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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K salary, 2 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 2 cities in Minnesota using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. St Pa…
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Paul | $1,485 | 24% | 97 | Details |
| 2 | Minneapolis | $1,638 | 26% | 101 | Details |
#1 Ranked: St Paul — cost index 97, rent $1,485/mo, income $73,055
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K salary, 2 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 2 cities in Minnesota using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. St Paul comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
On a $75K salary, the key number is $1,875/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. It's fine. Not great, not bad. St Paul ($1,485/mo, 24%), Minneapolis ($1,638/mo, 26%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $50,322 to $50,322/year across these top picks.
So, St Paul. Cost index of 97, rent at $1,485/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $73,055, which is below the national median. No major red flags in that number.
If you only look at rent, it's perfect. Zoom out and it's complicated. In St Paul, the healthcare index sits at 100 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
Look, the difference between comfortable and stretched? Often just one metric: 2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K. And broadly, the 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K salary, 2 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. That's a number worth sharing with anyone who says affordable cities can't have good jobs.
If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1St Paul | 9.85% | 7.545% | 1.02% | $50,322 |
2Minneapolis | 9.85% | 7.545% | 1.02% | $50,322 |
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K salary, 2 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices.
Rent in #1-ranked St Paul has increased from $1,443 to $1,485/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
303,820 residents · Minnesota
St Paul earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. And as far as the data shows, the 97 cost index sits 15 points below the national baseline, and the $73,055 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $289,137 — $178,233 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 89, while Healthcare trails at 100.
425,115 residents · Minnesota
A closer look at Minneapolis: the cost index of 101 — though some people might weigh that differently — breaks down to a Utilities index of 93 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 104 (weakest). Median rent is $1,638/month — 14% below the national median — while household income sits at $80,269, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
We calculate what percentage of a $75K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
St Paul ranks #1 in Minnesota for this analysis with a cost index of 97 and median income of $73,055.
Yes. On a $75K salary in St Paul, rent would consume about 24% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
St Paul (ranked #1) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,485/mo, while Minneapolis (ranked #2) has a cost index of 101 and rent of $1,638/mo — a 4-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in St Paul is $1,485/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $410 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 9.85% state income tax, estimated take-home on $75K in St Paul is approximately $50,322/year ($4,194/month). After median rent of $1,485/month, you'd have roughly $32,502/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in St Paul is $289,137, which is 4.0× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Minnesota has a 9.85% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.545%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.02%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.