Cost of living in St. Paul research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means St. Paul is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Minnesota, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in St. Paul is 102, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in St. Paul is 1.0x higher than the national average.
St. Paul ranks as the #59 cheapest in Minnesota out of 147.
St. Paul ranks as the #3,380 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in St. Paul is $232,400.
The median income in St. Paul is $63,483.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, St. Paul has an overall cost of living index of 102, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Minnesota, St. Paul has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Minnesota's index of 95.
The standard of living in St. Paul ranks as #59 most affordable out of the 147 places we measured in Minnesota. By definition, that implies St. Paul ranks as the #88 most expensive place in the North Star State.
For more reading on life in St. Paul, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in St. Paul. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in St. Paul is 114.
The Groceries index in St. Paul is 103.
The Health index in St. Paul is 105.
The Housing index in St. Paul is 94.
The Transportation index in St. Paul is 103.
The Utilities index in St. Paul is 96.
Living Expense | St. Paul | Minnesota | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 102 | 95 | 100 | |
Services | 114 | 101 | 100 | |
Groceries | 103 | 98 | 100 | |
Health | 105 | 111 | 100 | |
Housing | 94 | 83 | 100 | |
Transportation | 103 | 98 | 100 | |
Utilities | 96 | 95 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Minnesota, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in St. Paul is $232,400.
The Median Rent in St. Paul is $1,080.
The Median Income in St. Paul is $63,483.
The Home Value To Income in St. Paul is 3.7x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in St. Paul is 0.2x.
Statistic | St. Paul | Minnesota | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $232,400 | $250,200 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,080 | $1,081 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $63,483 | $77,706 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.7x | 3.2x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.2x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around St. Paul. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Plymouth, MN has a cost of living index of 122, 1.2x St. Paul.
Woodbury, MN has a cost of living index of 122, 1.2x St. Paul.
Lakeville, MN has a cost of living index of 116, 1.1x St. Paul.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. St. Paul |
---|---|---|---|
Plymouth, MN | 80,034 | 122 | 1.2x |
Woodbury, MN | 74,014 | 122 | 1.2x |
Lakeville, MN | 69,026 | 116 | 1.1x |
Eden Prairie, MN | 64,048 | 121 | 1.2x |
Apple Valley, MN | 55,237 | 112 | 1.1x |
Minnetonka, MN | 53,809 | 121 | 1.2x |
Edina, MN | 53,059 | 135 | 1.3x |
Roseville, MN | 36,119 | 107 | 1.0x |
Shoreview, MN | 26,871 | 110 | 1.1x |
South St. Paul, MN | 20,637 | 100 | 1.0x |