High-Value Region

Greater MSP’s moderate cost of living and abundant amenities earn the region high marks in national quality-of-life comparisons. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is consistently named one of the best-value cities in America. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area also ranks third in the US for quality of life, according to a Portfolio.com study. It compared 20 factors that make a city a great place to live and work. “The highest scores went to the well-rounded markets with healthy economies, moderate costs of living, light traffic, impressive housing stocks and high-powered educational systems.” (Portfolio.com, 2010)

Lower Cost of Living

The Twin Cities historically lags other US cities in cost-of-living measures. The 2010 CPI for the 13-county Greater MSP region was 212, six points below the US city average. The CPI reflects the average price that people pay for food, clothing, shelter, fuel, transportation, medical care and day-to-day living.

Reasonable Housing Cost

Reasonable housing costs and attractive neighborhoods helped Minneapolis earn the title of "Top 10 Place to Live" by RelocateAmerica in 2010. It describes Minneapolis as “a vibrant, progressive city with a well educated populous, affordable housing, excellent schools, diverse neighborhoods, solid green initiatives, the nation’s best park and recreational system, and an outstanding quality of life.” Those factors also propelled five Twin Cities suburbs onto Money magazine’s short list of "Best Places to Live."