City comparison
Philadelphia, PA 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 $1,397 a month in Philadelphia and $1,371 in Minneapolis, and median household income lands at $61,953 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 median income, where Minneapolis leads by 30% — 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 Philadelphia can feel further apart than Philadelphia and Minneapolis do on paper. Use this page to pick a city, then use the Philadelphia and Minneapolis reports to pick a neighborhood — and visit in the season you like least before you sign anything.
Philadelphia, PA
Minneapolis, MN
Rent
2% cheaper
Minneapolis rent is 2% cheaper than Philadelphia
Philadelphia
$1,397/mo
Minneapolis
Winner$1,371/mo
Typical rent runs $1,371 a month in Minneapolis versus $1,397 in Philadelphia, so Minneapolis is 2% cheaper. The monthly spread is about $26, or $312 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
30% higher
Minneapolis's median income is 30% higher than Philadelphia
Philadelphia
$61,953
Minneapolis
Winner$80,846
Median household income is $80,846 in Minneapolis versus $61,953 in Philadelphia, so typical pay runs 30% higher in Minneapolis — about $18,893 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. Philadelphia 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
Philadelphia and Minneapolis are about even on crime index.
Philadelphia
32 (100 = avg)
Minneapolis
32 (100 = avg)
Philadelphia 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
Philadelphia and Minneapolis are about even on school scores.
Philadelphia
A- · 84/100
Minneapolis
A- · 84/100
School composites are effectively even (A- in Philadelphia, 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
6% more comfortable
Minneapolis weather is 6% more comfortable than Philadelphia
Philadelphia
74°F typical
Minneapolis
Winner72°F typical
Minneapolis scores 6% more comfortable on this page's weather index, which rewards temperatures closer to a livable outdoor day. Typical temperatures sit around 74°F in Philadelphia and 72°F in Minneapolis. Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia'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
People with a job, family, or neighborhood already pulling them to Philadelphia
On these five categories Minneapolis takes the scoreboard, so you should not choose Philadelphia because the stats are kinder — they are not. Choose Philadelphia 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.
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 2% 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 30% 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.
Bottom line
If the job market is your priority, Minneapolis is the clear choice.
If weather 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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