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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Minnesota's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: St Paul at index 87, where median rent of $1,485/month saves renters $4,920/year versus the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Dollar for dollar, few states match Minnesota's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: St Paul at index 87, where median rent of $1,485/month saves renters $4,920/year versus the national median (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Why St Paul ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious. At 87 on the cost index, residents save roughly 24% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,485/month while the median household pulls in $73,055/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 87, though Healthcare (97) lags behind. Home prices average $289,137 — $178,233 below the national median (more on that below).
Real talk: What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And for many people, the difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes). Not even close to the national average.
#1 Ranked: St Paul — cost index 87, rent $1,485/mo, income $73,055
St Paul rent up 3% over the past year
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Paul | 87 | $1,485 | Details |
| 2 | Minneapolis | 96 | $1,638 | Details |
303,820 residents · Minnesota
Look, Here's St Paul by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And for the typical household, cost index: 87. Rent: $1,485/month — we had to double-check this one — . Income: $73,055/year. Home price: $289,137. Population: 303,820. The strongest category is Housing at 87; the most expensive is Healthcare at 97. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $4,920 per year vs. the national median. If you're a planner, this number should anchor your spreadsheet. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
425,115 residents · Minnesota
So, Minneapolis. Cost index of 96, rent at $1,638/month. It's lower than the national average. Median income is $80,269, which is below the national median. That's about what we'd expect given the state context.
St Paul ranks #1 in Minnesota for this analysis with a cost index of 87 and median income of $73,055.
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 87 and rent of $1,485/mo, while Minneapolis (ranked #2) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,638/mo — a 9-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.
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.