Minneapolis
$1,734/mo two-bedroom
Minneapolis is a genuinely well-run city — excellent parks, lakes, bike infrastructure, theatre and a strong corporate job base. The catch is winter: months of real cold and snow that shape the entire year.
State comparison · Updated October 2026
Minnesota vs Wisconsin: Cost of Living, Taxes, Rent and Safety Compared
Weighing a move between Minnesota and Wisconsin? Here’s how they compare on the numbers that decide most moves, from the same public data Locustep uses to rank all 50 states.
The short answer
- Rent: a typical two-bedroom is $256 a month cheaper in Wisconsin ($1,251 vs $1,507) — $3,072 a year, 17% less.
- Income tax: Wisconsin’s top rate is 7.65%, against 9.85% in Minnesota.
- State and local taxes: a median-income household would pay 8.6% of income in Wisconsin vs 8.7% in Minnesota — income, property and sales tax together.
- Everyday costs: groceries, transport and other everyday spending run lower in Wisconsin (index 97.5 vs 100.3, U.S. = 100).
- Pay: median household income is $87,117 in Minnesota and $77,488 in Wisconsin.
- Safety: Minnesota has the lower violent crime rate (256.6 vs 278.5 per 100,000).
- Weather: winter afternoons average 27°F in Minneapolis and 34°F in Milwaukee; summer afternoons 81°F and 80°F.
Side by side
Shaded cells are the lower-cost, higher-income or lower-risk figure. Indexes: U.S. average = 100.
What it means for your budget
Rent alone: moving from Minnesota to Wisconsin changes a typical two-bedroom rent by −$256 a month (−$3,072 a year); the move the other way flips the sign. Taxes, pay, insurance and the move itself shift too, and how much depends on your income, your household and the city you pick.
That’s exactly what Locustep’s Net-Impact Report works out: your take-home pay after state and local taxes in both places, rent or buy for your budget, insurance and moving costs, and the month the move pays for itself.
Which state fits you better?
On Locustep’s directional scores, Minnesota leads on healthcare and airport access. Which of those matters depends entirely on you.
Where people look in each state
Minnesota
St. Paul
$1,734/mo two-bedroom
St. Paul is Minneapolis's older, quieter, more residential twin — Victorian neighbourhoods, the state capitol and a more settled feel. Same winters, slightly cheaper housing, same access to the metro's amenities.
Rochester
$1,422/mo two-bedroom
Rochester, Minnesota is the Mayo Clinic's city — a medical economy of global reach in a small, tidy, well-off town. Very cold, very stable, and dominated by healthcare employment.
Wisconsin
Milwaukee
$1,263/mo two-bedroom
Milwaukee is a Lake Michigan city with a serious brewing heritage, excellent festivals, Polish and German roots and very cheap housing. Winters are harsh, and the metro is among the most racially segregated in the country.
Madison
$1,565/mo two-bedroom
Madison is a lake-ringed capital and university city — progressive, highly educated, with a famous farmers' market and strong biotech employment. Expensive for Wisconsin, cold, and consistently ranked highly for quality of life.
Green Bay
$1,287/mo two-bedroom
Green Bay is a small city defined by the Packers, paper mills and a working port. Extremely affordable, cold and snowy, with a tight-knit community feel.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state) (metro areas). City notes: Locustep.
Related comparisons
Sources
- HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state)
- 2024 ACS 1-year estimates (Census B19013)
- State revenue departments, 2026 income tax rates (sources listed per state)
- Locustep estimate: 2026 state income tax rules, ACS 2024 property taxes paid, October 2026 sales tax rates, BLS 2024 spending
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year: median real estate taxes paid (B25103) ÷ median home value (B25077), owner-occupied homes
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (released February 2026), housing and utilities removed
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2024
- FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, December 2025
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (v1.0.1), daily max/min normals averaged over Dec–Feb, Mar–May, Jun–Aug and Sep–Nov at the NOAA station reviewed for each city
Questions people ask
Is it cheaper to live in Minnesota or Wisconsin?
On rent, Wisconsin is cheaper: a typical two-bedroom is $1,251 a month against $1,507 (HUD FY2027). Everyday costs, housing excluded, index at 100.3 in Minnesota and 97.5 in Wisconsin (U.S. = 100). Whether you come out ahead also depends on your pay and taxes in each state.
Which has lower taxes, Minnesota or Wisconsin?
Wisconsin. A married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 8.6% of it in state and local taxes, against 8.7% in Minnesota (Locustep estimate). Top income-tax rates are 9.85% in Minnesota and 7.65% in Wisconsin.
Is Minnesota safer than Wisconsin?
By violent crime, Minnesota is lower: 256.6 per 100,000 residents against 278.5 (FBI, 2024). On natural hazards, FEMA puts Minnesota at the 28th percentile and Wisconsin at the 11th (lower is safer).
Which has better weather, Minnesota or Wisconsin?
It depends what you want. Winter afternoons average 27°F in Minneapolis and 34°F in Milwaukee; summer afternoons 81°F and 80°F (NOAA 1991–2020). Minnesota: cold, northern climate. Wisconsin: four distinct seasons.