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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 $100K 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 P…
#1 Ranked: St Paul — cost index 87, rent $1,485/mo, income $73,055
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Paul | $1,485 | 18% | 87 | Details |
| 2 | Minneapolis | $1,638 | 20% | 96 | Details |
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K 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 $100K salary, the key number is $2,500/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. St Paul ($1,485/mo, 18%), Minneapolis ($1,638/mo, 20%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $65,447 to $65,447/year across these top picks.
Dive into St Paul's numbers: cost index 87 (24 points below national average), rent $1,485/month, income $73,055, and a home price of $289,137. And for many people, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 87, while Healthcare runs 97. With 303,820 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K salary, 2 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
Bottom line: St Paul leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
303,820 residents · Minnesota
Dive into St Paul's numbers: cost index 87 (24 points below national average), rent $1,485/month, income $73,055, and a home price of $289,137. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 87, while Healthcare runs 97. With 303,820 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
425,115 residents · Minnesota
Dive into Minneapolis's numbers: cost index 96 (15 points below national average), rent $1,638/month, income $80,269, and a home price of $327,043. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 96, while Healthcare runs 99. With 425,115 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1St Paul | 9.85% | 7.545% | 1.02% | $65,447 |
2Minneapolis | 9.85% | 7.545% | 1.02% | $65,447 |
We model what a $100K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. 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 87 and median income of $73,055.
Yes. On a $100K salary in St Paul, rent would consume about 18% 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 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.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 9.85% state income tax, estimated take-home on $100K in St Paul is approximately $65,447/year ($5,454/month). After median rent of $1,485/month, you'd have roughly $47,627/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.