What salary do you need to live in Saint Paul, MN?
For a single person: about $71,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose MN-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,248 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 4.8% Minnesota income tax.
What jobs here actually pay: the typical Saint Paul worker earns about $59,320/year (BLS OEWS, all occupations) — above the $57,500 a single person needs to cover local essentials — a typical local job here can carry the cost of living.
Single person — est. essentials $3,834/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,834/mo
$57,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $4,601/mo
$71,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $5,751/mo
$93,000/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $5,225/mo
Tight
take-home covers $5,225/mo
$76,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $6,270/mo
$92,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,838/mo
$118,000/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $6,265/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,265/mo
$92,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,518/mo
$113,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,398/mo
$146,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $7,180/mo
Tight
take-home covers $7,180/mo
$107,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $8,616/mo
$131,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $10,770/mo
$172,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,248) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Minnesota's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier, including municipal income tax where the city levies one. These assume adults sharing a home. A household with young children also pays childcare, which in most cities is the largest line after rent — run a search with your own household to price it. Property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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