What salary do you need to live in Saint Paul, MN?
For a single person: about $71,000/year before taxes to live comfortably. That's the gross income whose MN-taxed take-home covers roughly $1,440 rent plus everyday essentials, with a 20% cushion for savings. Figures include 2025 federal tax, FICA, and an effective 5.3% Minnesota income tax.
Single person — est. essentials $3,793/mo
Tight
take-home covers $3,793/mo
$58,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $4,552/mo
$71,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $5,690/mo
$92,000/yr
2-person household — est. essentials $5,163/mo
Tight
take-home covers $5,163/mo
$77,000/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $6,196/mo
$93,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $7,745/mo
$118,500/yr
3-person household — est. essentials $6,237/mo
Tight
take-home covers $6,237/mo
$94,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $7,484/mo
$114,000/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $9,356/mo
$147,000/yr
4-person household — est. essentials $7,188/mo
Tight
take-home covers $7,188/mo
$109,500/yr
Comfortable
take-home covers $8,626/mo
$133,500/yr
Thriving
take-home covers $10,782/mo
$173,000/yr
How we calculate this
Essentials = typical rent ($1,440) + a national non-housing baseline by household size ($2,450 for one person) + Minnesota's combined sales tax on the taxable share of that spending. We then solve for the gross salary whose after-tax take-home hits each tier. Local income taxes and property taxes aren't modeled — see the methodology.
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