Ranked · Best value · Minnesota

Best value cities in Minnesota

Cities of 25,000+ residents, scored with the “Best value” weighting the live tool uses, heaviest on cost of living index, median home price, 2-bedroom rent, median household income. Scores are relative to this set; open the tool to change the weights and re-rank.

1. 1.Austin, MN26k residents

   78/100

   cost of living index: 81 · median home price: $163,900 · median household income: $68,057

2. 2.Winona, MN26k residents

   73/100

   cost of living index: 84 · median home price: $201,800 · median household income: $56,337

3. 3.Moorhead, MN45k residents

   72/100

   cost of living index: 87 · median home price: $249,000 · median household income: $72,761

4. 4.Owatonna, MN26k residents

   72/100

   cost of living index: 88 · median home price: $245,200 · median household income: $80,750

5. 5.St. Cloud, MN71k residents

   71/100

   cost of living index: 86 · median home price: $225,000 · median household income: $61,374

6. 6.Duluth, MN87k residents

   70/100

   cost of living index: 88 · median home price: $242,700 · median household income: $68,807

7. 7.Elk River, MN27k residents

   68/100

   cost of living index: 96 · median home price: $370,100 · median household income: $108,741

8. 8.Mankato, MN45k residents

   67/100

   cost of living index: 90 · median home price: $261,700 · median household income: $66,873

9. 9.Rochester, MN122k residents

   65/100

   cost of living index: 95 · median home price: $310,500 · median household income: $89,389

10. 10.Brooklyn Center, MN32k residents

    65/100

    cost of living index: 93 · median home price: $274,300 · median household income: $72,535

Methodology: each city is scored 0–100 by min–max normalizing every weighted facet across this candidate set (direction-aware), identical math to the tool's “Best fit” tab. A different weighting produces a different order, which is the point: this is a starting shortlist, not a verdict.