In 2020, the population of the United States only grew by 0.35%. Because the borders were closed, the number of people relocating from other countries to America decreased greatly, but the number of people relocating within the United States increased significantly.
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- Home to a little over 1 million people, Montana is one of the most beautiful states in the country — although its beauty is doing nothing to prevent residents from moving to other states.
- View of Downtown Helena in daytime.
Most people chose to leave states like New York and California so they could relocate to the South, and Florida was one of the most popular destinations. While only approximately 1.5% of the population in Montana moved to Florida, the Sunshine State was one of the top 25 destinations for people moving out of Montana.
If you are considering moving from Montana to Florida, one of the first things you’ll have to get used to is the weather. Florida is a sunny place and its winters don’t come anywhere close to wintertime in Montana.
- Known as the Sunshine State, Florida is one of the top destinations for people moving from all over the country, including Montana.
- Miami, Florida during a sunny day.
One similarity between these two states is that they both have a large population of conservatives. So, if you consider yourself a conservative person, it won’t take a lot of effort to adjust to Florida.
The distance between Montana and Florida is approximately 2250 miles, thus you’ll likely have to wait a while before your belongings arrive at your new location. Nonetheless, moving companies have up to 21 business days to deliver your items (according to the law).
In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about moving from Montana to Florida!
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How Much Does It Cost to Move From Montana to Florida?
Because of the distance between Montana and Florida, you can expect to pay a considerable amount of money to relocate your items between these two states. Even still, you shouldn’t worry about your finances. Some moving types are cheaper, and you have at least three different options on how to move from Montana to Florida.
You can either hire a full-service mover, rent a moving truck, or rent a moving container. Below we’re going to explain what each of these services entails and how much it costs to move from Montana to Florida using each of these moving types.
Hiring a full-service moving company
A full-service moving company is the type of mover that offers a wide range of services to help you relocate. These professionals may offer packing services, special moving services, international moving services, auto transportation, among others.
When you hire a full-service mover, one thing is for certain: your moving process will be made much easier. They’ll help you with whatever you want and need, as long as you hire the right packages. Their services may be on the pricier side, but it’s certainly worth paying it if you don’t have much free time available.
Here are the estimated moving costs of hiring a full-service moving company to relocate from Montana to Florida.
- Studio/1 Bedroom: $3768 – $6281
- 2-3 Bedrooms: $5193 – $8656
- 4+ Bedrooms: $5906 – $9843
- Office-Commercial Moving: $8156 – $11989
Renting a DIY moving truck
Another type of moving that is quite popular is renting a moving truck. The most popular company in this niche of the market is probably U-Haul. When you rent a DIY moving truck, you basically put yourself in charge of the moving process.
After signing a contract with your mover, you will get the keys to a truck and you’ll likely have to pay for each day that you keep the truck. Hence why we suggest that you only get a hold of the truck once all your items are packed and ready to be loaded into the truck.
It’s also important for us to mention that, when you rent a moving truck, you are responsible for paying all the fees that may come with the truck. For instance, if you hit the truck or it breaks down on the way to Florida, you’ll have to pay for the repair. And you will also have to pay for moving insurance, which is essential in processes like this.
Here are the estimated moving costs of renting a DIY moving truck to relocate from Montana to Florida. Note that these estimates don’t include additional expenses (gas, repairs, insurance, et cetera).
- Studio/1 Bedroom: starting at $2595
- 2-3 Bedrooms: starting at $3047
- 4+ Bedrooms: starting at $3500
- Office-Commercial Moving: starting at $3952
Renting a moving container
In some cases, renting a moving container is the most affordable option that you may have. For starters, you won’t have to pay the additional expenses that come with renting a moving truck. You won’t have to pay for the work of multiple staff (as you would if you hired a full-service mover) either.
On top of that, this type of moving is quite simple, if you consider that all you have to do is pack your items and load them into the truck. That’s because the moving company will drop the container at your front door and they’ll give you a couple of days to load it. When you’re done, you just have to call the company so they’ll send a truck to pick up the container and transport it to your new address in Florida.
Here are the estimated moving costs of renting a moving container to relocate from Montana to Florida.
- Studio/1 Bedroom: starting at $1680
- 2-3 Bedrooms: starting at $1950
- 4+ Bedrooms: starting at $2200
- Office-Commercial Moving: starting at $2490
How to Hire Movers from Montana to Florida?
Finding the ideal mover is not always an easy task. This is not only a matter of finding a company that will suit your budget. It’s mostly about finding a moving company that will be worth every penny; that is, it’s about finding reliable movers who can help you relocate across the country.
- Depending on where you are moving from and to, you’ll need to hire specific types of movers, as we’ll explain below.
- Two movers loading a small moving van.
Once you find the right mover, things should be much easier moving forward. You’ll have to book their services (preferably a few weeks in advance) and sign a contract, and that’s basically it. However, before you start looking for moving companies to hire, you should learn a bit more about the different types of movers.
Here’s what you need to know about how to hire movers from Montana to Florida!
Interstate Movers
Let’s say that John and Jane are moving from California to Arizona. They call a Los Angeles mover to help them relocate all the way to Phoenix. The distance between these two cities is approximately 370 miles, so this is not a complicated move.
In order to move between these two states, John and Jane are going to need to hire interstate movers. These professionals are specialists in helping families relocate across a state line. However, they can’t always help you relocate to a great distance, such as in the case of moving from Montana to Florida.
Long-Distance Movers
If John and Jane were moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, they would have to hire a long-distance mover. That’s because the distance between LA and this city is well over 700 miles. For most moving companies, any move that is larger than 400 miles fits in the long-distance moving category.
Does that mean that you will need a long-distance mover to relocate from Montana to Florida? Not necessarily. While some movers may be able to help you in this process, chances are you’ll need to hire a different type of mover, as we’ll explain below.
Cross-Country Movers
Cross-country movers are specialists in helping people move across the country, from coast to coast, no matter where you want to go. These are the movers that will be able to help you move from Montana to Florida, considering how you’re going to be moving all the way to the other side of the nation.
Moving across an entire country is a delicate process that requires a lot of skill and effort, hence why cross-country movers are required by law to have a special license to perform these moves.
Moving Brokers
After absorbing all of the information presented above, it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed. It’s a lot to take in, and, if you’ve never moved before, all of this information is brand new to you.
- In case you’re not sure about finding a reliable mover on your own, you can always count on the help of a moving broker.
- A man talking on the phone at his office.
In case you don’t feel too sure about finding the right mover to help you relocate, you can always hire a moving broker to help you move from Montana to Florida. Well, they won’t exactly help you move, but they will help you find a reliable mover that suits your budget and preferences.
5 Best Moving Companies to Help Relocate from Montana to Florida
If you do a quick Google search on “moving companies”, you will get over 1,3 billion results in less than a second. That’s quite a lot of moving companies for you to read about and choose just one.
Luckily, you have different options when it comes down to choosing the ideal moving company. You can either hire a moving broker, as we explained above, or you can start looking on your own. You can make specific searches and try to find movers in your area so that you’ll have a shorter list to choose from.
Alternatively, you can take a look at this list (put together by yours truly) of the 5 best moving companies to help relocate from Montana to Florida!
Poseidon Moving Company
If you are looking for a moving company to help you relocate from Montana to Florida, Poseidon might just be the ideal mover. This company has headquarters in both states, which will make the moving process much easier for you and for the movers.
Poseidon Moving Company offers a wide range of services, including commercial moving and packing services. You can hire Poseidon Moving if you’re relocating across the country and bringing bulky, fragile, and regular items with you. They also offer furniture protection and moving insurance, which are two things you will need.
Montana Movers
Another moving company that can help you a great deal when relocating from Montana to Florida is Montana Movers. If you live around Bozeman, Butte, or Missoula, these guys can help you relocate to the Sunshine State without any major issues.
This mover can assist you with commercial moving to Florida, as well as specialty moving services, which include piano moving, pool table moving, art & antique moving, among others. You can get quotes from Montana Movers directly on their website once you fill a form.
Atlas Van Lines
In case you would prefer to hire a nationwide moving company, Atlas Van Lines is one of the best options you have. This is a reliable moving company that has been helping families relocate all over the country for almost 75 years.
Given that Atlas is one of the top movers in the country, they offer basically every moving service that one can hire, including auto transportation, piano moving, gun safe moving, pool table moving, and even boat moving! You can get a quote from Atlas Van Lines using our free moving costs calculator.
Bekins
Bekins is another nationwide that can help you move from Montana to Florida. This mover is one of the oldest in the market, having been founded in 1891. Since then, Bekins has helped thousands of families relocate with high-quality, top-rated services.
Whether you need residential moving, commercial moving, furniture moving, piano moving, antique moving, special equipment moving, or even computer and IT equipment, Bekins Van Lines can help you. You can get free ballpark quotes from their website or use our moving costs calculator to receive quotes.
Mayflower
The fifth moving company we’re going to present here is Mayflower. This is one of the biggest moving companies in the country, and also one of the top-rated. Mayflower is known for having affordable prices and for offering high-quality moving services.
Mayflower offers both moving and storage options, as well as including moving insurance on basically all of their moving packages. You can also hire most moving services from Mayflower, including furniture transportation, special items moving, residential or commercial moving, packing services, among other services.
What Are the Top Benefits of Moving from Montana to Florida?
Before you hire a moving company, you should make your final decision about moving from Montana to Florida. Both these states are relatively good places to live, so you have to try and make a list of the pros and cons of both places.
When you make this list, you will finally be able to reach a final decision as to whether or not it is worth it to relocate to the Sunshine State. To help you get a headstart, here are the top benefits of moving from Montana to Florida!
Pros of Living in Montana
- Population density
- In case you enjoy living in a place that is not packed, you probably fit very well in Montana. This state is one of the least densely populated states, with only 7 people per square mile!
- Friendly people
- One thing is certain in Montana: you will find friendly people anywhere. Whether it’s your neighbor or someone you’ve never seen before, people in Montana are always warm and eager to help each other.
- Things to do
- Montana is one of the most beautiful states in America, and this means that there are plenty of things to do around here, including visiting the Yellowstone National Park and the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park.
Pros of Moving to Florida
- Perfect weather
- Florida is called the “Sunshine State” for a reason, and you can expect to have perfectly sunny weather for about 300 days of the year. This is really nice, especially if you’re looking forward to getting your tan on.
- Cost of housing
- Housing in Florida can be quite expensive (millionaire prices, even), but only in certain parts of the state. However, there are other communities where you can find houses that are below the national average in costs.
- Great place to retire
- Florida is like a piece of paradise on Earth, so it is only natural that lots of people relocate to this state in order to retire. Healthcare for retirees is also quite attractive in Florida, for there are plenty of care facilities for retirees in this state.
Cons of Living in Montana
- Challenging weather
- The weather in Montana is quite challenging. There are thunderstorms to watch out for, as well as incredibly hot summers and brutal winters, especially when you live near the Canada border.
- Public transportation
- Unless you live in the capital of Montana, public transportation is probably something you struggle with. Most people living in Montana own a car so they can get around, even more so when you live in rural areas.
- Life in the rural areas
- Living in the rural part of Montana may be great for those who enjoy the rural lifestyle, but it also means that you have to be pretty self-sufficient. That is, you have to be ready to deal with power shortages, snowstorms that make your car stop working, among other things.
Cons of Moving to Florida
- Rising population
- If you take a quick look at any list of “most moved to states” in America, you will see that Florida is right at the top. This state is becoming an incredibly popular destination, especially for people moving from states such as California and New York.
- Cost of living
- Due to the huge influx of people moving to Florida, the costs of living in this state are starting to increase, and they probably won’t be decreasing anytime soon. Currently, the cost of living index in Florida is 94.3, whereas the national average is 100.
- Bad traffic
- Another issue caused by the growing population in Florida is bad traffic. There are over 21,5 million people living in this state. 2,7 million of those people are living in Miami-Dade County, and the number of tourists is almost 4 times bigger than the population of the state. Do the math and you’ll understand what we mean by bad traffic!
Comparison: Price of Living in Montana vs. Price of Living in Florida
Neither Montana nor Florida is considered an expensive place to live. Housing costs in both states are reasonable, as well as the costs of living. However, one of these states is still more affordable than the other, though only if you move to certain regions.
In addition to taking the pros and cons into consideration, it is also incredibly important that you take a look at the costs of living in the state you are thinking of moving to. To save you trouble, we are going to show you a table comparing the prices of living in Montana and Florida.
Keep in mind that these costs are based on the expenses of living in the Missoula metro area and the Tallahassee metro area.
EXPENSES | MONTANA | FLORIDA |
| Housing | $925 | $958 |
| Food | $751 | $794 |
| Child care | $1,526 | $924 |
| Transportation | $1,160 | $1,151 |
| Health care | $1,258 | $1,326 |
| Other necessities | $676 | $707 |
| Taxes | $1,092 | $680 |
| Monthly Total | $7,389 | $6,541 |
| Annual Total | $88,673 | $78,489 |
All estimates presented in the table above were calculated considering the expenses of a family of two adults and two children. The data was retrieved from the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator.
Best Places to Move to in Florida
Generally speaking, Florida is a great state to move to. Sure, you may have to deal with different political ideologies and even with natural disasters sometimes, but none of that changes the fact that the Sunshine State is one of the best states to live in America.
If you’re considering relocating from Montana to Florida, you are probably looking for a place to live in this state. Unless you’re moving due to a job promotion or to stay close to your family, it’s likely that you’re having a hard time choosing a city. To help you with that, we’ve picked 4 cities to show you. Here are the best places to move to in Florida!
- Miami
- When we talk about Florida, it’s quite common to immediately think of Miami. While the metro area of this city has a population of over 2 million people, the city of Miami itself is only home to a little over 467,000 people. There are lots of banks, hospitals/clinics, schools, and tourists in this region. If you work in any of those sectors, you can expect to find a job in no time.
- Gainesville
- Home to the University of Florida, Gainesville is one of the most affordable places to live in Florida. This city is known for having beautiful places to visit, including historic buildings and natural attractions.
- Marco Island
- If you want to move to an island, Marco Island is one of the best options you have. This is the largest island in the region and is also considered the safest place to live in Florida. Home to only approximately 16,000 people, this island is one of the top destinations for high-income residents.
- Orlando
- It’s nearly impossible to talk about Florida and not mention Orlando. Home to some of the top theme parks in the world, including Disney World and Universal Studios, this city welcomed over 50 million visitors in 2019 alone. If you want to make a living off of tourism, this is the ideal city for you.
In the end, is Moving from Montana to Florida Worth It?
Between 2020 and 2021, almost 330,000 people moved to Florida. It is quite obvious that there has got to be a very good reason for such a large influx of people coming into the Sunshine in just a year.
We’ve already explained the pros and cons of this state, and while Montana is not necessarily a bad place to live in, Florida is just too good for many reasons. For instance, when it comes to education, Florida is the #1 state for higher education, due to being home to several top-rated universities and colleges. On the other hand, Montana ranked at #32.
From an economic point of view, Florida is also doing much better than Montana. The Sunshine State has a job growth rate that is above the national average, whereas Montana is below the average. However, Montana is currently the #7 state for economic growth, while Florida is #9.
When it comes to politics, both these states are similar in the sense that each has a large population of conservatives and a relatively large population of liberals. This means that, depending on where you move to in Florida, you probably won’t have a hard time adjusting to the political ideology of that area.
On top of all that, Florida is also more affordable than Montana, although this is bound to change in the future, considering the large influx of people relocating to the Sunshine State.
To sum up, moving from Montana to Florida is worth it — unless you don’t want to live in a state where tourists make up for a large part of the population most of the year.
How to Move from Montana to Florida?
No matter where you are moving to in Florida, you have to be prepared for the moving process. Relocating can be quite complicated if you decide to deal with things as they come up. This is not the kind of process you go through on a whim, so don’t forget that.
- There are a few things that you can do in order to have a smooth moving process. In case you have no idea what they are, below we’ll give you 10 essential tips on how to move from Montana to Florida!
- A couple packing their belongings to relocate.
In case you have no idea what you need to do in order to relocate to Florida, we have compiled a few tips that you help you a great deal in this process. Here are 10 tips on how to move from Montana to Florida!
- Plan Ahead
- Even if you were moving to the next town over, you would still have to plan ahead. Thus, it’s safe to say that moving across the country also requires planning — a lot of it. If you don’t know how to plan a move from Montana to Florida, you can use our downloadable moving checklist to prepare for this journey!
- Downsize
- Any moving company that you hire will inform you that your moving costs will be calculated based on how many staff will need to help as well as on how many items you own. If you want to avoid paying a lot of money to move to Florida, we recommend downsizing.
- Get Moving Quotes
- If you were traveling to Florida on vacation, you would probably compare hotel prices in order to stay at the most affordable place. Now that you’re moving to Florida, you should do the same — but with moving companies. Get moving quotes from different companies using our free moving costs calculator and then compare the prices to find the most affordable one.
- Book Movers
- Once you are done comparing moving quotes from different companies, it’s time to choose a mover to help you relocate. However, we recommend that you don’t make this decision based only on the moving costs. Read reviews about the mover you’re thinking of hiring and check if their documentation is legal.
- Visit Your New Area
- Are you still trying to make up your mind about moving to Florida? Maybe the final push that you need to make this decision is to visit your new area. Take a couple of days off work (if you can) and hop on a flight to the Sunshine State. Spend some time in your prospective town and hang out with the people in the area, and you’ll know if that place is ideal for you.
- Start Packing
- If you get to this step, it’s certainly because you decided that moving from Montana to Florida was ideal for you. In this case, it’s time to start packing your belongings. You can either pay your mover to pack for you or you can purchase moving supplies to do this yourself.
- Create an Essentials Box
- After the long journey from Montana to Florida, one of the first things you will want to do once you get to your new location is to take a shower and eat something. To make your life easier, we suggest that you create an Essentials box, a box where you’ll store things like snacks, toiletries, clothes, bedding sheets, and such.
- Say Farewells
- Telling you to say farewells may seem a bit too obvious, but you would be surprised at how many people forget to set enough time aside to say farewells to their families and friends before they relocate. Depending on how many people you know, you should start meeting up with the people you love a month prior to the big move.
- Get Some Rest
- In case you had to save some money and didn’t hire a mover to pack your things, you are probably exhausted now that you’re all set to relocate to Florida. Don’t forget to take at least the day before off so that you can recharge your batteries before moving from Montana to Florida.
- Enjoy the Move
- It may sound silly to tell you to enjoy the moving process, but once you set this process in motion, you’ll understand why we’re saying this. Moving can be quite stressful, especially when you’re relocating across the country. Keep in mind that you’re taking a huge step and your life will certainly change for the better, so don’t forget to have fun!
Moving Services to Help You Relocate from Montana to Florida
Before you go and find a mover to help you in this process, it is highly important that you first learn about the different types of moving services you can hire. Does mover perform cross-country moves? That’s perfect — but can they help you relocate that old piano you have?
While you can always take the time to ask your mover which services they offer, you can always do some research on your own and learn more about it on your own. To give you a headstart, here are 9 moving services to help relocate from Montana to Florida!
- Furniture Transportation
- Some people decide to sell their furniture prior to moving so that they can buy new stuff once they get to their new location. If you don’t want to do that, you can simply hire a mover that offers furniture transportation services.
- Residential Movers
- Whether you are moving from a house or from an apartment, you will need to hire a residential mover. These movers can help you with everything you need to relocate from Montana to Florida.
- Piano Transportation
- Remember the old piano we just mentioned a couple of paragraphs ago? Well, if you have one of those and you want to make sure that your piano is transported safely, you just have to ask your mover if they can relocate a piano from Montana to Florida. Most movers offer this service, so don’t worry about it.
- Art and Antiques Movers
- Like pianos, art pieces and antiques require special attention during the relocation process. Art and antique movers can help you transport these items safely and in one piece.
- Hot Tub Movers
- Not everyone has a hot tub at home, but if you do, you can easily move a hot tub from Montana to Florida, as long as you hire the right mover. This is not necessarily a common service, so you’ll probably have to dig in a little deeper in your search for the ideal moving company.
- Pool Table Movers
- Regardless of the type of pool table that you have at home, these bulky items are only moved by certain movers. Relocating a pool table from Montana to Florida is simple — it only requires a moving company that offers special transportation services.
- Office Movers
- Did you know that you can move an office to Florida? That’s correct. Office movers can help you relocate any type of offer or business from Montana to Florida, though this service can be pricier than regular residential moving services.
- Long-Distance Movers
- Earlier in this article, we explained the different types of movers that you can hire. In your case, you can hire a long-distance mover to relocate from Montana to Florida, or you can go ahead and hire a cross-country mover instead.
- Last-Minute Movers
- Planning ahead of moving is essential, but sometimes you have to relocate earlier than expected. Maybe you’ll need to start at your new job next week or maybe your parents need you in your new location in two days. In both cases, you can count on last-minute movers to relocate from Montana to Florida.