Moving to Minnesota from Idaho
What to Expect
Considering a move from Idaho to Minnesota? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Idaho to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 7.9% more expensive than Idaho. A $75,000 salary in Idaho would need to be roughly $76,272 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Idaho and Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,272
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.1% more
Groceries
pay 15.9% more
Transportation
pay 12.3% more
Housing
pay 0.6% more
Childcare
pay 14.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.1% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Minnesota compared to Idaho.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Idaho performs better than Minnesota 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
Idaho generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Idaho generally does better on what about housing?, though Minnesota leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Idaho performs better than Minnesota across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Idaho 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 Idaho 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 | Boise | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/57°F (30°/14°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/32°F (10°/0°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Boise | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than Idaho?
Minnesota and Idaho are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
Budget about $19,068 for 3 months in Minnesota (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Minnesota safe?
Idaho performs better than Minnesota across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Idaho?
Idaho generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Idaho?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 64°F in Boise. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Boise gets 11.7 in.
