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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Minnesota is a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. St Paul leads at an index of 97 — we had to double-check this one — with rent at just $1,485/month — 22% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from fede…
Minnesota is a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. St Paul leads at an index of 97 — we had to double-check this one — with rent at just $1,485/month — 22% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
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.
The healthcare sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 102 (the top-10 average here) means healthcare costs are about -2% below the national median. St Paul leads at 100, followed by Minneapolis (104) and Minneapolis (104). Note: a low healthcare index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
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. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
The other side of the coin: Minnesota — Twin Cities prosperity, outstate thrift. The 2 cities we track here average a cost index of 99 and median income of $76,662. It's a clear buyer's market compared to national norms. The typical rent runs $1,562/month, which is $333 less than the national median. An outlier in the best sense.
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.
#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 | Healthcare Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Paul | 100 | 97 | $1,485 | Details |
| 2 | Minneapolis | 104 | 101 | $1,638 | Details |
303,820 residents · Minnesota
A closer look at St Paul: the cost index of 97 breaks down to a Utilities index of 89 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 100 (weakest). Median rent is $1,485/month — 22% below the national median — while household income sits at $73,055, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
425,115 residents · Minnesota
Why Minneapolis ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. At 101 on the cost index, residents save roughly 11% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,638/month while the median household pulls in $80,269/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 93, though Healthcare (104) lags behind. Home prices average $327,043 — $140,327 below the national median.
Cities are ranked by their healthcare cost sub-index within Minnesota. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. 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.
St Paul, MN has the lowest healthcare index at 100, compared to the national average of 100.
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.