Moving to Minnesota from California
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from California to Minnesota — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from California to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 14.5% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $59,069 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Saint Paul averages 56°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from California to Minnesota. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $59,069 To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 10.9% less Groceries pay 7.6% less Transportation pay 10.3% less Housing pay 29.3% less Childcare pay 24.1% less Entertainment and Sports pay 12.6% less Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources. How California and Minnesota stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Minnesota performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Minnesota performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work California generally does better on infrastructure, though Minnesota leads in average commute. 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 California generally does better on employment & economy, though Minnesota leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Minnesota performs significantly better than California 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Generally yes: Minnesota runs about 21% cheaper than California on average, though it depends heavily on the city. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $14,767 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Minnesota performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics. California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate. The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Sacramento Saint Paul Jan–Mar 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) Apr–Jun 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) Jul–Sep 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) Oct–Dec 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) View all months
Month Sacramento Saint Paul Jan 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) Feb 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) Mar 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) Apr 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) May 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) Jun 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) Jul 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) Aug 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) Sep 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) Oct 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) Nov 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) Dec 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
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