Minnesota Cost of Living
Housing costs and affordability data for 87 counties.
Average Monthly Rent
$938/mo
Average Home Value
$238,336
Average Owner Cost
$1,116/mo
County cost atlas
Minnesota housing costs by county
Compare rent, entry-price context, owner costs, and cost score in one state view. Pin a county, switch layers, then open the full county profile when a place needs closer review.
Counties
87
Avg rent
$938/mo
Owner cost
$1,116/mo
Avg score
40.5
Higher means lower cost pressure
Atlas layers use U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates. Rent, owner cost, and home value are county medians. Cost score rewards lower rent and lower owner costs, but affordability still depends on income, household size, commute, debt, and personal finances. Use this as decision context, not personalized financial advice.
State Cost Summary
Use these state averages as a starting point, then scan the atlas and rankings for the county-level spread behind them.
Housing Costs in Minnesota: An Overview
The unweighted mean of county median rents in Minnesota is $938 per month, which is 34% below the national ACS median of $1,413. This gives every county equal weight and is not an official statewide median.
Within Minnesota, housing costs vary significantly by county. Washington County has the highest median rent in this dataset at $1,710 per month and a median home value of $422,000. Wilkin County has the lowest reported median rent at $564 per month and a median home value of $182,200.
The unweighted mean of county median home values in Minnesota is $238,336, 28% lower than the national ACS median of $332,700. The unweighted mean of county median household incomes is $77,501; neither figure is a household-weighted statewide estimate.
Before comparing places in Minnesota, start with the county-level pattern. Costs can swing dramatically between rural and urban counties. Use the atlas, rankings, and county links below to compare rent, home values, owner costs, and rent burden before opening a specific county profile.
Distribution
Rent Distribution in Minnesota
How median rents are spread across 87 counties
Highest Median Rent Counties
Lowest Median Rent Counties
All Minnesota Counties
Sorted by median rent, highest first. A higher cost score means lower rent and owner cost pressure within the national scoring model.
| County | Median Rent | Home Value | Owner Cost | Cost Score | Rent/Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | Over $1,500$1,710/mo | $422,000 | $1,812/mo | 4.6 | 30.6% |
| Scott County | Over $1,500$1,568/mo | $419,400 | $1,936/mo | 5.2 | 30.7% |
| Dakota County | Over $1,500$1,548/mo | $381,000 | $1,718/mo | 6.5 | 29.9% |
| Carver County | Over $1,500$1,514/mo | $453,600 | $2,034/mo | 5.3 | 26.5% |
| Hennepin County | $1,000–$1,500$1,487/mo | $392,900 | $1,840/mo | 6.3 | 29.0% |
| Anoka County | $1,000–$1,500$1,464/mo | $346,500 | $1,604/mo | 8.3 | 30.6% |
| Olmsted County | $1,000–$1,500$1,370/mo | $331,700 | $1,419/mo | 11.6 | 29.1% |
| Ramsey County | $1,000–$1,500$1,329/mo | $326,600 | $1,579/mo | 10.4 | 30.5% |
| Wright County | $1,000–$1,500$1,288/mo | $358,900 | $1,711/mo | 10.1 | 26.8% |
| Isanti County | $1,000–$1,500$1,273/mo | $306,200 | $1,517/mo | 12.0 | 29.9% |
| Chisago County | $1,000–$1,500$1,186/mo | $351,900 | $1,656/mo | 12.6 | 31.3% |
| Sherburne County | $1,000–$1,500$1,127/mo | $361,400 | $1,736/mo | 13.4 | 28.0% |
| Blue Earth County | $1,000–$1,500$1,123/mo | $266,700 | $1,234/mo | 20.0 | 29.2% |
| Lake County | $1,000–$1,500$1,093/mo | $241,300 | $965/mo | 30.4 | 25.8% |
| Rice County | $1,000–$1,500$1,083/mo | $320,200 | $1,375/mo | 18.9 | 28.3% |
| Stearns County | $1,000–$1,500$1,068/mo | $273,400 | $1,258/mo | 21.4 | 29.9% |
| Steele County | $1,000–$1,500$1,061/mo | $245,400 | $1,240/mo | 22.1 | 34.2% |
| Beltrami County | $1,000–$1,500$1,053/mo | $237,500 | $973/mo | 31.4 | 27.6% |
| Dodge County | $1,000–$1,500$1,020/mo | $287,700 | $1,407/mo | 21.1 | 25.6% |
| Clay County | $1,000–$1,500$1,019/mo | $265,500 | $1,412/mo | 21.1 | 31.5% |
| St. Louis County | $1,000–$1,500$1,013/mo | $221,400 | $1,052/mo | 30.0 | 31.2% |
| Carlton County | $1,000–$1,500$1,009/mo | $245,100 | $1,320/mo | 23.1 | 28.5% |
| Itasca County | Under $1,000$988/mo | $225,200 | $995/mo | 33.5 | 33.2% |
| Benton County | Under $1,000$982/mo | $271,000 | $1,352/mo | 24.0 | 25.5% |
| Crow Wing County | Under $1,000$971/mo | $306,800 | $1,142/mo | 29.1 | 28.0% |
| Nicollet County | Under $1,000$970/mo | $270,300 | $1,307/mo | 25.6 | 26.0% |
| Goodhue County | Under $1,000$966/mo | $285,100 | $1,344/mo | 25.1 | 29.9% |
| Kanabec County | Under $1,000$962/mo | $228,100 | $1,190/mo | 28.3 | 24.6% |
| Lake of the Woods County | Under $1,000$955/mo | $216,100 | $823/mo | 45.8 | 30.4% |
| Stevens County | Under $1,000$951/mo | $202,800 | $888/mo | 41.6 | 27.7% |
| Le Sueur County | Under $1,000$942/mo | $316,500 | $1,415/mo | 25.5 | 27.6% |
| McLeod County | Under $1,000$941/mo | $246,100 | $1,207/mo | 29.3 | 25.7% |
| Douglas County | Under $1,000$927/mo | $321,400 | $1,259/mo | 29.4 | 26.7% |
| Mower County | Under $1,000$927/mo | $185,200 | $1,020/mo | 36.7 | 27.6% |
| Becker County | Under $1,000$920/mo | $291,000 | $1,114/mo | 33.8 | 28.6% |
| Swift County | Under $1,000$920/mo | $161,400 | $786/mo | 51.2 | 33.4% |
| Kandiyohi County | Under $1,000$909/mo | $243,200 | $1,237/mo | 31.4 | 26.6% |
| Todd County | Under $1,000$908/mo | $207,700 | $878/mo | 45.8 | 27.3% |
| Winona County | Under $1,000$907/mo | $235,400 | $1,079/mo | 36.1 | 30.6% |
| Hubbard County | Under $1,000$905/mo | $282,600 | $1,095/mo | 35.8 | 29.1% |
| Meeker County | Under $1,000$904/mo | $249,000 | $1,123/mo | 34.9 | 27.5% |
| Mille Lacs County | Under $1,000$903/mo | $258,300 | $1,292/mo | 30.9 | 27.3% |
| Pope County | Under $1,000$902/mo | $255,100 | $1,060/mo | 37.3 | 35.1% |
| Nobles County | Under $1,000$896/mo | $197,200 | $865/mo | 47.9 | 23.5% |
| Brown County | Under $1,000$890/mo | $191,200 | $954/mo | 43.0 | 28.9% |
| Cook County | Under $1,000$886/mo | $336,200 | $1,063/mo | 38.5 | 24.8% |
| Waseca County | Under $1,000$883/mo | $220,800 | $1,176/mo | 35.0 | 26.7% |
| Roseau County | Under $1,000$880/mo | $183,700 | $1,017/mo | 40.8 | 23.6% |
| Houston County | Under $1,000$879/mo | $239,000 | $1,038/mo | 40.2 | 29.3% |
| Pine County | Under $1,000$877/mo | $239,300 | $1,073/mo | 39.1 | 28.8% |
| Aitkin County | Under $1,000$869/mo | $255,800 | $823/mo | 53.0 | 29.3% |
| Chippewa County | Under $1,000$869/mo | $156,100 | $969/mo | 44.0 | 26.6% |
| Otter Tail County | Under $1,000$868/mo | $273,000 | $1,018/mo | 42.0 | 27.5% |
| Cass County | Under $1,000$863/mo | $288,300 | $945/mo | 45.9 | 25.4% |
| Pennington County | Under $1,000$862/mo | $195,500 | $1,101/mo | 39.5 | 25.0% |
| Polk County | Under $1,000$855/mo | $222,800 | $1,117/mo | 39.8 | 33.3% |
| Sibley County | Under $1,000$855/mo | $231,900 | $1,164/mo | 38.0 | 24.6% |
| Freeborn County | Under $1,000$849/mo | $171,100 | $935/mo | 48.0 | 27.2% |
| Watonwan County | Under $1,000$834/mo | $162,400 | $837/mo | 56.1 | 25.8% |
| Wabasha County | Under $1,000$830/mo | $264,400 | $1,175/mo | 40.8 | 26.9% |
| Cottonwood County | Under $1,000$817/mo | $169,300 | $850/mo | 57.1 | 22.6% |
| Murray County | Under $1,000$810/mo | $185,400 | $837/mo | 58.8 | 25.6% |
| Faribault County | Under $1,000$799/mo | $135,300 | $826/mo | 60.5 | 27.0% |
| Fillmore County | Under $1,000$797/mo | $221,100 | $1,083/mo | 47.4 | 26.6% |
| Grant County | Under $1,000$797/mo | $191,000 | $942/mo | 53.5 | 27.3% |
| Renville County | Under $1,000$790/mo | $163,200 | $914/mo | 55.9 | 28.7% |
| Morrison County | Under $1,000$788/mo | $248,500 | $1,059/mo | 49.6 | 23.8% |
| Jackson County | Under $1,000$787/mo | $157,100 | $841/mo | 61.3 | 19.2% |
| Lyon County | Under $1,000$781/mo | $200,700 | $957/mo | 55.0 | 26.4% |
| Norman County | Under $1,000$774/mo | $147,100 | $856/mo | 62.0 | 23.6% |
| Martin County | Under $1,000$761/mo | $163,500 | $832/mo | 64.9 | 30.3% |
| Kittson County | Under $1,000$757/mo | $134,800 | $791/mo | 68.5 | 21.5% |
| Redwood County | Under $1,000$757/mo | $158,200 | $831/mo | 65.5 | 28.0% |
| Pipestone County | Under $1,000$754/mo | $140,200 | $828/mo | 66.0 | 27.3% |
| Wadena County | Under $1,000$746/mo | $173,000 | $899/mo | 61.9 | 23.6% |
| Big Stone County | Under $1,000$745/mo | $169,100 | $782/mo | 70.2 | 25.7% |
| Clearwater County | Under $1,000$742/mo | $192,100 | $903/mo | 62.0 | 26.7% |
| Lac qui Parle County | Under $1,000$728/mo | $157,600 | $793/mo | 70.8 | 24.7% |
| Rock County | Under $1,000$698/mo | $224,300 | $961/mo | 62.3 | 25.4% |
| Mahnomen County | Under $1,000$696/mo | $161,900 | $777/mo | 74.4 | 20.2% |
| Marshall County | Under $1,000$690/mo | $164,500 | $819/mo | 71.8 | 24.3% |
| Yellow Medicine County | Under $1,000$678/mo | $154,700 | $904/mo | 66.9 | 22.2% |
| Lincoln County | Under $1,000$674/mo | $164,400 | $824/mo | 72.6 | 25.9% |
| Koochiching County | Under $1,000$671/mo | $156,600 | $762/mo | 77.3 | 23.8% |
| Traverse County | Under $1,000$615/mo | $114,100 | $796/mo | 77.3 | 33.3% |
| Red Lake County | Under $1,000$583/mo | $162,000 | $860/mo | 73.7 | 18.4% |
| Wilkin County | Under $1,000$564/mo | $182,200 | $929/mo | 69.4 | 26.1% |
Compare Minnesota to Other States
See how Minnesota counties stack up against counties in other states. Compare rent, home values, and affordability side by side.
Start a ComparisonFrequently Asked Questions About Minnesota Housing Costs
Which Minnesota county has the lowest median rent?
Which Minnesota county has the highest median rent?
How does Minnesota's cost of living compare to the national average?
What is the unweighted county-mean home value in Minnesota?
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Compare Moving QuotesData: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2020-2024). Data is informational only and is not personalized financial advice.