Moving Companies in Ames, IA
What Moving in Ames Actually Costs
Local crews run about $100 to $150 an hour for two movers and a truck, averaging around $123 an hour, with a typical full job landing somewhere between $300 and $1,200 or more depending on how much you're hauling and how long it takes.
Leaving Iowa changes the math — those moves are priced by weight and distance instead of the clock, running around $1,114 for a small one-bedroom up to $4,500 or more for a full house. Renting a portable container instead, for a local-to-regional move, typically costs $231 to $818.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
If your move lands between late July and mid-August, expect higher demand and prices — that's peak lease-turnover season near campus, so book as early as you can. Get an in-person or video walkthrough instead of a phone-only quote, so nothing surprises you on the bill. Standard liability coverage is thin by law: $0.60 per pound per item, meaning a 20-pound television worth $1,000 is only covered for about $12 if it breaks. Third-floor walkups, narrow stairwells, long walks from the truck to your door, and tight campus-area parking can all add time and cost, so mention them ahead of time. Pack a small bag with chargers, medication, and toilet paper for yourself, so you're not digging through boxes on your first night.
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Who's moving to Ames, IA
Federal tax-filer migration data for Story County.
63% arrived from elsewhere in Iowa. Most arrivals are in-state moves, so a regional company will usually cover it — check interstate authority only if you're crossing a state line.
See licensed movers37% of departures stayed under 50 miles. Short local moves are usually priced by the hour, so a regional company is often the cheaper call.
See the full picture — 5-year trend, state flows and top routes
Each bar shows that state's in/out split — rows are ranked by total volume.
Households arriving from another state report $55,554 in average annual income; those relocating from elsewhere in Iowa report $46,738. Long-distance arrivals are the higher-budget half of the market.
How this works: IRS SOI County-to-County Migration Data, 2022-2023. The IRS compares the address on consecutive tax returns, so every move here is a real filed household. The catch: it publishes annually with about a two-year lag, counts Story County rather than city limits exactly, misses people who don't file a return, and leaves 50% of moves unattributed to a specific county, because flows too small to publish are grouped into regional buckets instead. See the whole state on the Iowa migration page →
How much truck space do you need?
I’m moving a that’s .
Industry rules of thumb — about seven pounds per cubic foot, and published rental-truck capacities. Not our carrier records, not a quote. Bring both numbers to the call and what you get back will finally be comparable.