City comparison
Duluth, MN is about 125 miles (225 km) from St. Paul, 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 St. Paul, 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.
St. Paul has a population of 308,806, vs 86,772 in Duluth — about 3.6× larger by population. By land area, Duluth covers about 72 sq mi vs 52 sq mi for St. Paul.
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 | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $990/mo | $1,174/mo | 18.6% higher in St. Paul |
| Median home value | $209,800 | $264,900 | 26.3% higher in St. Paul |
| Median household income | $63,545 | $69,919 | 10.0% higher in St. Paul |
| Groceries index | 95.4 | 102.5 | 7.4% higher in St. Paul |
| Utilities index | 87.7 | 93.3 | 6.5% higher in St. Paul |
| Transportation index | 92.6 | 103.7 | 12.0% higher in St. Paul |
| Healthcare index | 92.8 | 103.9 | 12.0% higher in St. Paul |
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 $125,611 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Duluth, MN is about 20.4% cheaper overall than St. Paul, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 53% higher in St. Paul than in Duluth. If you earn $80,000 in Duluth, you'd need about $100,489 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.