Minneapolis, MN vs Salem, OR
Moving from Minneapolis to Salem? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($393,774 → $454,689 median home) and taxes.
Minneapolis vs Salem 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 $98,233 in Salem, OR (−$1,767).
Livability — Minneapolis, MN: 54 · Salem, OR: 59 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,285 sqft in Minneapolis vs 1,869 sqft in Salem ($219 vs $268 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Minneapolis, MN | Salem, OR | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $20,652 | $19,536 | −$1,116 |
| Groceries | $5,227 | $5,239 | +$12 |
| Transportation | $3,375 | $3,680 | +$305 |
| Utilities | $1,776 | $1,704 | −$72 |
| Insurance | $2,200 | $900 | −$1,300 |
| Taxes | $16,345 | $13,135 | −$3,210 |
| Total | $49,575 | $44,194 | −$5,381 |
Side by side
| Metric | Minneapolis, MN | Salem, OR |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 104.3 | 102.5 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.90% | 5.41% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 4.3% | 5.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 47 | 35 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.93 | $5.83 |
| Median home price | $393,774 | $454,689 |
| Home price ÷ income | 4.2× | 6.3× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 2.1% | 0.4% |
| Price per square foot | $219 | $268 |
| Median rent | $1,721 | $1,628 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 12.1% | 10.8% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.10% | 0.00% |
| Capital gains tax | 9.85% | 9.90% |
| Property tax rate | 1.10% | 0.90% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,800 | $6,600 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $16,000 | $15,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.58% | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 25 | 25 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,200 | $900 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,600 | $1,500 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $600 | $650 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $600 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 16.4 | 15.8 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.15 | 4.10 |
| Violent crime /100k | 280 | 340 |
| Avg summer high °F | 83 | 82 |
| Avg winter low °F | 4 | 34 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 3 | 4 |