Moving to Minnesota from North Carolina
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Carolina to Minnesota — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from North Carolina to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 0.6% more expensive than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $71,480 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Saint Paul averages 56°F vs 67°F in Asheville, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from North Carolina to Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $71,480
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 8.4% more
Groceries
pay 5.5% less
Transportation
pay 0.5% less
Housing
pay 9.0% less
Childcare
pay 4.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.5% 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
How North Carolina and Minnesota stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota performs significantly better than North Carolina 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
Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Carolina leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
North Carolina generally does better on what about housing?, though Minnesota leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Minnesota performs significantly better than North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 | Asheville | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Asheville | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than North Carolina?
Generally yes: Minnesota runs about 5% cheaper than North Carolina 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 $17,870 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Minnesota safe?
Minnesota performs significantly better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to North Carolina?
Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Carolina leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to North Carolina?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.
