Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Minnesota

You think about moving to Minnesota but want to get additional information about overall quality of life, living costs, housing market, job prospects, income level, safety, nightlife and much more before making your final decision on whether you want to move to Minnesota or not according to your individual preferences and circumstances?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Minnesota in the following chapters.

Living in Minnesota – Overview

Advantages of Living in Minnesota

1. Housing shortage is not a big problem in most parts of Minnesota
2. Rents are still affordable for many people in Minnesota
3. The average person in Minnesota is still able to buy a decent home
4. Rather easy to get a mortgage in many parts of Minnesota
5. Living costs in Minnesota are rather low
6. Many people in Minnesota are still able to live the American dream
7. Rather low financial pressure for many people living in Minnesota
8. It is not all about money in Minnesota
9. Many people in Minnesota are genuine and honest
10. People in Minnesota are often pretty helpful
11. Easy to socialize in the urban parts of Minnesota
12. You can often really rely on people in Minnesota
13. You may be able to make many friends for a lifetime
14. You can enjoy lots of beautiful nature in Minnesota
15. You can go fishing, hunting, camping and do many other nice things
16. People in Minnesota can spend lots of time outdoors
17. You can get lots of oxygen
18. People in Minnesota can exercise in a natural manner
19. Decent air quality in many parts of Minnesota
20. Moving to Minnesota allows you to go back to the roots
21. You can live a pretty original lifestyle in Minnesota
22. Minnesota may be an interesting state to live self-sufficient
23. You can live in line with natural forces in Minnesota
24. Minnesota is not the most crowded state
25. You will have more than enough public space for yourself
26. Traffic jams are not a big problem in Minnesota yet
27. Finding a parking lot is pretty easy in most regions of Minnesota
28. People in Minnesota may be less career-focused than in many other regions
29. Minnesota is a pretty relaxed state
30. You can meet many tolerant people in the big cities of Minnesota
31. Decent supply of material goods in most parts of Minnesota
32. You can find decent education in the urban regions of Minnesota
33. Decent public transport in the big cities of Minnesota
34. People in Minnesota can experience real seasons
35. Minnesota is not flooded by tourists yet
36. Many recreational spaces in Minnesota
37. You can make many nice day trips in Minnesota
38. Minnesota may be an interesting place for your kids to grow up
39. Minnesota is a rather safe state
40. Pretty low unemployment rate in Minnesota
41. Decent internet connection for most people in Minnesota
42. Minnesota may be an interesting place to retire
43. Minnesota may be an underrated state
44. Decent future outlook for Minnesota

Housing shortage is not a big problem in most parts of Minnesota

One advantage of moving to Minnesota is that you will not have to deal with housing shortage as much as in many other states since there are more than enough affordable housing options in most regions of Minnesota while people moving to California or other more crowded places often struggle much more in this regard.

Rents are still affordable for many people in Minnesota

Not only is it pretty easy to find a decent home in many parts of Minnesota, but also rents are rather low so you don’t have to spend lots of money on housing and will have more money left to save and invest for retirement and other important things so you may be at lower risk of getting into financial trouble in the long run.

The average person in Minnesota is still able to buy a decent home

You should also know that moving to Minnesota can also make sense in case you don’t want to rent for quite a long time but rather consider buying a home since property prices in Minnesota are rather low in many regions and the average person is still able to afford to buy a decent home in this state.

Rather easy to get a mortgage in many parts of Minnesota

Since property prices in Minnesota are rather low, also getting a mortgage is much easier for people living in Minnesota compared to people moving to San Francisco or other much more expensive regions where people are often barely able to save up enough equity for buying a home and getting a mortgage.

Living costs in Minnesota are rather low

You should also keep in mind that living costs in Minnesota are below national average and this means you don’t have to spend as much money on drinks and various other things of life as people moving to Washington D.C. or other much more expensive places and you may therefore be able to afford much more for the same budget in Minnesota.

Many people in Minnesota are still able to live the American dream

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, many people in Minnesota are still able to live the American dream, including owning a nice home, a solid car and so on without having to financially overextend themselves while this kind of lifestyle becomes increasingly unaffordable in much more expensive regions.

Rather low financial pressure for many people living in Minnesota

Another upside to moving to Minnesota is that also overall financial pressure for many people is rather low since living and housing are fairly cheap and people in Minnesota can therefore live a rather relaxed life while people moving to NYC or other much more expensive places have to worry about money much more.

It is not all about money in Minnesota

In general, you also don’t have to make lots of money to become a valued member of society in Minnesota since people will often not care about what you have but rather about what character you are and how much good you do for society.

Many people in Minnesota are genuine and honest

You can also meet many honest and genuine people in Minnesota and while this may be annoying at first since you may hear unpleasant truth, it can still help you grow in character and hearing the truth from other people may also help you take the next steps so you can become a better version of yourself in the long run.

People in Minnesota are often pretty helpful

Another benefit of moving to Minnesota is that most people are also willing to help you out on various occasions of daily life and this can be pretty valuable, especially during your first weeks and months in this region when everything may be new and overwhelming to you.

Easy to socialize in the urban parts of Minnesota

Since people in Minnesota are often friendly and open, you will also have a rather easy time making new social connections rather quickly after moving to Minnesota and you therefore don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated as long as you are friendly and helpful and also know how to treat people well.

You can often really rely on people in Minnesota

Since you can meet many genuine people in Minnesota, you will also get the feeling that you can really rely on those people even during difficult times of your life when you may need emotional support to carry on and to push through those difficult periods when everything might seem hopeless.

You may be able to make many friends for a lifetime

Since you can meet so many great guys and gals in Minnesota, some of those people will become really good friends and you may be able to keep those personalities in your life for quite a long time so you can really strengthen your bonds and become more than friends but rather like family in the long run.

You can enjoy lots of beautiful nature in Minnesota

Another advantage of living in Minnesota is that you can also enjoy lots of beautiful nature in this region.

In fact, you will find many nice lakes, rivers and forests where you can hang out in nature and can have a great time with your loved ones while you can still relax from your stressful life quite a lot.

You can go fishing, hunting, camping and do many other nice things

There are also many nice nature activities you can do in Minnesota.

Fishing, hunting, camping and hiking are just a few of the many things you can do which can make your life much more interesting in the long run.

People in Minnesota can spend lots of time outdoors

Since you can do so many nice things in nature, this also gives you the incentive of spending lots of time outdoors and you may therefore get into a much better mood compared to people sitting indoors in front of their computers or TVs all day long.

You can get lots of oxygen

By spending lots of time outdoors, you can also make sure that you get lots of oxygen and this can be great for your body and your brain since we as humans need lots of oxygen for our system to work properly in the long run and by spending time in nature on a regular basis, you may be better able to perform at work as well as in your private life.

People in Minnesota can exercise in a natural manner

Thanks to the many nice things you can do in nature, you can also exercise in a natural manner quite a lot and burn lots of calories so you may be able to stay fit and in shape without the need of going to the gym as many other people have to do to stay in shape in the long run.

Decent air quality in many parts of Minnesota

Another upside to living in Minnesota is that you can enjoy pretty decent air quality in many rural regions and this can be great since good air quality may lower your risk of suffering from serious health conditions in the future.

Moving to Minnesota allows you to go back to the roots

Since you will be surrounded by nice lakes and other natural environments, you may also be able to experience similar lifestyles as our ancestors did hundreds of years ago so you can really feel their struggles for a while and will be really grateful for our modern technologies which make our lives so much better.

You can live a pretty original lifestyle in Minnesota

If you don’t want to live the classical modern lifestyle, you can also just settle down in a rural region of Minnesota and enjoy village life, including farming, fishing and so on so you may be able to avoid the stressful life of modern society and may be able to really find yourself.

Minnesota may be an interesting state to live self-sufficient

If you want to take it one step further and want to become independent of society, you may even be able to buy a cheap piece of land and use it for producing your own goods, raising farm animals and so on so you may no longer have to rely on conventional stores in the long run.

You can live in line with natural forces in Minnesota

Another upside to living in Minnesota is that you may also be able to live in line with natural forces.

For instance, during winter time when it gets dark pretty early, you may go to bed early as well and by living your life in line with natural forces, you may soon realize how natural your body and your brain will feel and may be able to increase your overall quality of life quite a lot since you may not get distracted by other people who often live a rather artificial lifestyle in our modern state of the world.

Minnesota is not the most crowded state

You should also know that while Minnesota becomes increasingly popular by many people from all over the US, it is still not the most crowded place and you will therefore often not be confronted by big groups of people but will be able to really enjoy nature on your own.

You will have more than enough public space for yourself

In general, you will also find more than enough public spaces where you can hang out without getting distracted by other people or annoying noises so you can be on your own during times of your life when you may not want to have company but rather want to think about your life in a quiet and focused manner.

Traffic jams are not a big problem in Minnesota yet

You should also keep in mind that streets are not as crowded in Minnesota as in many other bigger metropolitan regions and this makes it rather easy to get around by car in an efficient manner without getting stuck in traffic jams.

Finding a parking lot is pretty easy in most regions of Minnesota

Since traffic is not a big problem and there are not too many cars on the streets, also finding a parking lot is rather easy in most parts of Minnesota and you therefore don’t have to spend lots of time and money in this regard.

People in Minnesota may be less career-focused than in many other regions

Since people in Minnesota are often less career-focused than in other regions, they will often take more time to talk to you and help you out so you will have an easy time finding new conversation partners from which you may be able to learn quite a lot about life in general.

Minnesota is a pretty relaxed state

Since you don’t have to make a really good income to afford a decent lifestyle in Minnesota, many people are also rather relaxed and you can therefore spend your life in a rather laid-back atmosphere since people usually don’t have to work many extra hours and may have more time to hang out with you.

You can meet many tolerant people in the big cities of Minnesota

You should also know that Minnesota is a pretty tolerant region where you will be welcome no matter where you come from and can have a great time with other people from many different origins.

Decent supply of material goods in most parts of Minnesota

Another benefit of living in Minnesota is that overall supply of material goods is pretty decent so you don’t have to worry about running out of important things of daily life but may find most things you need pretty close to your home in the urban regions of this state.

You can find decent education in the urban regions of Minnesota

You will also be able to find many decent schools and colleges in the big cities of Minnesota and can therefore make sure that your kids get solid education so they can get a good start in life and may be able to aspire to a fancy career later on.

Decent public transport in the big cities of Minnesota

As long as you stay in one of the biggest cities of Minnesota, you may also be able to rely on solid public transport and even though it might not be perfect, it may be enough to get around in a rather efficient manner without urgently needing a car.

People in Minnesota can experience real seasons

Since you can enjoy warm summers and pretty cold winters, you can also experience real seasons in Minnesota and this may make your life pretty interesting since you can go swimming in summer and do winter sports during the cold season of the year while people moving to Austin or other places where it is often pretty warm all year long may just not have the same luxury.

Minnesota is not flooded by tourists yet

Since Minnesota is not the most popular state by tourists from the US or even the world, the big cities are also not flooded by tourists yet and this means you will have more space for yourself and may not run into big groups of people on a regular basis as you would often do in more popular metropolitan regions in other states.

Many recreational spaces in Minnesota

You will also find many parks and other green spaces in the big cities of Minnesota and this enables you to relax and unplug from your stressful life for a while so you can reload your batteries for the stressful times that may lie ahead of you.

You can make many nice day trips in Minnesota

Since there are so many nice things to see in nature and there are also some big cities in Minnesota, you will also have more than enough opportunities to make exciting day trips with your family so you can experience many different regions instead of just staying in your hometown.

Minnesota may be an interesting place for your kids to grow up

Since there are many nice things to do outdoors, Minnesota may also be a great place to see your kids grow up since you can make many unforgettable experiences and can also show your kids why it is so important to protect our environment as best as possible so they can turn into responsible grownups.

Minnesota is a rather safe state

Compared to many other states in the US, Minnesota is also considered pretty safe and you may therefore not have to worry about your safety as much by moving to Minnesota as you would have to do when moving to Philadelphia or other regions where crime rates are often much higher.

Pretty low unemployment rate in Minnesota

You should also know that unemployment rate in Minnesota is often below national average and it is therefore rather easy for you to find decent jobs as long as you have solid education and skills needed in the job market.

Decent internet connection for most people in Minnesota

Thanks to the good internet connection most people in Minnesota have, they can also often work from home and can stay connected to the world in general since they can get information in almost real-time and can adjust important decisions due to that.

Minnesota may be an interesting place to retire

Since living and housing costs are rather low while you can still enjoy lots of beautiful nature, Minnesota may also be an interesting place to retire since you don’t need a really high pension to afford a decent lifestyle.

Minnesota may be an underrated state

Since Minnesota has a lot to offer at a rather low price level, it may still be considered an underrated state and by moving to Minnesota now, you may be able to reap many benefits and live a decent lifestyle at a much lower price than other people in different states.

Decent future outlook for Minnesota

Thanks to low unemployment and crime rates, Minnesota may also have a pretty bright future and you may therefore be able to enjoy high quality of life for many years or even decades to come in this region.

Now that you know the reasons for moving to Minnesota, we should also have a look at the drawbacks of living in Minnesota so you will be better able to decide whether you really want to stay in Minnesota in the long run or if you rather want to move to Alabama or other interesting places.

Disadvantages of Living in Minnesota

1. Minnesota may be too cold for many people
2. Property prices and rents are about to increase in the big cities of Minnesota
3. Minnesota may become increasingly crowded in the future
4. Some neighborhoods in the big cities of Minnesota are still pretty dodgy
5. Minnesota doesn’t have a coastline
6. Poor public transport in the rural regions of Minnesota
7. People in rural regions may have trouble finding good doctors
8. Hard to find really good education outside of the big cities of Minnesota
9. Nightlife in most parts of Minnesota is not really great
10. Moving to Minnesota doesn’t make sense if you don’t like nature
11. Not many fancy shopping opportunities in Minnesota
12. Minnesota may not be the most exciting state
13. You may get bored with your life in Minnesota in the long run
14. Minnesota may not be the most popular state
15. Your loved ones may not understand your decision of moving to Minnesota
16. Some regions in Minnesota are pretty hard to reach
17. Low-qualified people have a rather hard time finding decent jobs in Minnesota
18. Minnesota may not attract as many talented people as other states
19. It may be hard to build a strong business network in the rural parts of Minnesota
20. Natural disasters may destroy your home in Minnesota
21. Climate change increases the costs of homeowners insurance
22. Minnesota may be too quiet for you
23. Some people in Minnesota are still pretty conservative
24. You may miss a decent art scene in many parts of Minnesota
25. Not many great museums outside the big cities of Minnesota
26. Minnesota may not be the greatest state for young people
27. Minnesota may not be a great place to study
28. Many people in Minnesota live a rather unhealthy lifestyle

Minnesota may be too cold for many people

One problem with living in Minnesota is that winters may just be too cold for you.

While many people enjoy real seasons, others just can’t stand cold weather at all and if you belong to the second group of people, you may be better off moving to El Paso or other regions where it is often warm all year long.

Property prices and rents are about to increase in the big cities of Minnesota

You should also know that even though property prices and rents are still affordable, they may increase significantly in the future in case Minnesota becomes increasingly popular and you may therefore have to spend much more on housing than you currently have to do.

Minnesota may become increasingly crowded in the future

Since Minnesota becomes more popular all over the US, many people also consider moving to Minnesota in the future and the state may become increasingly crowded and you may no longer have enough space to hang out in public on your own in the big cities and may also no longer be able to get around in the same efficient manner as you are able to do right now.

Some neighborhoods in the big cities of Minnesota are still pretty dodgy

Another downside to living in Minnesota is that while it is a rather safe region, you will still have some dodgy districts in the big cities of Minnesota and in case you are not careful, you may meet the wrong people at the wrong time and may get into serious trouble if you are unlucky.

Minnesota doesn’t have a coastline

You should also know that Minnesota is not located at the coast and while people moving to Maine or other coastal regions are able to go surfing or relax at the beach on a regular basis, you will just not have the same luxury in Minnesota.

Poor public transport in the rural regions of Minnesota

While public transport may be decent in the biggest cities of Minnesota, it is pretty poor in many rural regions and you may therefore have to rely on your car to get around.

However, in case you are no longer able to drive, you may get into serious trouble since you may just not be mobile enough to manage your life in an efficient manner.

People in rural regions may have trouble finding good doctors

You should also not forget that medical infrastructure is often not really great in the rural parts of Minnesota and in case of medical emergency, it may take you quite a long time to get medical treatment and in case you are really unlucky, you may not get this treatment in time and may even lose your life due to that.

Hard to find really good education outside of the big cities of Minnesota

Another disadvantage of living in Minnesota is that you will have a hard time finding really good education in the rural parts of the state and you may therefore have to drive quite long for bringing your kids to and picking your kids up from school.

Nightlife in most parts of Minnesota is not really great

While you may find some nice bars and clubs in the urban parts of Minnesota, you should still not expect great nightlife in the rural regions of the state and if you are a party person, you may be better off moving to Las Vegas or other more vibrant places.

Moving to Minnesota doesn’t make sense if you don’t like nature

Before moving to Minnesota, you should also ask yourself whether you really like nature since in case the answer is no, you may just not get happy with the Minnesota way of life in the long run since many hobbies and social activities are done outdoors in natural environments.

Not many fancy shopping opportunities in Minnesota

You should also not expect to find many fancy boutiques or shopping malls in most regions of Minnesota and if you want to follow latest fashion trends, you may be better off moving to a region where those things play a much bigger role.

Minnesota may not be the most exciting state

While you can do many nice things in nature, you should still know that Minnesota may not be the most exciting state and if you need action 24/7 on a regular basis, you may be better off moving to Chicago or other more vibrant metropolitan regions.

You may get bored with your life in Minnesota in the long run

Since you may not find many exciting things to do, especially in the rural regions of Minnesota, you may also get bored with the Minnesota lifestyle in the long run and may consider moving to a different place rather soon.

Minnesota may not be the most popular state

You should also know that while Minnesota has become increasingly popular over the past decades, it is still not as popular as many other places in the US and you may therefore get many snarky comments about your plans of moving to Minnesota.

Your loved ones may not understand your decision of moving to Minnesota

Also your family members and friends may not understand your decision of moving to Minnesota and you may therefore have to justify quite a lot and may have to spend lots of time convincing your loved ones that this might be a good idea.

Some regions in Minnesota are pretty hard to reach

Another problem with moving to Minnesota is that many regions are pretty remote and if you want to live in small rural towns, they are often pretty hard to reach and you may therefore have a hard time getting to other places in the US due to the absence of big airports in those regions.

Low-qualified people have a rather hard time finding decent jobs in Minnesota

While you may have decent job prospects as long as you have solid education, you should still know that low-qualified people often have a hard time finding decent jobs in Minnesota and may also have to worry about losing their jobs quite often.

Minnesota may not attract as many talented people as other states

Since Minnesota may not be the most popular state to work and live, it may also not attract as many talented and ambitious people as other regions and you may therefore not meet as many great personalities as people living in San José or other places that attract many talented people from all over the world.

It may be hard to build a strong business network in the rural parts of Minnesota

Since you may have a hard time meeting many talented people, it may also be more difficult for you to build a strong business network in Minnesota compared to people living in more popular regions and this may slow down your overall career progress quite a lot.

Natural disasters may destroy your home in Minnesota

Another downside to moving to Minnesota is that natural disasters may damage or even destroy your home sooner or later and if you don’t get proper insurance, you may suffer serious financial consequences.

Climate change increases the costs of homeowners insurance

Since global warming makes natural disasters in Minnesota more likely, also costs of homeowners insurance are about to increase significantly and this may make living in Minnesota much more expensive in the long run.

Minnesota may be too quiet for you

You should also keep in mind that Minnesota is a rather quiet place and may not be exciting enough for you to spend your life in this region for many years or even decades.

Some people in Minnesota are still pretty conservative

While most people in the big cities of Minnesota are rather tolerant and open to new things, many people in the rural parts of Minnesota are still rather conservative and traditional and you may not fit into society in case you want to live alternative lifestyles.

You may miss a decent art scene in many parts of Minnesota

You should also not expect to find a really great art scene in most parts of Minnesota. Thus, if you want to meet many great artists, you may be better off moving to New Orleans or other more popular places in this regard.

Not many great museums outside the big cities of Minnesota

In general, there are also not many really great museums in most parts of Minnesota and you may therefore not be able to see as many unique great pieces of art as in many other states.

Minnesota may not be the greatest state for young people

Also in case you are still young, you may want to think twice before moving to Minnesota since while there are many nice things to do in nature, you may still miss many things young people usually want to do and may not get as much action as you may have wished or expected.

Minnesota may not be a great place to study

Minnesota may also not be the greatest place for students since the number of great universities may be rather limited and you may also miss great nightlife in many regions so you may not be able to enjoy the same great student life as people studying in NYC or other more exciting places.

Many people in Minnesota live a rather unhealthy lifestyle

Another disadvantage of moving to Minnesota is that you will also meet many people who live rather unhealthy lifestyles and by hanging out with those people, chances are that you will also adopt some of those characteristics and may live the same unhealthy lifestyle sooner or later.

Top 10 Moving To Minnesota Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Minnesota A Good Place To Live?

While living in Minnesota can be great since living and housing costs are still fairly low, you can enjoy beautiful nature and Minnesota is a rather safe state, you should still know that public transport and medical infrastructure are often not great and Minnesota may also not be the most exciting state for young people.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to Minnesota so you can make the best possible decision according to your individual preferences.

Most Popular Cities To Live In Minnesota – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to Minnesota, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Connecticut

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Massachusetts

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Michigan

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/MN

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.