Moving to Minnesota from Washington
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Washington to Minnesota — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Washington to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 18.0% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly $61,500 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Washington to Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $61,500
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 11.1% less
Groceries
pay 8.1% less
Transportation
pay 9.9% less
Housing
pay 30.3% less
Childcare
pay 32.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.9% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Minnesota cost about 12% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Washington to Minnesota.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota performs significantly better than Washington 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
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Minnesota performs significantly better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Washington generally does better on infrastructure, though Minnesota leads in average commute.
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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Minnesota leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs better than Minnesota across all family life metrics.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Olympia | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Olympia | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than Washington?
Yes — Minnesota is on average about 18% cheaper than Washington. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $15,375 in Minnesota on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Minnesota safe?
Minnesota performs significantly better than Washington across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Washington?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 60°F in Olympia. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Olympia gets 50.0 in.
