Moving Costs in Portsmouth, VA
Two formulas cover every move out of Portsmouth. 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: $765 – $1,020 to Washington, DC. 59 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 Washington
- $765 – $1,020
- ≈ 170 miles, transport only
- Movers within 30 mi
- 59
- 39 with interstate authority
In short
A two-bedroom local move in Portsmouth runs $465 – $761 in our model and a three-bedroom $777 – $1,398, billed by the hour. Long distance, a two-bedroom move to Washington, DC is $765 – $1,020. 59 licensed movers are based within 30 miles. The largest Census flow out of Portsmouth City goes to Chesapeake City, about 1,386 people a year.
What a move from Portsmouth costs
Local moves are crew × hours × an hourly rate; long-distance moves are weight × distance.
Local moves in Portsmouth: billed by the hour
A two-bedroom move in Portsmouth: 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 Virginia: hand movers there earn a median $18.94 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 Portsmouth: priced by weight and miles
Full-service, transport only. From Portsmouth, Washington, DC is the nearest priced metro (≈ 170 mi) and Los Angeles, CA the farthest (≈ 2,736 mi); ≈ marks estimated miles.
| To | Miles | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 344 | $1,548 – $2,064 | $1,780 – $2,374 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 2,736 | $12,312 – $16,416 | $14,159 – $18,878 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 809 | $3,641 – $4,854 | $4,187 – $5,582 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 1,388 | $6,246 – $8,328 | $7,183 – $9,577 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 1,399 | $6,296 – $8,394 | $7,240 – $9,653 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 170 | $765 – $1,020 | $880 – $1,173 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 931 | $4,190 – $5,586 | $4,818 – $6,424 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 260 | $1,170 – $1,560 | $1,346 – $1,794 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 584 | $2,628 – $3,504 | $3,022 – $4,030 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 2,355 | $10,598 – $14,130 | $12,187 – $16,250 |
Long-distance lanes from Portsmouth, by home size
| From Portsmouth to | Miles | Studio | 1 bedroom | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 344 | $1,161 – $1,548 | $1,393 – $1,858 | $1,780 – $2,374 | $2,012 – $2,683 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 2,736 | $9,234 – $12,312 | $11,081 – $14,774 | $14,159 – $18,878 | $16,006 – $21,341 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 809 | $2,730 – $3,641 | $3,276 – $4,369 | $4,187 – $5,582 | $4,733 – $6,310 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 1,388 | $4,685 – $6,246 | $5,621 – $7,495 | $7,183 – $9,577 | $8,120 – $10,826 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 1,399 | $4,722 – $6,296 | $5,666 – $7,555 | $7,240 – $9,653 | $8,184 – $10,912 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 170 | $574 – $765 | $689 – $918 | $880 – $1,173 | $995 – $1,326 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 931 | $3,142 – $4,190 | $3,771 – $5,027 | $4,818 – $6,424 | $5,446 – $7,262 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 260 | $878 – $1,170 | $1,053 – $1,404 | $1,346 – $1,794 | $1,521 – $2,028 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 584 | $1,971 – $2,628 | $2,365 – $3,154 | $3,022 – $4,030 | $3,416 – $4,555 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 2,355 | $7,948 – $10,598 | $9,538 – $12,717 | $12,187 – $16,250 | $13,777 – $18,369 |
Distances marked ≈ are estimated. Full-service movers, transport only.
Licensed movers serving Portsmouth
59 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Portsmouth, 39 of them with interstate authority; 13 had a roadside inspection in the past 24 months. The Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth City
Portsmouth sits in Portsmouth City, VA, home to about 93,904 people aged one and over. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 American Community Survey, about 3,055 (±501) people a year moved into the county from another state, about 394 (±217) from abroad and about 5,327 (±828) from elsewhere in Virginia. Going the other way, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 2,401 a year leaving for another state.
| To | People a year | From Portsmouth | 2-bedroom move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake City, VAChesapeake moving costs | 1,386 ±413 | ≈ 15 mi to Chesapeake | $465 – $761 |
| Norfolk City, VANorfolk moving costs | 1,256 ±373 | ≈ 4 mi to Norfolk | $465 – $761 |
| Suffolk City, VASuffolk moving costs | 1,170 ±360 | ≈ 22 mi to Suffolk | $465 – $761 |
| Virginia Beach City, VAVirginia Beach moving costs | 813 ±312 | ≈ 25 mi to Virginia Beach | $465 – $761 |
| Newport News City, VANewport News moving costs | 682 ±394 | ≈ 20 mi to Newport News | $465 – $761 |
The largest groups of newcomers come from Chesapeake City, VA (about 1,476), Norfolk City, VA (about 1,102) and Newport News City, VA (about 712). Across state lines, the largest flows out go to North Carolina (about 471), Florida (about 299) and California (about 287); the largest flows in come from California (about 409), Florida (about 380) and Texas (about 337).
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 Virginia
Moving to or from Virginia · Every priced route from Virginia · Virginia Beach cost guide
Moving costs in Portsmouth: questions people ask
How much does it cost to hire movers in Portsmouth, VA?
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 Portsmouth?
Priced on weight and distance, about $5.00 per mile for a two-bedroom home in our model. From Portsmouth to Washington, DC (about 170 miles) that is $765 – $1,020, and to Los Angeles, CA (about 2,736 miles) $12,312 – $16,416, transport only.
Are there licensed movers in Portsmouth?
59 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Portsmouth, 39 of them with interstate authority. The Portsmouth movers page lists each one with its USDOT number.
Where do people from Portsmouth City move?
The largest flows out of the county go to Chesapeake City (about 1,386 a year), Norfolk City (about 1,256 a year), Suffolk City (about 1,170 a year), and roughly 2,401 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 Portsmouth?
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.