City comparison
Minneapolis, MN is about 80 miles (125 km) from Rochester, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 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 Minneapolis, MN to Rochester, MN takes about 9 min, covering roughly 80 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 120,848 in Rochester — about 3.5× larger by population. By land area, Rochester covers about 57 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 | Minneapolis | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,267/mo | $1,218/mo | 4.0% higher in Minneapolis |
| Median home value | $328,700 | $268,800 | 22.3% higher in Minneapolis |
| Median household income | $76,332 | $83,973 | 10.0% higher in Rochester |
| Groceries index | 103.1 | 95.5 | 7.9% higher in Minneapolis |
| Utilities index | 95.4 | 87.8 | 8.7% higher in Minneapolis |
| Transportation index | 104.4 | 92.6 | 12.7% higher in Minneapolis |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 92.8 | 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 Minneapolis, you'd need $82,473 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rochester, MN is about 17.5% cheaper overall than Minneapolis, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 38% higher in Minneapolis than in Rochester. If you earn $80,000 in Minneapolis, you'd need about $65,979 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.