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Cost & Benefits

Compare / Minneapolis to Washington

Minneapolis, MN vs Washington, DC

Simple answer

You'd likely save $704 a month in Minneapolis.

This is the HUD 2-bedroom fair-market rent for October 2026 through September 2027. It is not your lease.

The largest cost gap in this pair is Census rent. Census median gross rent differs by $593, with Washington higher.

Minnesota taxes wages at rates up to 9.85%. District of Columbia taxes wages at rates up to 10.75%. Combined sales tax differs by 2.1 percentage points, higher in Minnesota. The effective property tax gap is 0.39 percentage points, higher in Minnesota.

After a move from Minnesota to District of Columbia, those two example households keep the same benefit status labels. A different income can still split Medicaid and marketplace credits.

A $75,000 salary in Minneapolis lines up with about $77,906 in Washington on the 2024 all-items price parity. Census median gross rent and the commute figures are 2024. Fair Market Rents are fiscal year 2027.

Minneapolis

Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
$1,734
HUD area
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area
Census median gross rent
$1,444
All-items price parity
104.8
Goods price parity
103.1
Utilities price parity
93.5
Mean commute
24.1 min
Median household income
$97,928

Washington

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
$2,438
HUD area
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area
Census median gross rent
$2,037
All-items price parity
108.9
Goods price parity
104.8
Utilities price parity
106.7
Mean commute
33.8 min
Median household income
$126,244

Equivalent salary

The first number keeps the same place in the national price level. The second also runs 2026 federal income tax, employee Social Security and Medicare, and a simplified state income tax. Groceries use the BEA goods price parity, not a grocery receipt.

Same buying power

$77,906

Salary in Washington that matches the 2024 all-items regional price parity.

After state and federal tax

$78,360

Gross salary in Washington whose after-tax pay buys the same basket, using price parities.

Rent only

$105,450

Scales the salary by the ratio of HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents. Rent is not the whole budget.

Taxes on the two sides of the move

TaxMinnesotaDistrict of Columbia
State income tax on wagesup to 9.85%up to 10.75%
Combined sales tax, Jan 1, 20268.1%6.0%
Effective property tax, ACS 2024 median / median1.02%0.63%

On a $400,000 home, the state median effective rate implies about $4,064 a year in Minnesota and $2,506 in District of Columbia. That illustration is not a local bill. Childcare prices are not in the verified dataset for these metros.

Benefits if you land in District of Columbia

Same household, $40,000 a year, scored once in Minnesota and once in District of Columbia. This is an illustration, not your application.

  • Food stamps (SNAP)

    MinneapolisLikely eligible

    WashingtonLikely eligible

  • Medicaid and CHIP

    MinneapolisLikely eligible

    WashingtonLikely eligible

  • WIC

    MinneapolisLikely eligible

    WashingtonLikely eligible

  • School meals

    MinneapolisLikely eligible

    WashingtonLikely eligible

  • LIHEAP

    MinneapolisMaybe

    WashingtonMaybe

  • Earned Income Tax Credit

    MinneapolisLikely eligible

    WashingtonLikely eligible

  • Child Tax Credit

    MinneapolisLikely eligible

    WashingtonLikely eligible

  • Marketplace premium tax credits

    MinneapolisUnlikely

    WashingtonUnlikely

  • Lifeline phone and internet

    MinneapolisLikely eligible

    WashingtonLikely eligible

  • SSI

    MinneapolisUnlikely

    WashingtonUnlikely

At $40,000 the status labels match. A single adult around $18,000 is where Medicaid expansion and the marketplace coverage gap usually split.

Medicaid guide for District of Columbia · SNAP guide

Related comparisons

From Minneapolis

The eight largest 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gaps from Minneapolis.

Nearby metros

How the salary and tax math works · The reverse city order redirects to this address.