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Houston vs Minneapolis: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Houston is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 6% lower than in Minneapolis, and housing runs 7% lower. Minneapolis pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $59,500 against $49,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Minneapolis ($56,500 against $50,000 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Houston runs 6% lower than Minneapolis overall, and housing runs 7% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Minneapolis, you need about $94,000 in Houston. To keep $100,000 from Houston, you need about $106,500 in Minneapolis.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $49,500 in Houston, $59,500 in Minneapolis.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $127,500 in Houston, $110,000 in Minneapolis.
- Open postings in our data: 2,480 in Houston from 484 employers, 2,032 in Minneapolis from 282 employers.
- Unemployment: 5% in Houston, 4.7% in Minneapolis (BLS).
Houston and Minneapolis side by side
| Measure | Houston | Minneapolis | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 98.6 | 104.8 | Houston |
| Housing price level | 104.5 | 111.8 | Houston |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $49,500 | $59,500 | Minneapolis |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $50,000 | $56,500 | Minneapolis |
| Median pay in open postings | $127,500 | $110,000 | Houston |
| Postings that list pay | 17.5% | 37.4% | Minneapolis |
| Open postings in our data | 2,480 | 2,032 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 484 | 282 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 5% | 4.7% | Minneapolis |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 32.6% | 22.8% | Minneapolis |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 24 | Minneapolis |
| Entry-level share of postings | 13.1% | 13.6% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 4.7% | 2.9% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +15.6% | -17.6% | Houston |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Houston prices sit 98.6 against a US average of 100 and Minneapolis at 104.8. The biggest difference is housing: 104.5 in Houston against 111.8 in Minneapolis. Utilities are 2% higher in Houston. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Houston | Minneapolis | Houston vs Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 98.6 | 104.8 | 6% lower |
| Housing | 104.5 | 111.8 | 7% lower |
| Goods | 100.6 | 103.1 | 2% lower |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 93.5 | 2% higher |
| Other services | 95.6 | 104.4 | 8% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Minneapolis to Houston; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Minneapolis | Matching salary in Houston | If only housing moved | Salary in Houston | Matching salary in Minneapolis | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $47,000 | $46,500 | $50,000 | $53,000 | $53,500 |
| $75,000 | $70,500 | $70,000 | $75,000 | $79,500 | $80,500 |
| $100,000 | $94,000 | $93,500 | $100,000 | $106,500 | $107,000 |
| $125,000 | $117,500 | $117,000 | $125,000 | $133,000 | $134,000 |
| $150,000 | $141,000 | $140,000 | $150,000 | $159,500 | $160,500 |
| $200,000 | $188,000 | $187,000 | $200,000 | $212,500 | $214,000 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $45.24 an hour in Houston for someone earning $100,000 in Minneapolis.
Pay for the same job
Across the 55 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Houston for 10 and higher in Minneapolis for 45. After local prices are counted, Houston comes out ahead in 21 and Minneapolis in 34. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is home health and personal care aides: $23,400 in Houston against $38,900 in Minneapolis.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Houston median | Minneapolis median | Houston adjusted for prices | Minneapolis adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $23,400 | $38,900 | $23,800 | $37,100 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,600 | $33,000 | $28,000 | $31,500 |
| General and Operations Managers | $119,600 | $103,600 | $121,300 | $98,800 |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,300 | $36,700 | $31,800 | $35,000 |
| Registered Nurses | $99,800 | $103,000 | $101,200 | $98,300 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,400 | $49,500 | $40,900 | $47,200 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,900 | $37,400 | $37,400 | $35,700 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,000 | $47,300 | $38,500 | $45,100 |
| Cashiers | $29,400 | $35,800 | $29,800 | $34,100 |
| Office Clerks, General | $40,400 | $48,800 | $40,900 | $46,500 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $22,100 | $25,900 | $22,400 | $24,700 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $30,700 | $40,800 | $31,100 | $38,900 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,800 | $64,200 | $57,600 | $61,200 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $46,800 | $54,100 | $47,400 | $51,600 |
| Construction Laborers | $41,400 | $62,000 | $41,900 | $59,100 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Who is hiring
Houston's postings lean toward healthcare & life sciences (16.4%), while Minneapolis's lean toward retail & e-commerce (18.3%). The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Houston: Greystar (68), Tamus (61), Boxlunch (60), Careers Obmc (51), Floor & Decor (40).
- Largest posters in Minneapolis: 3M (148), Hy-Vee (134), Xcel Energy (92), Medtronic (88), U.S. Bank (82).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 30 days in Houston and 24 in Minneapolis; 32.6% and 22.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 13.1% of postings in Houston and 13.6% in Minneapolis; senior and above are 30.4% and 37.8%.
- Fully remote roles are 4.7% of postings in Houston and 2.9% in Minneapolis.
- Indeed's postings index sits 15.6% above its February 2020 level in Houston and 17.6% below in Minneapolis.
- 17.5% of postings in Houston list pay, against 37.4% in Minneapolis.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Houston) stretches it further: $100,000 in Minneapolis has the buying power of about $94,000 in Houston.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Minneapolis comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($56,500 against $50,000).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (104.5 vs 111.8) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Houston or Minneapolis?
Houston is cheaper. Overall prices run 6% lower than in Minneapolis, and housing runs 7% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Houston to match $100,000 in Minneapolis?
About $94,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (98.6 in Houston, 104.8 in Minneapolis). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Houston or Minneapolis?
Minneapolis has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $59,500 against $49,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Minneapolis has the higher paycheck power: $56,500 against $50,000 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Houston has more: 2,480 against 2,032. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: all the data
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology