City comparison
Blaine, MN is about 90 miles (150 km) from Rochester, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 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 Rochester, MN takes about 11 min, covering roughly 90 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 70,047 in Blaine — about 1.7× larger by population. By land area, Rochester covers about 57 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 | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,635/mo | $1,218/mo | 34.2% higher in Blaine |
| Median home value | $303,800 | $268,800 | 13.0% higher in Blaine |
| Median household income | $100,659 | $83,973 | 19.9% higher in Blaine |
| Groceries index | 102.5 | 95.5 | 7.3% higher in Blaine |
| Utilities index | 93.3 | 87.8 | 6.3% higher in Blaine |
| Transportation index | 103.7 | 92.6 | 12.0% higher in Blaine |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 92.8 | 12.0% higher in Blaine |
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 $81,948 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rochester, MN is about 18.1% cheaper overall than Blaine, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% higher in Blaine than in Rochester. If you earn $80,000 in Blaine, you'd need about $65,558 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.