City comparison
Duluth, MN is about 125 miles (225 km) from Minneapolis, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 175 miles, or about 2 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 Duluth, MN to Minneapolis, MN takes about 16 min, covering roughly 125 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.
Minneapolis has a population of 426,877, vs 86,772 in Duluth — about 4.9× larger by population. By land area, Duluth covers about 72 sq mi vs 54 sq mi for Minneapolis.
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 | Duluth | Minneapolis | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $990/mo | $1,267/mo | 28.0% higher in Minneapolis |
| Median home value | $209,800 | $328,700 | 56.7% higher in Minneapolis |
| Median household income | $63,545 | $76,332 | 20.1% higher in Minneapolis |
| Groceries index | 95.4 | 103.1 | 8.0% higher in Minneapolis |
| Utilities index | 87.7 | 95.4 | 8.9% higher in Minneapolis |
| Transportation index | 92.6 | 104.4 | 12.7% higher in Minneapolis |
| Healthcare index | 92.8 | 103.9 | 12.0% higher in Minneapolis |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Duluth, you'd need $126,458 in Minneapolis to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Duluth, MN is about 20.9% cheaper overall than Minneapolis, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 54% higher in Minneapolis than in Duluth. If you earn $80,000 in Duluth, you'd need about $101,167 in Minneapolis to keep the same standard of living.