City comparison
Blaine, MN is about 20 miles (40 km) from Bloomington, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 30 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 Blaine, MN to Bloomington, MN takes about 3 min, covering roughly 20 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.
Bloomington has a population of 89,244, vs 70,047 in Blaine — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Bloomington covers about 35 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Blaine.
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 | Blaine | Bloomington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,635/mo | $1,426/mo | 14.7% higher in Blaine |
| Median home value | $303,800 | $327,100 | 7.7% higher in Bloomington |
| Median household income | $100,659 | $87,381 | 15.2% higher in Blaine |
| 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 Blaine, you'd need $99,410 in Bloomington to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bloomington, MN is about 0.6% cheaper overall than Blaine, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Blaine, you'd need about $79,528 in Bloomington to keep the same standard of living.