Cost of living in Duluth research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Duluth is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Minnesota, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Duluth is 99, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Duluth is 1.0x lower than the national average.
Duluth ranks as the #37 cheapest in Minnesota out of 148.
Duluth ranks as the #2,497 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Duluth is $290,738.
The median income in Duluth is $66,263.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Duluth has an overall cost of living index of 99, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Minnesota, Duluth has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Minnesota's index of 97.
The standard of living in Duluth ranks as #37 most affordable out of the 148 places we measured in Minnesota. By definition, that implies Duluth ranks as the #111 most expensive place in the North Star State.
For more reading on life in Duluth, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Duluth. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Duluth is 111.
The Groceries index in Duluth is 99.
The Health index in Duluth is 123.
The Housing index in Duluth is 88.
The Transportation index in Duluth is 100.
The Utilities index in Duluth is 94.
| Living Expense | Duluth | Minnesota | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 99 | 97 | 100 | |
| Services | 111 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 99 | 99 | 100 | |
| Health | 123 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 88 | 100 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 100 | 95 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 94 | 94 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Minnesota, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Duluth is $290,738.
The Median Rent in Duluth is $1,037.
The Median Income in Duluth is $66,263.
The Home Value To Income in Duluth is 4.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Duluth is 0.19x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Duluth. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Superior, WI has a cost of living index of 93, 0.9x Duluth.
Cloquet, MN has a cost of living index of 100, 1.0x Duluth.
Hermantown, MN has a cost of living index of 114, 1.2x Duluth.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Duluth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior, WI | 26,550 | 93 | 0.9x |
| Cloquet, MN | 12,582 | 100 | 1.0x |
| Hermantown, MN | 10,192 | 114 | 1.2x |