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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. And for many people, 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: St Paul at index 97, where median rent of $1,485/month saves renters $4,920/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: St Paul — cost index 97, 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 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Paul | 97 | $1,485 | Details |
| 2 | Minneapolis | 101 | $1,638 | Details |
Dollar for dollar, few states match Minnesota's value. And for many people, 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: St Paul at index 97, where median rent of $1,485/month saves renters $4,920/year versus the national median.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. St Paul (index 97, rent $1,485); Minneapolis (index 101, rent $1,638). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
The #1 spot goes to St Paul, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,485/month — saving renters $4,920 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 89, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
This looks affordable — until you factor in healthcare. In St Paul, the healthcare index sits at 100 — not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing about.
St Paul rent up 3% over the past year. 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. This is the type of edge you don't see advertised.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. 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.
303,820 residents · Minnesota
Here's St Paul by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 97. Rent: $1,485/month — whether that matters depends on your situation — . Income: $73,055/year. Home price: $289,137. Population: 303,820. The strongest category is Utilities at 89; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $4,920 per year vs. the national median. On a teacher's salary, this difference is the line between paycheck-to-paycheck and comfortable. Quietly competitive.
425,115 residents · Minnesota
A closer look at Minneapolis: the cost index of 101 breaks down to a Utilities index of 93 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 104 (weakest). That alone makes it worth considering. 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 (that's pre-tax, of course).
St Paul ranks #1 in Minnesota for this analysis with a cost index of 97 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 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.
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.