City comparison
Apple Valley, MN is about 10 miles (20 km) from St. Paul, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 19 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 St. Paul, MN takes about 2 min, covering roughly 10 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.
St. Paul has a population of 308,806, vs 55,594 in Apple Valley — about 5.6× larger by population. By land area, St. Paul covers about 52 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 | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,607/mo | $1,174/mo | 36.9% higher in Apple Valley |
| Median home value | $333,300 | $264,900 | 25.8% higher in Apple Valley |
| Median household income | $97,588 | $69,919 | 39.6% higher in Apple Valley |
| Groceries index | 102.5 | 102.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 103.7 | 103.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 103.9 | ≈ equal |
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 $98,771 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Paul, MN is about 1.2% cheaper overall than Apple Valley, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Apple Valley than in St. Paul. If you earn $80,000 in Apple Valley, you'd need about $79,017 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.