Moorhead, MN Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Moorhead, MN Summary

Cost of living in Moorhead 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 Moorhead 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 Moorhead is 97, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Moorhead is 1.0x lower than the national average.

  • Moorhead ranks as the #28 cheapest in Minnesota out of 148.

  • Moorhead ranks as the #2,245 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Moorhead is $283,683.

  • The median income in Moorhead is $69,371.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
97
Moorhead's Overall Cost Of Living
1.0x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Moorhead, MN?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Moorhead has an overall cost of living index of 97, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Minnesota, Moorhead has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Minnesota's index of 97.

The standard of living in Moorhead ranks as #28 most affordable out of the 148 places we measured in Minnesota. By definition, that implies Moorhead ranks as the #120 most expensive place in the North Star State.

For more reading on life in Moorhead, check out:

28 out of 148
In Minnesota
2,245 out of 6,489
In America

Moorhead Cost Of Living Vs. Minnesota

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Moorhead. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Moorhead is 93.

  • The Groceries index in Moorhead is 92.

  • The Health index in Moorhead is 103.

  • The Housing index in Moorhead is 105.

  • The Transportation index in Moorhead is 95.

  • The Utilities index in Moorhead is 108.

Living Expense Moorhead Minnesota National Average
Overall 97 97 100
Services 93 101 100
Groceries 92 99 100
Health 103 110 100
Housing 105 100 100
Transportation 95 95 100
Utilities 108 94 100
For more reading on cost of living around Minnesota, check out:
Moorhead Cost of Living Vs. MN

Moorhead, MN Housing Cost Breakdown

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 Moorhead is $283,683.

  • The Median Rent in Moorhead is $1,017.

  • The Median Income in Moorhead is $69,371.

  • The Home Value To Income in Moorhead is 4.1x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Moorhead is 0.18x.

Statistic Moorhead Minnesota United States
Median Home Value $283,683 $344,484 $303,400
Median Rent $1,017 $1,235 $1,348
Median Income $69,371 $87,556 $78,538
Home Value To Income 4.1x 3.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.18x 0.17x 0.21x
$283,683
Median Home Value
$1,017
Median Rent
$69,371
Median Income

Moorhead, MN Costs By Category

Detailed Moorhead Services Costs Vs. Minnesota

Item Moorhead Minnesota
Shampoo $1.04 $1.28
Movie $8.02 $12.13
Bowling $20.0 $18
Haircut $22.5 $24.26
Beauty Salon $38.0 $45.56

Detailed Moorhead Groceries Costs Vs. Minnesota

Item Moorhead Minnesota
Ground Beef $5.52 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.38 $1.57
Milk $4.48 $4.67
Potatoes $4.94 $4.93
Pizza $10.49 $12.09
Beer $10.11 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.88 $3.7

Detailed Moorhead Health Costs Vs. Minnesota

Item Moorhead Minnesota
Optometrist $140.67 $125.68
Doctor $169.5 $135.78
Dentist $96.0 $113.29

Detailed Moorhead Transportation Costs Vs. Minnesota

Item Moorhead Minnesota
Gasoline $3.27 $3.46
Tire Balancing $57.0 $59.92

Detailed Moorhead Utilities Costs Vs. Minnesota

Item Moorhead Minnesota
All Electricity $222.79 $193.99
Phone $191.52 $192.25

Moorhead SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
8
Affordability
8
Diversity
7
Safety
4
Amenities
9
Education
8.5
Commute
9

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Moorhead

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Moorhead. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Fargo, ND has a cost of living index of 101, 1.0x Moorhead.

  • West Fargo, ND has a cost of living index of 105, 1.1x Moorhead.

  • Detroit Lakes, MN has a cost of living index of 98, 1.0x Moorhead.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Moorhead
Fargo, ND 129,064 101 1.0x
West Fargo, ND 39,325 105 1.1x
Detroit Lakes, MN 10,002 98 1.0x
Wahpeton, ND 7,996 87 0.9x

Articles About Minnesota

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