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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities in Minnesota beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. St Paul stands out at 87 on the index, with rent of $1,485/month and household income of $73,055. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
The numbers are clear: 2 of 2 cities in Minnesota beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 111. St Paul stands out at 87 on the index, with rent of $1,485/month and household income of $73,055. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data.
A closer look at St Paul: the cost index of 87 breaks down to a Housing index of 87 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 97 (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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Balance that against the cost side: The 2 cities we track in Minnesota paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 92. Median rent: $1,562/month. Household income: $76,662. Minnesota is known for Twin Cities prosperity, outstate thrift — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
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 87, rent $1,485/mo, income $73,055
0 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $50K 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 | 36% | 87 | Details |
| 2 | Minneapolis | $1,638 | 39% | 96 | Details |
303,820 residents · Minnesota
Dive into St Paul's numbers: cost index 87 — though some people might weigh that differently — (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
In plain English: 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. The practical impact: more room for childcare, savings, or just breathing room.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1St Paul | 9.85% | 7.545% | 1.02% | $35,197 |
2Minneapolis | 9.85% | 7.545% | 1.02% | $35,197 |
We model what a $50K 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 $50K salary in St Paul, rent would consume about 36% 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 $50K in St Paul is approximately $35,197/year ($2,933/month). After median rent of $1,485/month, you'd have roughly $17,377/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.