These 20 Towns Have The Highest Cost Of Living In Minnesota

TWIN CITIES, MN — How much is the cost of living in your neighborhood? If you live in Dakota County, you're probably getting a good deal compared to the residents in the counties north of you. Things get even cheaper when you live outside of the metro.

Niche.com ranked the Minnesota cities with the highest cost of living. The vast majority of the 20 towns that made the list are suburbs in the west metro. Only handful of locations in the east and south metro made the list.

Niche's 2018 rankings were based on cost of living factors including housing costs, tax rates, and cost of essential goods including food and fuel.

Find the towns with the lowest cost of living here.

Here are the most expensive towns and suburbs to live in Minnesota, according to Niche:

• Greenfield (Hennepin County)
• Medina (Hennepin County)
• Edina (Hennepin County)
• Wayzata (Hennepin County)
• Excelsior (Hennepin County)
• Spring Park (Hennepin County)
• Deephaven (Hennepin County)
• Tonka Bay (Hennepin County)
• Medicine Lake (Hennepin County)
• Minnetonka Beach (Hennepin County)
• Greenwood (Hennepin County)
• Orono (Hennepin County)
• Oak Park Heights (Washington County)
  
• Scandia (Washington County)
  
• Woodland (Washington County)
  
• Sunfish Lake (Dakota County)
  
• Lilydale (Dakota County)
  
• New Market Township (Scott County)
  
• Dahlgreen (Carver County)
  
• North Oaks (Ramsey County)

Find more rankings on Niche here.

To no surprise, Hennepin County is one of the priciest places to live in Minnesota, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The organization released its 2018 family budget calculator that estimates how costly it is to live in each of America's 3,142 counties and 611 metro areas.

The group estimates a family of two adults and two children in Hennepin County would need to earn a combined $98,483 per year — or $8,207 a month — to live comfortably.

Here's how the group breaks down that number:

• Housing: $1,102 per month
• Food: $820 per month
• Child Care: $1,858 per month
• Transportation: $1,136 per month
• Health Care: $1,248
• Other Necessities: $775 per month
• Taxes: $1,267 per month

Compared to Ramsey County County, that might seem like a rip-off.

To live in Ramsey County, that same family would need to earn a combined $94,006 per year, or $7,834 every month, to "attain a modest yet adequate standard of living," the organization said.

Here's The Richest Town In Minnesota

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