The Best Moving Companies in Portland

Oregon’s annual precipitation usually ranges between 60 and 120 inches,¹ whereas the US’s average annual precipitation in 2020 was just over 30 inches.² No wonder the city took second place on our list of the US’s gloomiest cities.

This means that if you’re moving to or around Portland, you’ll need to take weather into account. A move ain’t exactly a parade, but you still don’t want to get rained on.

Of course, it’s impossible to know exactly what the weather will be like a few weeks from now—let alone in a month or two. If you’re planning your Portland move months in advance (which you should), the best you can do is schedule your move date outside of Portland’s rainiest season, which runs from October to April.¹

If you simply have to move during Portland’s wettest season—or it ends up raining on your moving day despite your best-laid plans—pack your stuff in plastic bins instead of cardboard boxes. Alternatively, you can slip boxes inside of trash bags to keep rain from seeping in. You should also lay down mats on your floors to prevent slips.

Lastly, make sure everyone helping you move has a raincoat, proper footwear, and a healthy supply of towels for drying off between loads.

On average, a local move costs somewhere between $550–$2,000 if you hire professional movers. Your exact price will depend on factors like how much stuff you’re moving, what time of year you’re moving, and how far you’re moving. Because of this variability, it’s almost impossible to know exactly what your move will cost until you get an estimate from your movers.

The best way to keep costs low is to get estimates from multiple movers. No two companies will charge the exact same rate for the same move, so get quotes from as many companies as you can to find your cheapest options.

If you want to learn more, check out our guide to moving costs.

Unfortunately, Portland ranked in the bottom 20 on our list of the best cities for first-time homebuyers. The median home value in the Portland metro area was $368,800 in 2020,³ which isn’t too bad considering that the median home value in San Jose was nearly $1,000,000.

Still, paying for your mortgage and other monthly costs associated with owning a Portland home would eat up a significant portion of your paycheck. This is especially true if you were making Portland’s average individual income of $41,310 a year.⁴

If you want to buy your first home in the near future, Portland probably isn’t the best place to move. Look for homes in our top 10 cities for first-time homebuyers instead.

Yes, Portland is actually the best city in the country for people who commute by bike. Between the city’s comprehensive laws for protecting cyclists, its excellent bike lanes, and its crisp climate, it’s easy to see why nearly 6.3% of Portland residents commuted by bike in 2019.⁵