Moving to Minnesota from Arkansas
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Arkansas to Minnesota — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Arkansas to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 14.6% more expensive than Arkansas. A $75,000 salary in Arkansas would need to be roughly $84,258 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Saint Paul averages 56°F vs 72°F in Little Rock, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Arkansas to Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $84,258
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.5% more
Groceries
pay 24.2% more
Transportation
pay 34.2% more
Housing
pay 1.3% more
Childcare
pay 18.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 18.1% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Arkansas to Minnesota.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Minnesota performs significantly better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Arkansas generally does better on what about housing?, though Minnesota leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Arkansas generally does better on infrastructure, though Minnesota leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Minnesota generally does better on employment & economy, though Arkansas leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Minnesota performs significantly better than Arkansas across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Little Rock | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 56°/38°F (13°/3°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 89°/70°F (32°/21°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Little Rock | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°/33°F (9.7°/0.4°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 54°/36°F (12.4°/2.4°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 64°/44°F (17.6°/6.8°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 73°/53°F (22.7°/11.6°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.4°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 88°/69°F (31.2°/20.7°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.3°/22.2°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 84°/65°F (29.1°/18.1°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 73°/54°F (23.0°/12.3°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.6°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 51°/35°F (10.7°/1.7°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than Arkansas?
No — Minnesota is on average about 12% more expensive than Arkansas. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,064 in Minnesota on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Minnesota safe?
Minnesota performs significantly better than Arkansas across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Arkansas?
Minnesota performs significantly better than Arkansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Arkansas?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 72°F in Little Rock. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Little Rock gets 50.0 in.
