City comparison
Edina, MN is about 70 miles (125 km) from Rochester, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 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 Edina, MN to Rochester, MN takes about 9 min, covering roughly 70 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 53,037 in Edina — about 2.3× larger by population. By land area, Rochester covers about 57 sq mi vs 15 sq mi for Edina.
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 | Edina | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,700/mo | $1,218/mo | 39.6% higher in Edina |
| Median home value | $601,700 | $268,800 | 123.8% higher in Edina |
| Median household income | $125,506 | $83,973 | 49.5% higher in Edina |
| Groceries index | 102.5 | 95.5 | 7.3% higher in Edina |
| Utilities index | 93.3 | 87.8 | 6.3% higher in Edina |
| Transportation index | 103.7 | 92.6 | 12.0% higher in Edina |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 92.8 | 12.0% higher in Edina |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Edina, you'd need $81,794 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rochester, MN is about 18.2% cheaper overall than Edina, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 42% higher in Edina than in Rochester. If you earn $80,000 in Edina, you'd need about $65,435 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.