Moving to Minnesota from Maryland

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Maryland to Minnesota — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Maryland to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 9.0% cheaper than Maryland. A $75,000 salary in Maryland would need to be roughly $65,379 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Saint Paul averages 56°F vs 68°F in Annapolis, making it significantly cooler.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Maryland to Minnesota.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $65,379

To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 1.9% more

Groceries

pay 13.5% less

Transportation

pay 6.2% less

Housing

pay 9.5% less

Childcare

pay 29.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.3% less

See full cost of living breakdown

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

How Maryland and Minnesota stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MD
420
MN
257
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MD
2043
MN
1675

Minnesota performs significantly better than Maryland across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MD
6.0%
MN
4.5%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MD
33.4%
MN
33.9%

Maryland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MD
$397,700
MN
$305,500
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MD
$1,662
MN
$1,235

Minnesota performs significantly better than Maryland across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MD
91.6%
MN
91.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MD
32 min
MN
23 min

Maryland generally does better on infrastructure, though Minnesota leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MD
3.7%
MN
4.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MD
$69,127
MN
$68,478

Maryland generally does better on employment & economy, though Minnesota leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MD
76.8 yrs
MN
79.1 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MD
29%
MN
26%

Maryland generally does better on family life, though Minnesota leads in life expectancy.

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.

Annapolis Rain: 47.3 in/yr (1201 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Saint Paul Rain: 28.5 in/yr (724 mm)
56° / 38°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Annapolis Saint Paul
Jan–Mar 50°/33°F (10°/0°C) 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C)
Apr–Jun 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) 69°/50°F (21°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/69°F (30°/20°C) 79°/60°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 59°/42°F (15°/6°C) 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C)
View all months
Month Annapolis Saint Paul
Jan 44°/29°F (6.9°/-1.6°C) 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C)
Feb 48°/31°F (9.0°/-0.5°C) 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C)
Mar 57°/38°F (13.7°/3.5°C) 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C)
Apr 68°/47°F (20.1°/8.6°C) 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C)
May 77°/57°F (25.0°/13.7°C) 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C)
Jun 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.2°C) 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C)
Jul 89°/71°F (31.9°/21.9°C) 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C)
Aug 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.4°C) 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C)
Sep 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.6°C) 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C)
Oct 69°/52°F (20.7°/10.9°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C)
Nov 59°/42°F (14.9°/5.3°C) 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C)
Dec 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.4°C) 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than Maryland?

Generally yes: Minnesota runs about 13% cheaper than Maryland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $16,345 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Minnesota safe?

Minnesota performs significantly better than Maryland across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Maryland?

Maryland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Maryland?

The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 68°F in Annapolis. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Annapolis gets 47.3 in.

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