Moving to Minnesota from New Jersey

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from New Jersey to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 15.5% cheaper than New Jersey. A $75,000 salary in New Jersey would need to be roughly $59,534 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $59,534

To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 5.9% less

Groceries

pay 13.9% less

Transportation

pay 16.1% less

Housing

pay 18.4% less

Childcare

pay 27.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 9.9% 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 New Jersey 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

NJ
215
MN
257
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

NJ
1481
MN
1675

New Jersey performs better than Minnesota across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

NJ
7.1%
MN
4.5%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NJ
30.0%
MN
33.9%

New Jersey 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

NJ
$427,600
MN
$305,500
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

NJ
$1,653
MN
$1,235

Minnesota performs significantly better than New Jersey 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

NJ
91.9%
MN
91.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

NJ
31 min
MN
23 min

New Jersey 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

NJ
4.5%
MN
4.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NJ
$70,788
MN
$68,478

New Jersey generally does better on employment & economy, though Minnesota leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

NJ
77.5 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

NJ
29%
MN
26%

New Jersey 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.

Trenton Rain: 46.5 in/yr (1180 mm)
63° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Trenton Saint Paul
Jan–Mar 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/51°F (22°/10°C) 69°/50°F (21°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 79°/60°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/36°F (12°/2°C) 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C)
View all months
Month Trenton Saint Paul
Jan 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C) 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C)
Feb 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C) 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C)
Mar 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C) 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C)
Apr 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C) 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C)
May 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C) 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C)
Jun 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C) 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C)
Jul 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C) 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C)
Aug 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C) 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C)
Sep 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C) 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C)
Oct 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C)
Nov 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C) 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C)
Dec 43°/28°F (6.2°/-2.4°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 New Jersey?

Generally yes: Minnesota runs about 21% cheaper than New Jersey 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 $14,884 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Minnesota safe?

New Jersey performs better than Minnesota across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to New Jersey?

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

What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to New Jersey?

The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 63°F in Trenton. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Trenton gets 46.5 in.

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