The short answer
Our model prices a 3-bedroom household at roughly $3,700 at 500 miles, $5,450 at 1,000 miles, $6,900 at 1,500 miles and $7,950 at 2,000 miles — full-service, off-peak, transport only, at the national baseline. Those are midpoints; the modeled range around each is wide enough to matter, and the table below shows it.
The number moves for four reasons and almost nothing else: the weight the carrier actually loads, the mileage between the two addresses, whether packing is included, and whether the date falls inside peak season. A 3-bedroom shipment is assumed at 8,150 lbs in our model, which is the single largest lever on the total. Everything else — a heavier-than-profile garage, a high-cost labor market at both ends — adjusts around that.
Moving Cost Advisor model data
Modeled 3 bedroom cost at benchmark long-distance mileages
Swipe the table sideways to see every column
| Distance | Modeled full-service range | Modeled midpoint | Container midpoint | Assumed weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 miles | $3,250–$4,300 | $3,700 | $2,400 | 8,150 lbs |
| 1,000 miles | $4,750–$6,350 | $5,450 | $3,500 | 8,150 lbs |
| 1,500 miles | $6,000–$8,000 | $6,900 | $4,400 | 8,150 lbs |
| 2,000 miles | $6,900–$9,250 | $7,950 | $5,050 | 8,150 lbs |
MCA model output at the national baseline (no origin or destination labor adjustment, off-peak month, no packing). The assumed shipment weight is the midpoint of our 3 bedroom profile (6,800–9,500 lbs). These are modeled planning figures, not quotes collected from carriers.
Moving Cost Advisor model data
What each unknown is worth, on one modeled 1,000-mile move
| Scenario | Modeled midpoint | Difference vs baseline |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline (3-bedroom, 1,000 miles, off-peak, you pack) | $5,450 | — |
| Peak-season month instead of off-peak | $6,100 | $650 |
| Full packing added | $6,350 | $900 |
| Shipment 20% heavier than the profile | $6,400 | $950 |
| High-cost labor market at both ends (index 1.25) | $5,750 | $300 |
MCA model output. Each row changes exactly one input against the baseline row, which is why the deltas can be read as the cost of an unknown rather than as a forecast of your quote.
Why the curve flattens as the distance grows
Doubling the mileage does not double the price. Between 500 and 1,000 miles the modeled midpoint rises by about 47%; between 1,000 and 2,000 miles it rises by about 46% over twice the distance. The line-haul rate per 1,000 lbs per mile steps down as mileage increases, so the per-mile cost of a coast-to-coast move is materially lower than the per-mile cost of a regional one.
This is why a per-mile shorthand is unreliable for planning. A 3-bedroom move at 500 miles carries a much higher implied per-mile figure than the same household at 2,000 miles, even though the longer move costs more in absolute terms. We explain the arithmetic in our per-mile guide.
The fixed portion of the move explains the rest. Origin and destination service — crew time to protect, load, unload, and reassemble — barely changes with distance. On a 500-mile move that fixed block is a large share of the total; at 2,000 miles it is diluted.
Weight is the input you can actually influence
Our 3-bedroom profile assumes 6,800–9,500 lbs, with a midpoint of 8,150 lbs. That assumption comes from the home-size profiles documented in how we calculate moving costs, not from a measured national dataset. Interstate carriers price on the certified weight of your shipment, so the gap between the profile and reality is where estimates and invoices diverge.
The sensitivity table above quantifies it: a shipment 20% heavier than the profile adds roughly $950 on a 1,000-mile move in our model. That is more than peak-season scheduling costs, and more than a high-cost labor market at both ends. Disposing of a garage full of paint, tools, and gym equipment before the survey is the cheapest cost control available on a 3-bedroom move.
The reverse also holds. A three-bedroom house furnished for two people can weigh less than our profile assumes, in which case the modeled midpoint overstates the likely bill. See the full shipment-profile table for how the sizes compare.
- Garage, basement, and shed contents are the most common source of unplanned weight.
- Books, tools, and appliances are dense; wardrobes and sofas are bulky but comparatively light.
- A video survey converts an assumed weight into a documented inventory, which is what a written estimate prices.
What a 3-bedroom move looks like as a full-service job
Our profile assumes a 3–4 mover crew and 6–8 hours to load. That shape has practical consequences: the loading day is a full working day at origin, and delivery arrives inside a spread rather than at a scheduled hour on long-haul corridors, because the trailer is usually carrying more than one shipment.
The modeled figures above exclude packing. Adding full packing to a 3-bedroom shipment costs roughly $900 in our model on a 1,000-mile move, and the packing service guide breaks the ladder down by home size.
If you are weighing a container instead of a carrier, the container column in the table above is the same shipment priced without loading crews. The container comparison guide explains what that column does and does not include.
Corridor cost is not uniform across the country
The benchmark figures above use the national baseline, meaning no origin or destination labor adjustment. Real corridors are not neutral: our model applies a labor index weighted 60% to origin and 40% to destination, because loading is the heavier crew day.
At an index of 1.25 at both ends, the modeled 1,000-mile 3-bedroom midpoint rises by about $300. That is a modest adjustment relative to weight, but it is systematic: the same household moving the same distance prices differently out of an expensive metro than out of a cheap one.
For a corridor-specific figure rather than a benchmark, use the 3-bedroom cost hub or price your own route in the calculator.
Turning this into your own number
- 01Start from the benchmark row closest to your mileage, then read the range rather than the midpoint.
- 02Adjust for weight honestly: decide now what is not going on the truck.
- 03Add packing only if you actually want it priced in; it is a separate decision from the transport.
- 04Check whether your date falls inside June–August before you fix it.
- 05Price your actual corridor, not the benchmark, once you know both addresses.
- 06Get two written estimates after a survey, and compare them on scope rather than on the headline number.
Regulatory and external sources
What the rules say
Interstate movers must provide a written estimate before the move and state whether it is binding or non-binding.
FMCSA — Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
Limits of this analysis
- Benchmark rows use the national baseline; your corridor carries origin and destination labor adjustments.
- The weight assumption is a planning profile, not a measurement of your household.
- Accessorial services — shuttle, long carry, stair carries, crating, storage — are excluded from every figure on this page.
- The model prices full-service interstate moves; local hourly moves are structured differently.
Put this into a number
Use the moving cost calculator to see how these mechanics change your own estimate, or read the pricing methodology for the exact inputs we apply.
Related, and deliberately separate
How Much It Costs to Move a 2-Bedroom Apartment Long Distance
Covers: what a 2-bedroom household costs to move over interstate distances.
3-Bedroom vs 4-Bedroom Moving Cost
Covers: the cost difference between a 3-bedroom and a 4-bedroom move.
How Movers Estimate the Weight of Household Goods
Covers: how shipment weight is estimated and verified on an interstate move.
Questions
How much does a 3-bedroom move weigh?
Our planning profile assumes 6,800–9,500 lbs, midpoint 8,150 lbs. Your certified weight can fall outside that range in either direction; it is established by weight tickets on an interstate move, not by the profile.
Is a 2,000-mile 3-bedroom move twice the price of a 1,000-mile one?
No. Our model puts the 2,000-mile midpoint about 46% above the 1,000-mile midpoint, because the line-haul rate per 1,000 lbs per mile steps down with distance and the origin and destination crew work is unchanged.
What is not included in these modeled figures?
Packing, storage, specialty crating, shuttle service, long carries, stair carries, and valuation coverage above the released-value minimum. Each of those is quoted from the carrier's own tariff.
Would a container be cheaper for a 3-bedroom move?
In our model the container midpoint runs about a third below full-service for the same shipment, because it removes the loading and unloading crews. Whether that is a saving depends on whether you can supply that labor yourself.