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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 $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. We ran the numbers on 2 cities in Minnesota using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. St Paul comes …
#1 Ranked: St Paul — cost index 87, rent $1,485/mo, income $73,055
0 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K
0 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $30K 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 | 59% | 87 | Details |
| 2 | Minneapolis | $1,638 | 66% | 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 $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market. 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.
St Paul comes in at #1. Rent is $1,485 — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — a month. Household income is $73,055. The cost of living index is 87. No major red flags in that number.
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.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $30K salary, 0 cities (0%) meet this threshold. That's a tough market.
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
What does daily life actually cost in St Paul? Start with the 24% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 87) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 97) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $73,055 and homes at $289,137 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
425,115 residents · Minnesota
Here's Minneapolis by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 96. Rent: $1,638/month. Income: $80,269/year. Home price: $327,043. Population: 425,115. The strongest category is Housing at 96; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $3,084 per year vs. the national median. For anyone running the numbers, this is where it clicks.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1St Paul | 9.85% | 7.545% | 1.02% | $21,382 |
2Minneapolis | 9.85% | 7.545% | 1.02% | $21,382 |
We model what a $30K 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 $30K salary in St Paul, rent would consume about 59% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. It's tight — consider a roommate or nearby suburb.
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 $30K in St Paul is approximately $21,382/year ($1,782/month). After median rent of $1,485/month, you'd have roughly $3,562/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.