Moving to Minnesota from Wisconsin
What to Expect
Considering a move from Wisconsin to Minnesota? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 1.2% more expensive than Wisconsin. A $75,000 salary in Wisconsin would need to be roughly $76,913 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Wisconsin and Minnesota.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,913
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 4.4% more
Groceries
pay 10.8% more
Transportation
pay 8.4% more
Housing
pay 3.6% more
Childcare
pay 26.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.8% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Minnesota compared to Wisconsin.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin generally does better on safety, though Minnesota leads in violent crime rate.
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 performs significantly better than Wisconsin across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin generally does better on infrastructure, though Minnesota leads in internet access.
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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 | Madison | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madison | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) |
| Feb | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) |
| Mar | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) |
| Apr | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) |
| May | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) |
| Aug | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) |
| Sep | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota than Wisconsin?
On average Minnesota is around 3% pricier than Wisconsin, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
Budget about $19,228 for 3 months in Minnesota (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Minnesota safe?
Wisconsin generally does better on safety, though Minnesota leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Wisconsin?
Minnesota performs significantly better than Wisconsin across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Wisconsin?
The average high temperature in Saint Paul is 56°F, compared to 56°F in Madison. Saint Paul receives around 28.5 in of rainfall per year, while Madison gets 34.5 in.
