Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Saint Paul

You think about moving to Saint Paul but want to get additional information about the city and overall quality of life before making your final decision in this regard?

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

Table of Contents

Living in Saint Paul – Overview

ClimateSaint Paul has a continental climate with warm summers and pretty cold winters.
HousingDemand for housing, property prices and rents in Saint Paul are above national average, even though they are still far lower compared to NYC or other popular metropolitan areas.
IncomeMedian household income in Saint Paul is slightly below national average.
CrimeCrime rates in St. Paul are significantly above national average.
EducationWhile you will find solid schools, it is hard to find really good education in the Saint Paul region.
Job MarketUnemployment rate in Saint Paul is pretty low and many people find decent jobs in this region soon.
CultureSaint Paul is a culturally interesting place where you can meet many people from all over the US and even the world.
Leisure ActivitiesYou can go fishing, hiking, camping and do many other things you may be used to from other big cities.
LandscapeSaint Paul is surrounded by lakes and forests and you can therefore spend lots of time in nature in the St. Paul region.
InfrastructureSt. Paul has decent public transport, decent medical infrastructure and good supply of material goods.
Level of ToleranceSt. Paul is one of the most tolerant cities in Minnesota.
NightlifeNightlife in St. Paul is not as great as in many bigger cities in the US.
Total Population309,121 inhabitants.
advantages and disadvantages of living in saint paul

Advantages of Living in Saint Paul

  1. Low unemployment rate in Saint Paul
  2. Many people find decent jobs in St. Paul soon
  3. St. Paul has decent public transport
  4. Saint Paul is a bike-friendly city
  5. Easy to get around by car in St. Paul
  6. Living costs in Saint Paul are rather low
  7. Many things to do in nature in Saint Paul
  8. You can experience real seasons in Saint Paul
  9. Good supply of material goods in St. Paul
  10. Solid doctors and hospitals in St. Paul
  11. Many recreational spaces in Saint Paul
  12. St. Paul has an international airport
  13. St. Paul is close to Minneapolis
  14. Saint Paul is a culturally interesting place
  15. You can try delicious foods in Saint Paul
  16. People in Saint Paul are rather relaxed
  17. Easy to socialize in St. Paul
  18. Population in Saint Paul is growing
  19. Decent future outlook for St. Paul

Low unemployment rate in Saint Paul

One advantage of moving to Saint Paul is that the city has a pretty low unemployment rate and if you have solid education and also many valuable skills needed in the job market, chances are that you will almost have freedom of choice regarding whom you want to work for.

Many people find decent jobs in St. Paul soon

Even in case you lose your job due to various reasons, you will most likely still find a new job in the St. Paul region pretty soon and don’t have to search for as long as people living in Detroit or other regions where unemployment is a much bigger problem.

St. Paul has decent public transport

Another upside to moving to Saint Paul is that you will have pretty decent public transport and can get around by bus or other means of public transport in an efficient manner without urgently needing a car.

Saint Paul is a bike-friendly city

Since St. Paul is also a pretty bicycle-friendly city, you may also just get around by bike instead of relying on public transport or your car if you really want to do good for the environment and also want to save lots of money at the same time.

Easy to get around by car in St. Paul

If you still want to rely on your car to get around, you can also do this in Saint Paul in a pretty efficient manner since traffic is not a big problem yet and traffic jams are rather rare and this can be great since you will have to waste far less time in traffic compared to people living in Chicago or other bigger and more congested cities.

Living costs in Saint Paul are rather low

Compared to many other major cities, living costs in Saint Paul are rather low and this means that you will have to spend less money on drinks and many other things of daily life but will have more money to save and invest for retirement and other nice stuff instead.

Many things to do in nature in Saint Paul

Another benefit of moving to Saint Paul is that the city is surrounded by beautiful nature and you can therefore go fishing, hunting, camping and do many other things in nature so that you can get lots of fresh air and can also stay fit in the long run.

You can experience real seasons in Saint Paul

Since you will have warm summers and pretty cold winters, you can also experience real seasons in St. Paul and may have a much more interesting life in this regard compared to people living in Honolulu or other places where it is warm all year long.

Good supply of material goods in St. Paul

Another upside to living in St. Paul is that overall supply of material goods is decent and you will find most things of daily life within walking distance and can therefore get most things you need within a couple of minutes without having to drive to other cities.

Solid doctors and hospitals in St. Paul

You will also have pretty decent medical infrastructure in St. Paul and will have many good doctors who can cure you in case you get sick.

Many recreational spaces in Saint Paul

You will also have more than enough recreational spaces in and around Saint Paul where you can relax and unplug from your stressful life to reload your batteries for the challenging times that may still lie ahead of you.

St. Paul has an international airport

Another benefit of living in Saint Paul is that you will also have a big international airport from where it is easy to travel to various parts of our planet so that you can really learn about our planet and about different cultures in general.

St. Paul is close to Minneapolis

Since St. Paul is pretty close to Minneapolis, you can also enjoy the best of both cities and will have many amenities other people will often envy you for.

Saint Paul is a culturally interesting place

Since St. Paul is a tolerant place and people are welcome from all over the world, you can also have many interesting conversations and can also explore many different cultures which helps you grow in character in the long run.

You can try delicious foods in Saint Paul

There are also many delicious foods you can try in Saint Paul and by going out to those restaurants, you can not only have a great time but will also get some inspiration regarding what you want to cook at home.

People in Saint Paul are rather relaxed

Another advantage of living in Saint Paul is that people are rather relaxed and open to getting in touch with you compared to other bigger cities where people are often more career-focused and take less time for other nice things in life.

Easy to socialize in St. Paul

Since people in Saint Paul are friendly and outgoing, you will also have a rather easy time making some really good friends within a rather short period of time and chances are that you will never feel lonely in this place.

Population in Saint Paul is growing

You should also know that population numbers in the Saint Paul region have been growing over the past decade and this is usually another indicator that Saint Paul is a great place to live and that the city may become even more popular in the future.

Decent future outlook for St. Paul

Since St. Paul is one of the most important cities in Minnesota and population is growing, St. Paul will most likely be an important place to work and live for many years and you don’t have to worry that too many people will leave this region anytime soon.

Now that you know all the reasons for moving to St. Paul, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of living in Saint Paul so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to St. Paul or rather want to live in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in St. Paul

  1. Nightlife in Saint Paul is not great
  2. Rather low income level in Saint Paul
  3. Not many fancy shopping opportunities in Saint Paul
  4. St. Paul is not the most glamorous city
  5. Increasing level of inequality in St. Paul
  6. Social cohesion is about to deteriorate
  7. Many locals think about leaving the St. Paul region
  8. Hard to find really good education in St. Paul
  9. You may miss the feeling of big city life
  10. Crime rate in St. Paul is above national average
  11. You should avoid dodgy neighborhoods in St. Paul
  12. You have to deal with cold winters in St. Paul
  13. Your loved ones may not understand your decision

Nightlife in Saint Paul is not great

One disadvantage of moving to Saint Paul is that nightlife is not really great in this region and even though you will find some decent bars, you will still miss opportunities to party until the early morning and if you are a party person, you may be better off moving to Las Vegas or other more vibrant places instead.

Rather low income level in Saint Paul

You should also know that it is pretty hard to make really good money in Saint Paul.

In fact, median income in Saint Paul is below national average and moving to Saint Paul may therefore not be a good idea if your goal is to get wealthy or even rich as quickly as possible.

Not many fancy shopping opportunities in Saint Paul

You will also not find as many fancy shopping opportunities and boutiques in St. Paul compared to L.A. or other major metropolitan regions and if you are a shopping queen, you may get bored in this regard rather quickly.

St. Paul is not the most glamorous city

In general, St. Paul is not the most exciting and glamorous city and just doesn’t have as many exciting things to offer as many other bigger metropolitan regions and if you need action 24/7 to stay happy, you may rather want to move to a different region instead.

Increasing level of inequality in St. Paul

Another problem with living in St. Paul is that the gap between the poor and the rich is about to increase and due to this increasing level of inequality, many people become increasingly desperate to pay for rent and other expenses of daily life.

Social cohesion is about to deteriorate

Due to increasing inequality in the St. Paul region, people are also no longer as friendly as they used to be and money problems may lead to all sorts of social problems in the long run.

Many locals think about leaving the St. Paul region

Since many people are no longer able to make a decent living in Saint Paul, many locals consider leaving this region and moving to cheaper places and once this happens, this would take away part of the city’s charm and may also lower overall quality of life in general.

Hard to find really good education in St. Paul

Another downside to moving to St. Paul is that you will also have a pretty hard time finding really good education and while you will have some solid schools, you will still not have the same opportunities as people living in Boston or other more prestigious regions.

You may miss the feeling of big city life

While St. Paul is a rather big city, it is still not comparable to NYC or other major cities in the US and you may just miss all the excitement and the special feeling you may get in bigger cities.

Crime rate in St. Paul is above national average

You should also keep in mind that crime rates in Saint Paul are significantly above national average and if you want to have kids and want to see them grow up in a safe environment, moving to St. Paul may not be the best way to go for you.

You should avoid dodgy neighborhoods in St. Paul

There are also many dodgy neighborhoods in St. Paul that you should avoid at all costs so that you can stay out of trouble and also don’t have to worry about many other problems that may come along with it.

You have to deal with cold winters in St. Paul

While you can enjoy warm summers, winters are pretty cold in St. Paul and if you don’t like the cold at all, you may be better off moving to Houston or other warmer places.

Your loved ones may not understand your decision

Since St. Paul is not the most popular city, your family and friends may also not understand your decision of moving to this place and you may have to justify quite a lot in this regard until it will finally be accepted by your loved ones.

Top 10 Moving To Saint Paul Pros & Cons – Summary List

Living in Saint Paul ProsLiving in Saint Paul Cons
Decent public transport in St. PaulCrime is a big problem in St. Paul
Many recreational spaces in Saint PaulMedian income is below national average
Saint Paul is surrounded by beautiful natureSocial inequality is about to increase
Decent supply of material goodsHomelessness may become worse in the future
You can experience real seasons in St. PaulMany locals have to leave the St. Paul region
St. Paul is a tolerant placeSt. Paul is not the most exciting city
You can experience many different culturesNightlife is not as great as in other major cities
You can try many delicious foodsYou have to deal with cold winters
Easy to socialize in St. PaulSaint Paul is not located at the coast
Good medical infrastructure in St. PaulMany dodgy neighborhoods in Saint Paul

Is Saint Paul A Good Place To Live?

While moving to Saint Paul can make sense since you will have decent medical infrastructure, low unemployment rates and many things to do in nature, you should still know that crime rates are high and an increasing level of inequality may lead to all sorts of social problems in the long run.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Saint Paul anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Newark

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Riverside

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Minneapolis

Sources

https://www.stpaul.gov/

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

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.

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