City comparison
Burnsville, MN is about 20 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 Burnsville, MN to St. Paul, MN takes about 2 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.
St. Paul has a population of 308,806, vs 64,075 in Burnsville — about 4.8× larger by population. By land area, St. Paul covers about 52 sq mi vs 25 sq mi for Burnsville.
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 | Burnsville | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,443/mo | $1,174/mo | 22.9% higher in Burnsville |
| Median home value | $315,700 | $264,900 | 19.2% higher in Burnsville |
| Median household income | $85,801 | $69,919 | 22.7% higher in Burnsville |
| 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 Burnsville, you'd need $99,227 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Paul, MN is about 0.8% cheaper overall than Burnsville, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Burnsville, you'd need about $79,382 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.