City comparison
Plymouth, 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 23 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 Plymouth, 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 79,918 in Plymouth — about 3.9× larger by population. By land area, St. Paul covers about 52 sq mi vs 33 sq mi for Plymouth.
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 | Plymouth | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,625/mo | $1,174/mo | 38.4% higher in Plymouth |
| Median home value | $447,600 | $264,900 | 69.0% higher in Plymouth |
| Median household income | $130,131 | $69,919 | 86.1% higher in Plymouth |
| 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 Plymouth, you'd need $98,725 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Paul, MN is about 1.3% cheaper overall than Plymouth, MN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Plymouth than in St. Paul. If you earn $80,000 in Plymouth, you'd need about $78,980 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.