Duluth, MN vs Phoenix, AZ
Moving from Duluth to Phoenix? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($264,350 → $448,352 median home) and taxes.
Duluth vs Phoenix at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Duluth, MN, you'd need about $120,067 in Phoenix, AZ (+$20,067).
Livability — Duluth, MN: 68 · Phoenix, AZ: 62 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 3,404 sqft in Duluth vs 2,063 sqft in Phoenix ($147 vs $242 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Duluth, MN | Phoenix, AZ | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $16,572 | $20,904 | +$4,332 |
| Groceries | $4,846 | $4,919 | +$73 |
| Transportation | $3,375 | $3,960 | +$585 |
| Utilities | $1,776 | $1,668 | −$108 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $1,800 | −$400 |
| Taxes | $14,852 | $7,280 | −$7,572 |
| Total | $43,621 | $40,531 | −$3,090 |
Side by side
| Metric | Duluth, MN | Phoenix, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 87.2 | 104.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.41% | 4.88% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.4% | 6.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 39 | 86 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $4.96 | $5.96 |
| Median home price | $264,350 | $448,352 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.9× | 5.6× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 6.6% | -1.7% |
| Price per square foot | $147 | $242 |
| Median rent | $1,381 | $1,742 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 12.1% | 9.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.10% | 8.38% |
| Capital gains tax | 9.85% | 2.50% |
| Property tax rate | 1.12% | 0.51% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,800 | $6,300 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $16,000 | $12,500 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.58% | 1.68% |
| Avg commute (min) | 20 | 27 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $1,800 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $600 | $550 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 16.4 | 15.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.15 | 3.60 |
| Violent crime /100k | 280 | 430 |
| Avg summer high °F | 83 | 104 |
| Avg winter low °F | 4 | 41 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 3 | 2 |