Moving Costs in Portage, WI
Two formulas cover every move out of Portage. Under about 100 miles you pay for a crew's time: a two-bedroom home is $515 – $845 in our model. Beyond that you pay for weight and distance: $779 – $1,038 to Chicago, IL. 13 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
- $515 – $845
- 2 movers × 5–7 h + $75 travel
- 3-bed local move
- $867 – $1,560
- 3 movers × 6–9 h + travel
- 2-bed to Chicago
- $779 – $1,038
- ≈ 173 miles, transport only
- Movers within 30 mi
- 13
- 7 with interstate authority
In short
A two-bedroom local move in Portage runs $515 – $845 in our model and a three-bedroom $867 – $1,560, billed by the hour. Long distance, a two-bedroom move to Chicago, IL is $779 – $1,038. 13 licensed movers are based within 30 miles. The largest Census flow out of Columbia County goes to Sauk County, about 687 people a year.
What a move from Portage costs
Local moves are crew × hours × an hourly rate; long-distance moves are weight × distance.
Local moves in Portage: billed by the hour
A two-bedroom move in Portage: 2 movers × 5–7 hours × $44–$55 an hour, plus $75 travel, is $515 – $845.
| Home | Crew | Hours | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 2 | 2–3 | $251 – $405 |
| 1 bedroom | 2 | 3–5 | $339 – $625 |
| 2 bedrooms | 2 | 5–7 | $515 – $845 |
| 3 bedrooms | 3 | 6–9 | $867 – $1,560 |
| 4 bedrooms | 4 | 8–10 | $1,483 – $2,275 |
| 5+ bedrooms | 4 | 10–12 | $1,835 – $2,715 |
Hourly rates are scaled to Wisconsin: hand movers there earn a median $21.45 an hour against $19.35 nationally (BLS, May 2025), so the model's national $40–$50 band becomes $44–$55 per mover per hour.
Long distance from Portage: priced by weight and miles
Full-service, transport only. From Portage, Chicago, IL is the nearest priced metro (≈ 173 mi) and Los Angeles, CA the farthest (≈ 1,949 mi); ≈ marks estimated miles.
| To | Miles | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 950 | $4,275 – $5,700 | $4,916 – $6,555 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,949 | $8,771 – $11,694 | $10,086 – $13,448 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 173 | $779 – $1,038 | $895 – $1,194 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 983 | $4,424 – $5,898 | $5,087 – $6,783 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 1,174 | $5,283 – $7,044 | $6,075 – $8,101 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 840 | $3,780 – $5,040 | $4,347 – $5,796 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,556 | $7,002 – $9,336 | $8,052 – $10,736 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 906 | $4,077 – $5,436 | $4,689 – $6,251 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 851 | $3,830 – $5,106 | $4,404 – $5,872 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,634 | $7,353 – $9,804 | $8,456 – $11,275 |
Long-distance lanes from Portage, by home size
| From Portage to | Miles | Studio | 1 bedroom | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 950 | $3,206 – $4,275 | $3,848 – $5,130 | $4,916 – $6,555 | $5,558 – $7,410 |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 1,949 | $6,578 – $8,771 | $7,893 – $10,525 | $10,086 – $13,448 | $11,402 – $15,202 |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 173 | $584 – $779 | $701 – $934 | $895 – $1,194 | $1,012 – $1,349 |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 983 | $3,318 – $4,424 | $3,981 – $5,308 | $5,087 – $6,783 | $5,751 – $7,667 |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 1,174 | $3,962 – $5,283 | $4,755 – $6,340 | $6,075 – $8,101 | $6,868 – $9,157 |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 840 | $2,835 – $3,780 | $3,402 – $4,536 | $4,347 – $5,796 | $4,914 – $6,552 |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 1,556 | $5,252 – $7,002 | $6,302 – $8,402 | $8,052 – $10,736 | $9,103 – $12,137 |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 906 | $3,058 – $4,077 | $3,669 – $4,892 | $4,689 – $6,251 | $5,300 – $7,067 |
| Atlanta, GA | ≈ 851 | $2,872 – $3,830 | $3,447 – $4,595 | $4,404 – $5,872 | $4,978 – $6,638 |
| Phoenix, AZ | ≈ 1,634 | $5,515 – $7,353 | $6,618 – $8,824 | $8,456 – $11,275 | $9,559 – $12,745 |
Distances marked ≈ are estimated. Full-service movers, transport only.
Licensed movers serving Portage
13 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Portage, 7 of them with interstate authority; 10 had a roadside inspection in the past 24 months. The Portage 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 Columbia County
Portage sits in Columbia County, WI, home to about 56,843 people aged one and over. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 American Community Survey, about 728 (±228) people a year moved into the county from another state, about 164 (±93) from abroad and about 3,040 (±489) from elsewhere in Wisconsin. Going the other way, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 483 a year leaving for another state.
| To | People a year | From Portage | 2-bedroom move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sauk County, WIBaraboo moving costs | 687 ±422 | ≈ 17 mi to Baraboo | $515 – $845 |
| Dane County, WIMadison moving costs | 675 ±326 | ≈ 39 mi to Madison | $515 – $845 |
| Dodge County, WIBeaver Dam moving costs | 310 ±99 | ≈ 38 mi to Beaver Dam | $515 – $845 |
| Marquette County, WI | 178 ±60 | — | — |
| Wood County, WIMarshfield moving costs | 168 ±190* | ≈ 99 mi to Marshfield | $515 – $845 |
The largest groups of newcomers come from Dane County, WI (about 1,125), Dodge County, WI (about 297) and Sauk County, WI (about 228). Across state lines, the largest flows out go to Michigan (about 94), Minnesota (about 91) and Illinois (about 46); the largest flows in come from Colorado (about 131), Texas (about 125) and Iowa (about 94).
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 Wisconsin
Moving to or from Wisconsin · Every priced route from Wisconsin · Milwaukee cost guide
Moving costs in Portage: questions people ask
How much does it cost to hire movers in Portage, WI?
A local move (under about 100 miles) is billed by the hour: $44–$55 per mover per hour plus about $75 travel in our model, so a two-bedroom home with two movers for 5–7 hours is $515 – $845 and a three-bedroom home with three movers is $867 – $1,560. Packing, stairs and long carries are extra.
How much is a long-distance move from Portage?
Priced on weight and distance, about $5.00 per mile for a two-bedroom home in our model. From Portage to Chicago, IL (about 173 miles) that is $779 – $1,038, and to Los Angeles, CA (about 1,949 miles) $8,771 – $11,694, transport only.
Are there licensed movers in Portage?
13 FMCSA-registered household-goods carriers are based within 30 miles of Portage, 7 of them with interstate authority. The Portage movers page lists each one with its USDOT number.
Where do people from Columbia County move?
The largest flows out of the county go to Sauk County (about 687 a year), Dane County (about 675 a year), Dodge County (about 310 a year), and roughly 483 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 Portage?
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.