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Seattle vs Minneapolis: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Minneapolis is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 6% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 35% lower. Seattle pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $72,500 against $59,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Seattle ($65,500 against $56,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Seattle runs 6% higher than Minneapolis overall, and housing runs 35% higher.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Minneapolis, you need about $106,000 in Seattle. To keep $100,000 from Seattle, you need about $94,500 in Minneapolis.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $72,500 in Seattle, $59,500 in Minneapolis.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $182,500 in Seattle, $110,000 in Minneapolis.
- Open postings in our data: 4,540 in Seattle from 533 employers, 2,032 in Minneapolis from 282 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.8% in Seattle, 4.7% in Minneapolis (BLS).
Seattle and Minneapolis side by side
| Measure | Seattle | Minneapolis | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 111.1 | 104.8 | Minneapolis |
| Housing price level | 151.3 | 111.8 | Minneapolis |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $72,500 | $59,500 | Seattle |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $65,500 | $56,500 | Seattle |
| Median pay in open postings | $182,500 | $110,000 | Seattle |
| Postings that list pay | 61.3% | 37.4% | Seattle |
| Open postings in our data | 4,540 | 2,032 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 533 | 282 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.8% | 4.7% | Minneapolis |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 41.8% | 22.8% | Minneapolis |
| Median days a posting has been open | 44 | 24 | Minneapolis |
| Entry-level share of postings | 7.2% | 13.6% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 7.9% | 2.9% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -32.4% | -17.6% | Minneapolis |
"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
Seattle prices sit 111.1 against a US average of 100 and Minneapolis at 104.8. The biggest difference is housing: 151.3 in Seattle against 111.8 in Minneapolis. Utilities are 1% lower in Seattle. 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) | Seattle | Minneapolis | Seattle vs Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 111.1 | 104.8 | 6% higher |
| Housing | 151.3 | 111.8 | 35% higher |
| Goods | 104 | 103.1 | 1% higher |
| Utilities | 92.8 | 93.5 | 1% lower |
| Other services | 106.8 | 104.4 | 2% higher |
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 Seattle; 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 Seattle | If only housing moved | Salary in Seattle | Matching salary in Minneapolis | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $53,000 | $67,500 | $50,000 | $47,000 | $37,000 |
| $75,000 | $79,500 | $101,500 | $75,000 | $70,500 | $55,500 |
| $100,000 | $106,000 | $135,500 | $100,000 | $94,500 | $74,000 |
| $125,000 | $132,500 | $169,000 | $125,000 | $118,000 | $92,500 |
| $150,000 | $159,000 | $203,000 | $150,000 | $141,500 | $111,000 |
| $200,000 | $212,000 | $270,500 | $200,000 | $188,500 | $148,000 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $50.97 an hour in Seattle 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 Seattle for 51 and higher in Minneapolis for 4. After local prices are counted, Seattle comes out ahead in 41 and Minneapolis in 14. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $57,300 in Seattle against $25,900 in Minneapolis.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Seattle median | Minneapolis median | Seattle adjusted for prices | Minneapolis adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $48,200 | $38,900 | $43,400 | $37,100 |
| Software Developers | $167,300 | $130,900 | $150,500 | $124,900 |
| Retail Salespersons | $42,100 | $36,700 | $37,900 | $35,000 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $39,200 | $33,000 | $35,200 | $31,500 |
| Registered Nurses | $128,300 | $103,000 | $115,400 | $98,300 |
| General and Operations Managers | $146,000 | $103,600 | $131,400 | $98,800 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $47,700 | $47,300 | $43,000 | $45,100 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $53,600 | $49,500 | $48,200 | $47,200 |
| Cashiers | $44,200 | $35,800 | $39,800 | $34,100 |
| Office Clerks, General | $53,300 | $48,800 | $48,000 | $46,500 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $46,800 | $37,400 | $42,100 | $35,700 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $46,500 | $40,800 | $41,800 | $38,900 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $57,300 | $25,900 | $51,500 | $24,700 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $54,000 | $45,300 | $48,500 | $43,200 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,400 | $86,500 | $89,400 | $82,500 |
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.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Seattle for 5 of 5 and higher in Minneapolis for 0. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Seattle median listed pay | Postings | Minneapolis median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $130,000 | 166 | $100,000 | 87 |
| Product and design | $190,000 | 129 | $105,000 | 17 |
| Marketing | $176,500 | 85 | $102,000 | 16 |
| Finance and accounting | $176,000 | 53 | $130,000 | 20 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $165,500 | 32 | $140,000 | 18 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Seattle's postings lean toward software & technology (32.8%), 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 Seattle: SpaceX (467), Anthropic (183), CoreWeave (146), Shield AI (137), DoorDash USA (134).
- 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 44 days in Seattle and 24 in Minneapolis; 41.8% and 22.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 7.2% of postings in Seattle and 13.6% in Minneapolis; senior and above are 52.5% and 37.8%.
- Fully remote roles are 7.9% of postings in Seattle and 2.9% in Minneapolis.
- Indeed's postings index sits 32.4% below its February 2020 level in Seattle and 17.6% below in Minneapolis.
- 61.3% of postings in Seattle 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 (Minneapolis) stretches it further: $100,000 in Seattle has the buying power of about $94,500 in Minneapolis.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Seattle comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $56,500).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (151.3 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 Seattle or Minneapolis?
Minneapolis is cheaper. Overall prices run 6% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 35% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Seattle to match $100,000 in Minneapolis?
About $106,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (111.1 in Seattle, 104.8 in Minneapolis). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Seattle or Minneapolis?
Seattle has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $72,500 against $59,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Seattle has the higher paycheck power: $65,500 against $56,500 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Seattle has more: 4,540 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
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: all the data
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
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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