City comparison
Apple Valley, MN is about 60 miles (100 km) from Rochester, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Apple Valley, MN to Rochester, MN takes about 7 min, covering roughly 60 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Rochester has a population of 120,848, vs 55,594 in Apple Valley — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Rochester covers about 57 sq mi vs 17 sq mi for Apple Valley.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Apple Valley | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,607/mo | $1,218/mo | 31.9% higher in Apple Valley |
| Median home value | $333,300 | $268,800 | 24.0% higher in Apple Valley |
| Median household income | $97,588 | $83,973 | 16.2% higher in Apple Valley |
| Groceries index | 102.5 | 95.5 | 7.3% higher in Apple Valley |
| Utilities index | 93.3 | 87.8 | 6.3% higher in Apple Valley |
| Transportation index | 103.7 | 92.6 | 12.0% higher in Apple Valley |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 92.8 | 12.0% higher in Apple Valley |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need $82,009 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rochester, MN is about 18% cheaper overall than Apple Valley, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% higher in Apple Valley than in Rochester. If you earn $80,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need about $65,607 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.