Expect the average cost of your moving From Chicago to Seattle to be around $2,800 to $4,400 based on the moving size, route, and timing of your relocation.
Prepare to pay more to hire a professional moving company. Renting a moving truck or a moving container will save you cost but also will require some work on your part.
Get a more improve the idea of your specific moving cost with the use of a moving cost calculator.
Move Size or Home Size
1 bedroom
2-3 Bedroom
4 Bedroom
Moving Company Cost
$1,680 to $3,455
$2,404 to $4,400
$4,490 to $8,930
Moving Container Company
$1,900 to $2,401
$2,491 to $3,797
$3,453 to $4,894
Freight Company Cost
$1,710 to $2,520
$2,565 to $3,720
$3,420 to $4,920
Truck Rental Company
$1,149 to $1,486
$1,200 to $1,733
$1,501 to $2,083
Note: Pricing above is excluding tolls, lodging, gas, and other expense related to moving.
As shown in the table above, the cost of moving to Seattle from Chicago with a moving container, freight company, moving container, and DIY rental truck starts from $1,200 – $9,000 based on the available option.
Some moving companies charge expensive costs for peak seasons like Labor Day weekend, even though this varies based on the city.
Why Is There Much Difference Between The Moving Costs?
Moving cost is based on your chosen date, the location you are moving from, as well as your final destination, and many other factors. Knowing when rates can be higher will help decide when you want to perform the move, how much you should budget, and how earlier in advance you should arrange your move.
Below are the reasons for the differences in the moving costs:
1. Mileage and gas prices:
Current prices of gas as well as the distance you are moving also affect the rates. When gas is higher per gallon, the moving companies make you pay the cost.
When you are moving to another part of the country, most rental companies are no more charging mileage. However, the longer you are moving, the more your rental cost will be.
2. Inbound and outbound demand:
One of the unstable factors that affect the cost of relocating is the inbound and outbound demand. If a lot of people are relocating to your current location and people are always moving out of your destination location, it will be cheaper.
A lot of people are leaving the Chicago area. So, hiring long distance movers in Chicago attracts higher costs. That means the prices are on the higher side.
Likewise, the outbound demand influences your cost of moving. If there is higher outbound demand, the moving price will be lower. The outbound demand in Seattle is reasonable.
3. Off or peak season moving costs:
If you want to prevent higher moving costs, you will have to move off-season. A lot of people move when children are not in school. So, high-demand seasons are all around the year, including summer, weekends, school breaks, and holidays.
Based on the location you are relocating to and the route of your moving company, there may be other times when the rate increases.
For instance, if you relocate during winter, your moving company may have to face icy roads. Costs are higher during hazardous situations.
4. Extra factors:
Together with the unstable factors that affect rental and moving rates, other things can increase the cost of your moving. Planning and understanding how to prevent some of these additional costs can help you stick to a budget. However, it will need more effort and organization on your aspect.
5. Supplies:
When packing, supplies are needed. If you get moving supplies in advance, you can save more money. Purchasing them from your movers is more expensive.
Below are some of the materials you may require:
- Packing materials
- Tie downs
- Moving blankets
- Mattress covers
- Mattress covers
- Property protection insurance
- Boxes
- A storage unit
- Dolly
- Tool rentals
6. Hiring Professional Movers:
Full moving service will help your pack, unpack, load heavy belongings into your moving truck, and drive your vehicle. Professional moving companies are costly, though.
There are times when moving companies may be a vital key to moving certain items in your home. However, if you are looking to save money, getting your hands on more tasks is the best.
Most movers ask that you arrange an in-home inspection and survey if you want to get a price quote. However, if you want to get a rough idea of your moving costs, you can make use of the moving cost calculator.
The cost of moving to Seattle from Chicago is between $5,100 and $7,200 as shown by the calculator when you use a professional moving company. That is excluding the cost of packing up our belongings into moving boxes.
Only loading, transporting, and unpacking your belongings in and out of the truck is included in the estimate. If you add the packing of your items to the cost, the overall moving cost will raise from $7,000 to $10,000.
If you couldn’t decide whether to move or hire movers to handle it for you, you should understand that professional long-distance moving companies can do a quick and efficient job for you. They know the right things to do to safely transport your goods from Chicago to Seattle.
7. Travel expenses:
Together with moving your belongings, you have to find out how to transport from Chicago to Seattle. Based on the time you have to move out, travel might be on the costly side.
Also, it will take about 30 hours and over 2,000 miles to drive from Chicago to Seattle. So, you will need to topple your fuel many times, and you will need to lodge on your way to sleep.
Travelers will spend about $100 per night on average for a room. If the cost of gas per gallon is $2.75, your trip will cost around $225.28 if you are using a fuel-efficient small vehicle.
Expect to pay around $300 per person for flights. So, you need to greatly consider your transportation to your new home.
Booking your trip before the day can save you money, and off-season traveling also enables savings.
8. Transporting your vehicle:
When you decide to fly, transporting your vehicle will be necessary. Expect to pay a higher cost to transport your vehicle to Seattle. The distance is long, and transports are expensive, too.
So, if you are transporting your belongings, you will possibly want to package your transport and move. Some moving companies perform both. When you book the two services through the same moving company, you may be able to negotiate for a better rate for the two.
Check our Best Car Shipping Companies of USA
9. Paying for professionalism:
In many states, moving companies must provide some liability coverage. However, most states just mandate the movers to provide around $.60 per pound for lost or damaged goods. That will not be up to replacing costly electronics that are worth a lot of dollars.
You can add extra protection for your belongings, though. A personal property protection plan provides coverage of around 1% of the value of your belongings that you are insuring. So, if you own $50,000 worth of belongings, expect to pay about $500 for your coverage.
Things You Need To Know Before You Relocate To Seattle
In general, visiting a place is not the same as living there, so if you are open to new opportunities in this Pacific Northwest city, here are little things to know in advance of your move:
1. No income tax
Yes, there is no state income tax at all in the state of Washington. That doesn’t mean you won’t have to pay any local taxes, however. The sales tax rate in Seattle is kind of high.
2. The cost of living is increasing
West coast cities are popular for their expensive rent and food costs, and Seattle is the same as its cost is increasing 24% higher than the country’s average. For rental, Seattle is 34% more costly than Portland its neighboring city.
However, as compared to San Francisco, you’d need $1,700 more to keep the standard of living the same that you are used to. With its popularly stunning skyline, you will get the feel of a big city with all the benefits of a place that has a love for local stuff in Seattle. Just get ready to pay a bit more for it or find a roommate.
3. You are not the only person moving here
The population of Seattle in 2000 was around 560,000. Today, the population has increased to over 660,000. That is 100,000 new residents in less than 20 years, and the increase shows no sign of stopping, with technology companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon planning on increasing their employees in the city.
4. Big names are permanent here
Almost every big name, such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks has its headquarters in Seattle and they attract professionals from all walks of life. This has created a bustling growing technology industry with great opportunities for careers in data analytics, cyber-security, and cloud computing.
If you are relocating to Seattle for this reason, get prepared to find your way into this highly competitive field. While popular names draw more talent, your local connections will be what stand you out.
5. Seattle has many neighborhoods
Georgetown, Capitol Hill, Ballard, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, the U District, Greenwood, Fremont, Green Lake, Rainier Beach, First Hill, Queen Anne, and Lake City. Neighborhoods in Seattle are different and microcosmic, each having its personality, standalone coffee shop, and culture. If possible, perform some exploring before you choose a place to live. You will find an area you prefer.
Conclusion
Seattle has much to offer and if you are going there for a job search, remember that each city with its pros and cons and that is what makes it different. Similar to the truth about job search and in general, you might need some time to build a strong network but it is truly worth it in the end.
Make it your top priority when relocating to Seattle and you will hopefully want to remain here forever. We hope that your move from Chicago to Seattle is simple all through the process.
Are you ready to move to Seattle? Make sure you hire the best and reputable moving company in Seattle to handle your move.
