Middlesex County, MA vs Hennepin County, MN: Cost of Living Difference

Is it cheaper?

Hennepin County, MN is cheaper than Middlesex County, MA.

Moving to Hennepin County, MN is estimated to save $26,892 per year.

Cheaper cost of living

Cheaper County

Hennepin County, MNSave about $26,892 per year.

Salary needed

$50,000 in Middlesex County, MA is about $32,910 in Hennepin County, MN.

Biggest drivers

Food increases by $69 per year. Housing saves $11,878 per year.

Housing: $11,878 lower in Hennepin County, MN

Taxes: $9,506 lower in Hennepin County, MN

Childcare: about the same in both counties

Healthcare: $700 lower in Hennepin County, MN

Food: $69 higher in Hennepin County, MN

Transport: $1,210 lower in Hennepin County, MN

Middlesex County, MAHennepin County, MN
Equivalent salary in Hennepin County, MN
$32,910
-34.18% lower
Current salary: $50,000
Household: 1 adult · 0 children
Median Income in Middlesex County, MA: $160,640
Median Income in Hennepin County, MN: $131,862
Living Index in Middlesex County, MA 48.98%
Living Index in Hennepin County, MN 39.28%

This estimate matches your purchasing power (equivalent salary) when moving from Middlesex County, MA to Hennepin County, MN.

* Living index is estimated as (estimated total cost / area median income) * 100. A living index above 100% means modeled costs exceed median income.

Cost of Living Breakdown by Category

Summary

Moving from Middlesex County, MA to Hennepin County, MN is estimated to save $26,892 per year. A $50,000 salary in Middlesex County, MA would have similar purchasing power to about $32,910 in Hennepin County, MN. The largest savings come from housing and taxes.

This is a 34.18% decrease in modeled annual costs. Housing is $11,878 per year lower (44.18%); Taxes is $9,506 per year lower (49.32%).

Below we break down the annual categories behind the difference using Economic Policy Institute 2026 Family Budget data.

What changed the most?

The following cards show the annual category differences that most affect the move to Hennepin County, MN.

Biggest Cost
Largest annual cost increase when moving to Hennepin County, MN
Annual Increase:

$69 per year

FOOD has the largest annual increase when moving to Hennepin County, MN.

Biggest Savings
Largest annual savings when moving to Hennepin County, MN
Annual Savings:

$11,878 per year

HOUSING has the largest annual savings when moving to Hennepin County, MN.

Breakdown of price percentages per category.

Numbers are average costs per section.

CategoryDifference
Housing-44.18% lower
Food1.37% higher
Transport-9.60% lower
Healthcare-14.12% lower
Other Costs-36.98% lower
Childcare0.00% higher
Taxes-49.32% lower

In Hennepin County, MN, modeled annual costs are $51,789 compared with $78,681 in Middlesex County, MA.

Overall, annual costs are lower in Hennepin County, MN. The category breakdown above shows where the move creates the most room in the budget.

In this case Hennepin County, MN and Middlesex County, MA are both metropolitan locations.

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How WatchPennies calculates salary needed
Middlesex, MA vs Hennepin, MN Cost Difference