Insights » Where Minnesota’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022

Where Minnesota’s Household Expenses are the Highest in 2022

Minnesota skyline

How does living in the NorthStar state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Minnesota’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities across the state. The average household in Minnesota, doxo’s data reveals, pays $1,967 in bills per month.

doxo’s data also has infographics for 67 cities and towns across Minnesota, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Minnesota and how it changes according to location.

The data sheds light on Minnesota’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.

Minnesota residents pay $1,967 in household bills a month

The average Minnesota household pays $1,967 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.

Minnesota residents, overall, get a good deal on their bills: the state ranks 19th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Florida ranks 18th, with annual monthly expenses of $1,993, and Texas ranks 20th, at $1,956.

Minnesota’s household expenses, on average, are 1.8% lower than the national average of $2,003.

Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Minnesota households spend 33% of their income on household bills. For example, Connecticut is the 6th most expensive state and New York is the 7th most expensive, but New York residents spend 39% of their income on bills, while Connecticut residents spend only 35%. 

Annually, Minnesota residents pay $49 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Minnesota by clicking on the infographic link below.

Data: doxo INSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Minnesota

  • Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,967 per month
  • State Bill Pay Market Size: $49 billion
  • doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 19 out of 50
  • Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 33%
  • Difference from the National Average: 2% lower

Housing bill category drives Minnesota’s low monthly bill expenses

The average Minnesota household pays $1,967 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Rent expenses drive savings, due to being considerably lower than the national average. The average rent is $989, compared to the national average rent bill of $1,129. All while the average mortgage payment in Minnesota is $1409, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,368.

Other than housing-related expenses, auto insurance bills are the most significant of the 10 most common bills for Minnesota residents. Still, these expenses are still lower than the national average. The average auto insurance bill in Minnesota is $152 a month, compared to the national average of $196.

Compared to the national average, health insurance bills are a notably higher expense for residents of Minnesota. The average household in the state pays $162 a month for health insurance, compared to the national average of $123.

Utilities, by contrast, is more affordable in Minnesota. While US residents on average spend $293 per month on utilities, in Minnesota they spend just $328.

Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.

Average Minnesota Household Bill Spending

Bill CategoryAverage Minnesota Monthly BillNational Average Monthly BillMinnesota Percent +/- National Average ($2,003)
Mortgage$1,409$1,3683% higher
Rent$989$1,12912% lower
Auto Loan$434$4330.2% higher
Utilities$293$32811% lower
Auto Insurance$152$19622% lower
Cable & Internet$110$1144% lower
Health Insurance$162$12332% higher
Mobile Phone$109$1134% lower
Alarm & Security$84$840% lower
Life Insurance$106$8229% higher
Total$1,967$2,0032% lower

Excelsior tops the list of most expensive cities for Minnesota’s household bills

Residents of Excelsior pay the highest household bills in the state of Minnesota, at an average of $1,967 per month. Wayzata comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $2,742 on average per month.

In proportion to household income, however, Excelsior’s bills are costlier than ones in Wayzata. While Excelsior’s monthly bill basket makes up 27% of average household income there, Wayzata’s bill basket accounts for just 29% of average household income in that area.

Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxo INSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.

10 Most Expensive Minnesota Cities for Household Bills

*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).

Fairmont is the most affordable Minnesota city for household bills

Out of 67 cities and towns, Fairmont is the most affordable place in Minnesota, with residents paying $1,506 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 35% of local income in Piedmont.

Little Falls comes in at the second most affordable town or city in Minnesota, with residents paying $1,579 per month on average.

Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in Minnesota are Albert Lea ($1,595 per month), Grand Rapids ($1,604 per month), and New Ulm ($1,606 per month).

10 Most Affordable Minnesota Cities for Household Bills

Rank
(58-67 out of 67)
CityMonthly Bill Expenses Per HouseholdPercent of Household Income Used for Bills
58Marshall$1,69139%
59Fergus Falls$1,66237%
60Willmar$1,63738%
61Hibbing$1,62641%
62Thief River Falls$1,61533%
63New Ulm$1,60631%
64Grand Rapids$1,60436%
65Albert Lea$1,59539%
66Little Falls$1,57937%
67Fairmont$1,50635%

In the wake of the rise of remote work, some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxo INSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Minnesota’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 4000 towns and cities across the country.