Minneapolis, MN vs Lancaster, PA
Moving from Minneapolis to Lancaster? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($393,774 → $388,207 median home) and taxes.
Minneapolis vs Lancaster 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 Minneapolis, MN, you'd need about $92,763 in Lancaster, PA (−$7,237).
Livability — Minneapolis, MN: 54 · Lancaster, PA: 64 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,285 sqft in Minneapolis vs 2,254 sqft in Lancaster ($219 vs $222 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Minneapolis, MN | Lancaster, PA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $20,652 | $18,312 | −$2,340 |
| Groceries | $5,227 | $4,915 | −$312 |
| Transportation | $3,375 | $3,440 | +$65 |
| Utilities | $1,776 | $2,316 | +$540 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $1,200 | −$1,000 |
| Taxes | $16,345 | $9,202 | −$7,143 |
| Total | $49,575 | $39,385 | −$10,190 |
Side by side
| Metric | Minneapolis, MN | Lancaster, PA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 104.3 | 96.8 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.90% | 3.38% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.3% | 3.1% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 47 | 50 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.93 | $5.51 |
| Median home price | $393,774 | $388,207 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.2× | 4.8× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 2.1% | 4.6% |
| Price per square foot | $219 | $222 |
| Median rent | $1,721 | $1,526 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 12.1% | 10.6% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.10% | 6.34% |
| Capital gains tax | 9.85% | 3.07% |
| Property tax rate | 1.10% | 1.48% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,800 | $7,000 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $16,000 | $12,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.58% | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 25 | 24 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $1,200 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,600 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $600 | $650 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 16.4 | 21.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.15 | 3.55 |
| Violent crime /100k | 280 | 390 |
| Avg summer high °F | 83 | 85 |
| Avg winter low °F | 4 | 22 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 3 | 3 |