The Northland is an affordable place to live, thanks in large part to its relatively cheap housing stock. Rarely do costs rise high above the national average, and in the few cases where they do, it’s driven by real estate along Lake Superior. The region’s affordability becomes especially obvious when compared to other major cities in the region and across the country.
Sperling’s Best Places measures the cost of living in an area relative to a US average of 100. If the number is above 100, it’s more expensive to live in that area. If the number is below 100, then it’s less expensive in that area.
The total of all costs of living is weighted subjectively as follows: housing (30%), food and groceries (15%), transportation (10%), utilities (6%), health care (7%), and miscellaneous expenses such as clothing, services, and entertainment (32%). State and local taxes are not included in any category.
| City | Overall | Grocery | Health | Housing | Utilities | Transportation | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aitkin | 80.9 | 97.8 | 73.5 | 74.7 | 92.6 | 62.7 | 98 |
| Chisholm | 71.6 | 90.8 | 81.7 | 25.3 | 98.3 | 85.8 | 101.3 |
| Cloquet | 83.8 | 97.2 | 82.7 | 66.9 | 92.3 | 84.8 | 98.1 |
| Cohasset | 86.6 | 99 | 80.5 | 88.3 | 92.6 | 66.1 | 98 |
| Duluth | 85.8 | 97.4 | 81.7 | 76 | 85.4 | 81.5 | 100.7 |
| Ely | 79.6 | 94.6 | 81.7 | 51.4 | 93.4 | 86.2 | 100.9 |
| Eveleth | 74.5 | 92.3 | 81.7 | 37.5 | 90.7 | 85.6 | 99.9 |
| Grand Marais | 92.4 | 102.6 | 81.5 | 101.8 | 91.7 | 65.8 | 104.6 |
| Grand Rapids | 80.9 | 97.5 | 80.5 | 71.8 | 87.6 | 65.1 | 98.5 |
| Hermantown | 96 | 99 | 81.7 | 107.4 | 82.8 | 86 | 99.8 |
| Hibbing | 74.3 | 92.4 | 81.7 | 39.1 | 87.2 | 82.7 | 100.5 |
| Hoyt Lakes | 71 | 91 | 81.7 | 27.1 | 88.1 | 85.8 | 99.8 |
| International Falls | 68.6 | 94.9 | 80.7 | 29 | 95.6 | 65.7 | 99.7 |
| Moose Lake | 83.9 | 96.6 | 82.7 | 66.3 | 92.9 | 86.3 | 98.1 |
| Mountain Iron | 81.1 | 94.2 | 81.7 | 54.9 | 97.3 | 86.3 | 101.4 |
| Proctor | 84.1 | 97.8 | 81.7 | 66.7 | 89.5 | 85.6 | 100.4 |
| Rice Lake | 69.8 | 99.3 | 82.4 | 25 | 91.2 | 80.8 | 96.1 |
| Silver Bay | 73.6 | 94.2 | 82.4 | 38.8 | 88 | 74.9 | 103.3 |
| Superior | 82.6 | 94.6 | 105.6 | 53.6 | 97.1 | 86.9 | 98.4 |
| Two Harbors | 81.2 | 96.5 | 82.4 | 64 | 83.4 | 75.3 | 103.4 |
| Virginia | 72 | 92.2 | 81.7 | 31.4 | 97.3 | 79.1 | 100 |
Source: Sperling’s Best Places, 2020