Moving to Minnesota from Oregon

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Oregon to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 5.6% more expensive than Oregon. A $75,000 salary in Oregon would need to be roughly $74,971 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $74,971

To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 1.2% more

Groceries

pay 10.8% more

Transportation

pay 1.4% less

Housing

pay 8.8% less

Childcare

pay 27.6% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.5% 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

How Oregon 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

OR
323
MN
257
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

OR
2566
MN
1675

Minnesota performs significantly better than Oregon across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

OR
6.1%
MN
4.5%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

OR
31.9%
MN
33.9%

Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Oregon leads in adult obesity rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

OR
$454,200
MN
$305,500
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

OR
$1,450
MN
$1,235

Minnesota performs significantly better than Oregon 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

OR
91.8%
MN
91.0%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

OR
23 min
MN
23 min

Oregon 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

OR
5.1%
MN
4.3%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

OR
$61,622
MN
$68,478

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

OR
78.8 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

OR
26%
MN
26%

Minnesota performs significantly better than Oregon 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.

Salem Rain: 39.7 in/yr (1008 mm)
64° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Salem Saint Paul
Jan–Mar 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) 69°/50°F (21°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) 79°/60°F (26°/16°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C)
View all months
Month Salem Saint Paul
Jan 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C)
Feb 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C)
Mar 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C)
Apr 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C)
May 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C)
Jun 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C)
Jul 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C)
Aug 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C)
Sep 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C)
Oct 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C)
Nov 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C)
Dec 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°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 Oregon?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Minnesota and Oregon; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

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 $18,743 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Minnesota safe?

Minnesota performs significantly better than Oregon across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Oregon?

Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Oregon leads in adult obesity rate.

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

The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 64°F in Salem. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Salem gets 39.7 in.

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