseph sits in Buchanan County, MO, home to about 86,632 people aged one and over. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 American Community Survey, about 1,908 (±643) people a year moved into the county from another state, about 101 (±65) from abroad and about 3,799 (±482) from elsewhere in Missouri. Going the other way, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 2,482 a year leaving for another state.
| To | People a year | From St. Joseph | 2-bedroom move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platte County, MO | 747 ±415 | — | — |
| Andrew County, MO | 351 ±163 | — | — |
| Clay County, MOExcelsior Springs moving costs | 285 ±160 | ≈ 49 mi to Excelsior Springs | $465 – $761 |
| Cape Girardeau County, MO | 265 ±215 | — | — |
| Polk County, IADes Moines moving costs | 264 ±274* | ≈ 164 mi to Des Moines | $738 – $984 |
The largest groups of newcomers come from Jackson County, MO (about 687), Andrew County, MO (about 350) and DeKalb County, MO (about 325). Across state lines, the largest flows out go to Kansas (about 826), Iowa (about 321) and Colorado (about 185); the largest flows in come from Kansas (about 360), Nebraska (about 312) and Indiana (about 288).
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 Missouri
Moving to or from Missouri · Every priced route from Missouri · Saint Louis cost guide
Moving costs in St. Joseph: questions people ask
How much does it cost to hire movers in St. Joseph, MO?
A local move (under about 100 miles) is billed by the hour: $39–$49 per mover per hour plus about $75 travel in our model, so a two-bedroom home with two movers for 5–7 hours is $465 – $761 and a three-bedroom home with three movers is $777 – $1,398. Packing, stairs and long carries are extra.
How much is a long-distance move from St. Joseph?
Priced on weight and distance, about $5.00 per mile for a two-bedroom home in our model. From St. Joseph to Chicago, IL (about 471 miles) that is $2,120 – $2,826, and to Los Angeles, CA (about 1,572 miles) $7,074 – $9,432, transport only.
Are there licensed movers in St. Joseph?
4 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of St. Joseph, 0 of them with interstate authority. The St. Joseph movers page lists each one with its USDOT number.
Where do people from Buchanan County move?
The largest flows out of the county go to Platte County (about 747 a year), Andrew County (about 351 a year), Clay County (about 285 a year), and roughly 2,482 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 St. Joseph?
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.