Moving to Minnesota from Iowa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iowa to Minnesota — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iowa to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 11.9% more expensive than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly $84,213 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iowa to Minnesota. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $84,213 To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 8.3% more Groceries pay 18.3% more Transportation pay 27.1% more Housing pay 11.8% more Childcare pay 14.4% more Entertainment and Sports pay 6.1% 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. How Iowa and Minnesota stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Iowa generally does better on safety, though Minnesota leads in violent crime rate. 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 Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Iowa generally does better on what about housing?, though Minnesota leads in homeownership rate. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Iowa generally does better on infrastructure, though Minnesota leads in internet access. 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 Iowa leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Minnesota performs significantly better than Iowa 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: Day-to-day costs in Minnesota run about 12% higher than Iowa on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $21,053 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Iowa generally does better on safety, though Minnesota leads in violent crime rate. Minnesota performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Des Moines Saint Paul Jan–Mar 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) Apr–Jun 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) Oct–Dec 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) View all months
Month Des Moines Saint Paul Jan 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) Feb 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) Mar 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) Apr 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) May 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) Jun 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) Jul 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) Aug 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) Sep 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) Oct 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) Nov 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) Dec 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than Iowa?
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What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Iowa?
