How much does it cost to move from California to Washington?

National planning ranges for a long-distance move run $4,200-$6,720 for a 3-bedroom home, scaling down to $1,250-$2,000 for a studio. These are the same national benchmarks used across every route on this site, not a California-Washington-specific figure — use the [moving cost calculator](/moving-cost-calculator) for a number based on your actual move.

Do I need a new driver's license after moving from California to Washington?

New WA residents must get a Washington driver's license within 30 days of moving to the state.

What's the income tax difference between California and Washington?

California: Highest top marginal rate in the country: 13.3% combined (12.3% top bracket + 1% Mental Health Services Tax on income over $1M).. Washington: No personal income tax.

Moving from California to Washington: Costs, Distance & What to Know

Last reviewed 2026-09-07 · Next review due 2026-10-05

A typical 3-bedroom move from California to Washington runs about $4,200-$6,720 nationally (use the calculator for a number based on your actual move). In the most recent Census-based year available (2023 ACS 1-year (net); 2024 ACS 1-year, secondary-sourced (state breakdown)), about 41,000 people made this exact move — from California to Washington.

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Moving from California to Washington? Compare quotes from licensed interstate movers.

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Who is making this move

Directional flow counts and rankings here are drawn directly from each state's own already-published, Census-sourced migration snapshot — see the California and Washington moving cost hubs for the full picture of who moves in and out of each state, not just this one corridor.

California → Washington: 41,000
Washington → California: 27,000

Data year: 2023 ACS 1-year (net); 2024 ACS 1-year, secondary-sourced (state breakdown)

Side by side

	California	Washington
Population	39,529,000	8,001,020
Major metro	Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue MSA
Income tax	Highest top marginal rate in the country: 13.3% combined (12.3% top bracket + 1% Mental Health Services Tax on income over $1M).	No personal income tax

See the full California moving cost hub and Washington moving cost hub for each state’s complete migration, cost and relocation picture.

Typical moving costs

These are national moving-industry planning ranges scaled by home size, not California-to-Washington-specific pricing — the same benchmarks used across every state hub and route page on this site. Once enough priced California↔Washington city-pair corridors are live, this table can be replaced with a real corridor-specific range.

National planning ranges by home size for local and long-distance moves
Home size	Local	Long-distance
Studio	$600-$1,050	$1,250-$2,000
1 Bedroom	$800-$1,400	$2,000-$3,200
2 Bedroom	$1,100-$1,925	$3,000-$4,800
3 Bedroom	$1,400-$2,450	$4,200-$6,720
4 Bedroom	$1,800-$3,150	$5,500-$8,800
5+ Bedroom	$2,200-$3,850	$7,000-$11,200

For a number tailored to your actual move, use the moving cost calculator.

New-resident deadlines

State	Topic	Requirement
California	Driver's license	New CA residents must obtain a California driver's license within 10 days of establishing residency.
California	Vehicle registration	Out-of-state vehicles must be registered within 20 days of becoming a resident.
Washington	Driver's license	New WA residents must get a Washington driver's license within 30 days of moving to the state.
Washington	Vehicle registration	Vehicles must be registered in WA within 30 days of moving; a WA driver's license is required first, before a vehicle can be registered.

Live city-to-city routes

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to move from California to Washington?: National planning ranges for a long-distance move run $4,200-$6,720 for a 3-bedroom home, scaling down to $1,250-$2,000 for a studio. These are the same national benchmarks used across every route on this site, not a California-Washington-specific figure — use the moving cost calculator for a number based on your actual move.
How many people move from California to Washington each year?: About 41,000 people made this move in 2023 ACS 1-year (net); 2024 ACS 1-year, secondary-sourced (state breakdown), per Census Bureau state-to-state migration data.
Do I need a new driver's license after moving from California to Washington?: New WA residents must get a Washington driver's license within 30 days of moving to the state.
What's the income tax difference between California and Washington?: California: Highest top marginal rate in the country: 13.3% combined (12.3% top bracket + 1% Mental Health Services Tax on income over $1M).. Washington: No personal income tax.