Moving to Minnesota from Michigan

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Michigan to Minnesota — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Michigan to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 11.8% more expensive than Michigan. A $75,000 salary in Michigan would need to be roughly $79,692 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Michigan to Minnesota.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $79,692

To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 8.4% more

Groceries

pay 12.7% more

Transportation

pay 10.5% more

Housing

pay 2.3% more

Childcare

pay 18.4% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 20.3% more

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

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Michigan to Minnesota.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MI
453
MN
257
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MI
1533
MN
1675

Michigan generally does better on safety, though Minnesota leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MI
4.9%
MN
4.5%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MI
36.0%
MN
33.9%

Minnesota performs significantly better than Michigan across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

MI
$217,600
MN
$305,500
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MI
$1,084
MN
$1,235

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MI
89.4%
MN
91.0%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MI
24 min
MN
23 min

Minnesota performs significantly better than Michigan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MI
4.8%
MN
4.3%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MI
$55,508
MN
$68,478

Minnesota performs significantly better than Michigan across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MI
76.0 yrs
MN
79.1 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

MI
22%
MN
26%

Minnesota performs significantly better than Michigan 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.

LansingRain: 32.2 in/yr (817 mm)
58°/40°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsLansingSaint Paul
Jan–Mar36°/21°F (2°/-6°C)32°/16°F (0°/-9°C)
Apr–Jun68°/48°F (20°/9°C)69°/50°F (21°/10°C)
Jul–Sep79°/57°F (26°/14°C)79°/60°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec47°/32°F (9°/0°C)43°/27°F (6°/-3°C)
View all months
MonthLansingSaint Paul
Jan31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C)25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C)
Feb34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C)30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C)
Mar44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C)42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C)
Apr58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C)58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C)
May69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C)70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C)
Jun78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C)79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C)
Jul82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C)83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C)
Aug81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C)81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C)
Sep74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C)72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C)
Oct60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C)59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C)
Nov47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C)42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C)
Dec35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°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 Michigan?

No — Minnesota is on average about 6% more expensive than Michigan. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,923 in Minnesota on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Minnesota safe?

Michigan generally does better on safety, though Minnesota leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Michigan?

Minnesota performs significantly better than Michigan across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 58°F in Lansing. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Lansing gets 32.2 in.

Share this