City comparison
Minnetonka, MN is about 20 miles (30 km) from St. Paul, MN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 20 miles, or about 22 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 Minnetonka, MN to St. Paul, MN takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 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 53,529 in Minnetonka — about 5.8× larger by population. By land area, St. Paul covers about 52 sq mi vs 27 sq mi for Minnetonka.
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 | Minnetonka | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,673/mo | $1,174/mo | 42.5% higher in Minnetonka |
| Median home value | $430,800 | $264,900 | 62.6% higher in Minnetonka |
| Median household income | $114,867 | $69,919 | 64.3% higher in Minnetonka |
| Groceries index | 102.5 | 102.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 93.3 | 93.3 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 103.7 | 103.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 103.9 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Minnetonka, you'd need $98,586 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Paul, MN is about 1.4% cheaper overall than Minnetonka, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Minnetonka than in St. Paul. If you earn $80,000 in Minnetonka, you'd need about $78,869 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.