City comparison
Minneapolis, MN versus Durham, NC 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 $1,709 a month in Minneapolis and $1,711 in Durham, and median household income lands at $76,332 versus $74,710. Open either city's full report when you want the block-level detail behind these headlines.
Minneapolis takes affordability, job market, safety, and weather. The widest gap is typical weather, 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 Minneapolis can feel further apart than Minneapolis and Durham do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Minneapolis and Durham reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Minneapolis, MN
Durham, NC
Rent
1% cheaper
Minneapolis rent is 1% cheaper than Durham
Minneapolis
Winner$1,709/mo
Durham
$1,711/mo
Typical rent runs $1,709 a month in Minneapolis versus $1,711 in Durham, so Minneapolis is 1% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $2, or $24 a year — noticeable, but rent alone should not pick the city. Use this as a tie-breaker after you compare income, schools, and crime, unless you are already stretching every dollar.
Median income
2% higher
Minneapolis's median income is 2% higher than Durham
Minneapolis
Winner$76,332
Durham
$74,710
Median household income is $76,332 in Minneapolis versus $74,710 in Durham, so typical pay runs 2% higher in Minneapolis — about $1,622 more household income a year. The income edge is modest. Treat it as extra negotiating context, not a reason to ignore rent, schools, or climate. Remote workers especially should not treat citywide pay as a personal raise if their employer will not localize salary.
Crime index
20% lower crime
Minneapolis's crime index is 20% lower than Durham
Minneapolis
Winner78 (100 = avg)
Durham
97 (100 = avg)
Minneapolis's crime index is 78 versus 97 in Durham (100 = national average), so citywide crime runs 20% lower in Minneapolis. That gap is meaningful day-to-day — it affects whether you feel comfortable walking at night, leaving your car on the street, or letting kids play outside unsupervised. Indexes still compress a lot of reality: a calmer city has blocks you would skip, and a higher-crime city has streets that feel neighborly at 10 p.m. On the everyday test of walking from the car to the door, Minneapolis is the easier city. Durham can still work if you pick the right pocket — just budget more diligence before you sign a lease.
School scores
Neck and neck
Minneapolis and Durham are about even on school scores.
Minneapolis
A- · 84/100
Durham
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Minneapolis, A- in Durham). 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
22% more comfortable
Minneapolis weather is 22% more comfortable than Durham
Minneapolis
Winner72°F typical
Durham
79°F typical
Minneapolis scores 22% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 72°F in Minneapolis and 79°F in Durham. Minneapolis reads as warm weather most of the year; Durham reads as warm weather most of the year. Climate affects quality of life more than most people anticipate when planning a move. Consider how much time you spend outdoors and whether extreme heat or cold impacts your mood or productivity. Minneapolis is the better default if you want year-round outdoor access. Durham can still be right if you love that climate on purpose — beach heat, dry heat, or a real winter — but you cannot return a city's weather.
Fit check
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 1% cheaper here at about $1,709 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 2% higher ($76,332), 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.
Minneapolis is the better fit for families with young children and retirees who prioritize peace of mind over urban energy. The crime index is 20% lower than Durham (78 vs a 100 national average). That gap shows up in how freely you walk at night and how much attention you spend on the car and the deadbolt.
Fit check
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Durham
On these five categories Minneapolis takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Durham because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose Durham 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.
Bottom line
If weather is your priority, Minneapolis is the clear choice.
If safety matters more to you, Minneapolis pulls ahead.
For most movers comparing these two cities, Minneapolis offers the better overall package.
Common questions
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