City comparison
Eagan, MN is about 60 miles (100 km) from Rochester, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 80 miles, or about 1 h 15 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 Eagan, MN to Rochester, MN takes about 8 min, covering roughly 60 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 68,262 in Eagan — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Rochester covers about 57 sq mi vs 31 sq mi for Eagan.
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 | Eagan | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,490/mo | $1,218/mo | 22.3% higher in Eagan |
| Median home value | $362,200 | $268,800 | 34.7% higher in Eagan |
| Median household income | $104,101 | $83,973 | 24.0% higher in Eagan |
| Groceries index | 102.5 | 95.5 | 7.3% higher in Eagan |
| Utilities index | 93.3 | 87.8 | 6.3% higher in Eagan |
| Transportation index | 103.7 | 92.6 | 12.0% higher in Eagan |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 92.8 | 12.0% higher in Eagan |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Eagan, you'd need $82,279 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rochester, MN is about 17.7% cheaper overall than Eagan, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 40% higher in Eagan than in Rochester. If you earn $80,000 in Eagan, you'd need about $65,823 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.