City comparison
Louisville, KY vs Minneapolis, MN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 12.6% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $112,600 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,405 a month in Minneapolis, MN versus $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Minneapolis, MN and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,894 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.0% moving from Louisville, KY to Minneapolis, MN ($106,437 → $116,038), while prices change by +12.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Louisville, KY | Minneapolis, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 104.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,622 in Minneapolis | $88,792 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $1,405/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $73,903 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $5,277 (MN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $59,320 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 111.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 103.1 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 93.5 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 104.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,894/yr.
38 Weak offer
Minneapolis, MN → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,894/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Minneapolis, MN is in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI. The last column shows what a transfer from Louisville, KY to Minneapolis, MN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Minneapolis, MN | Real change, Louisville → Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $67,290 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $81,415 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $97,582 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $116,038 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $137,123 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Minneapolis, MN | Minneapolis pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $79,730 | $70,794 (+14.9%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $130,920 | $116,247 (+5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $86,500 | $76,805 (+0.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $103,040 | $91,492 (+7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.