Is Colorado Springs cheaper than Minneapolis?

No. Minneapolis is cheaper: typical rent is $1,371 a month versus $1,750 in Colorado Springs — 22% lower. Median household income is $72,400 in Colorado Springs compared with $80,846 in Minneapolis, so Minneapolis has the stronger local pay picture.

Which city is safer, Colorado Springs or Minneapolis?

Neither city has a meaningful citywide edge. Crime indexes are 32 in Colorado Springs and 32 in Minneapolis (100 = national average). Compare neighborhoods, not slogans.

Which city has better schools, Colorado Springs or Minneapolis?

School composites are close: A- in Colorado Springs and A- in Minneapolis. Tour specific campuses rather than picking a city on the letter grade alone.

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City comparison

Colorado Springs, CO vs Minneapolis, MN

Colorado Springs, CO versus Minneapolis, MN is a real move, not a trivia matchup. This comparison uses the same 2026 neighborhood report data we publish on each city page — typical rent, median household income, crime indexes, school composites, and typical weather — so you can see which city actually fits how you live, work, and spend. Typical rents sit near $1,750 a month in Colorado Springs and $1,371 in Minneapolis, and median household income lands at $72,400 versus $80,846. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.

Minneapolis takes affordability, job market, and weather. The widest gap is rent, where Minneapolis leads by 22% — the kind of spread you feel in a monthly budget or a nightly walk, not just on a chart. Read the category rows as a filter: if cheaper housing would change your life more than a stronger job market, weight rent first. If you are moving with kids, weight schools and crime. If you picked a city after one good weekend, use the weather and income rows to test whether that weekend survives a full year.

Numbers below are citywide, not a guarantee about the street you will actually live on. Two ZIP codes in Colorado Springs can feel further apart than Colorado Springs and Minneapolis do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Colorado Springs and Minneapolis reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.

Full Colorado Springs report Full Minneapolis report

Colorado Springs, CO

Rent: $1,750/mo
Median income: $72,400
Crime index: 32
Schools: A-
Weather: 73°F

Minneapolis, MN

Rent: $1,371/mo
Median income: $80,846
Crime index: 32
Schools: A-
Weather: 72°F

Rent

22% cheaper

Minneapolis rent is 22% cheaper than Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs

$1,750/mo

Minneapolis

Winner

$1,371/mo

What this means for your life

Typical rent runs $1,371 a month in Minneapolis versus $1,750 in Colorado Springs, so Minneapolis is 22% cheaper. That's roughly $379/month back in your pocket — $4,548/year. Over five years that's $22,740 you could redirect toward a down payment, travel, or investments. Housing is the bill you pay before groceries, childcare, or a social life, so that gap shows up in how often you eat out and how panicked a rent hike feels. If you already have a high-paying offer in Colorado Springs, the extra rent can be rational. If you do not, Minneapolis is the easier city to land in without blowing up your budget.

Median income

12% higher

Minneapolis's median income is 12% higher than Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs

$72,400

Minneapolis

Winner

$80,846

What this means for your life

Median household income is $80,846 in Minneapolis versus $72,400 in Colorado Springs, so typical pay runs 12% higher in Minneapolis — about $8,446 more household income a year. Higher median income usually signals a stronger local job market and better negotiating leverage on salary. Remote workers should weigh this against cost of living rather than treating it as a direct personal benefit. For people who will actually work in town, Minneapolis is the stronger labor market on paper. Colorado Springs can still win if housing is cheap enough to offset the weaker median or if your specific role already pays well there.

Crime index

Neck and neck

Colorado Springs and Minneapolis are about even on crime index.

Colorado Springs

32 (100 = avg)

Minneapolis

32 (100 = avg)

What this means for your life

Colorado Springs and Minneapolis post similar crime indexes (32 vs 32, where 100 is the national average). A small gap at the city level can still hide a huge neighborhood spread. Walk the specific block, check lighting and late-night activity, and use each city's full report for violent vs. property crime instead of stopping at the headline index.

School scores

Neck and neck

Colorado Springs and Minneapolis are about even on school scores.

Colorado Springs

A- · 84/100

Minneapolis

A- · 84/100

What this means for your life

School composites are effectively even (A- in Colorado Springs, A- in Minneapolis). For families with kids this is a warning if you assumed one city was obviously better — at this range the campus, not the city name, decides it. Tour the zoned elementary you would actually use.

Typical weather

2% more comfortable

Minneapolis weather is 2% more comfortable than Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs

73°F typical

Minneapolis

Winner

72°F typical

What this means for your life

Minneapolis scores 2% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 73°F in Colorado Springs and 72°F in Minneapolis. Colorado Springs reads as warm weather most of the year; Minneapolis reads as warm weather most of the year. The comfort edge is real but not a personality transplant. If you already know you want Colorado Springs's season, a modest index lead should not talk you out of it. If you are undecided, Minneapolis is the city where the forecast fights you less.

Fit check

Who should choose Colorado Springs

People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Colorado Springs

On these five categories Minneapolis takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Colorado Springs because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose Colorado Springs only if a job offer, family, a specific neighborhood, or a life you already started there outweighs the box score. Plenty of good moves ignore the aggregate; just do it on purpose.

Open the Colorado Springs report →

Fit check

Who should choose Minneapolis

Career-focused movers who want salary upside plus year-round outdoor access

Minneapolis is the clearer landing pad if housing cost is what keeps you up at night. Typical rent is 22% cheaper here at about $1,371 a month. Choose Minneapolis if you are stretching a salary, starting over, or want slack for travel and debt instead of a flashier skyline.

It is also a match for career-focused movers who want salary upside and year-round outdoor access. Median household income runs 12% higher ($80,846), and typical weather is the more comfortable of the two — around 72°F. That pairing is for people who will work hard and then actually use the evenings.

Open the Minneapolis report →

Bottom line

Colorado Springs vs Minneapolis, called

If cost of living is your priority, Minneapolis is the clear choice.

If the job market matters more to you, Minneapolis pulls ahead.

For most movers comparing these two cities, Minneapolis offers the better overall package.

Common questions

Colorado Springs vs Minneapolis FAQ

Is Colorado Springs cheaper than Minneapolis?: No. Minneapolis is cheaper: typical rent is $1,371 a month versus $1,750 in Colorado Springs — 22% lower. Median household income is $72,400 in Colorado Springs compared with $80,846 in Minneapolis, so Minneapolis has the stronger local pay picture.
Which city is safer, Colorado Springs or Minneapolis?: Neither city has a meaningful citywide edge. Crime indexes are 32 in Colorado Springs and 32 in Minneapolis (100 = national average). Compare neighborhoods, not slogans.
Which city has better schools, Colorado Springs or Minneapolis?: School composites are close: A- in Colorado Springs and A- in Minneapolis. Tour specific campuses rather than picking a city on the letter grade alone.

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