a landable guide
Minneapolis has 84 extreme cold days, a 7.85% income tax, and $1,679 rent. These cities solve at least two of those three.
By Karol Gajda
Minneapolis has real strengths: excellent parks, a genuine food and arts scene, and a strong regional economy. It also has 84 extreme cold days, a 7.85% state income tax, and winters that run October to April. For remote workers, that combination gets harder to justify each year.
This list filters for under 30 extreme cold days, a state income tax rate under 5%, and rent under $1,600. Weather leads, with affordability and things to do close behind. Every blurb reports the cold-day and rent gap against Minneapolis.
01
AL · 412k metro
Mobile tops the Minneapolis exits: 0 extreme cold days is 84 fewer than Minneapolis's 84, 225 pleasant days a year, and $1,302 rent for $377 less a month.
$1,302
median rent / month
225
pleasant days a year
0
days a year below 20°F
02
Photo by Tai's Captures on Unsplash
NC · 370k metro
Hickory lands second with 4 cold days, 80 fewer than Minneapolis, at $1,434 a month, $245 less than now.
$1,434
median rent / month
189
pleasant days a year
4
days a year below 20°F
03
IN · 271k metro
Evansville takes third: 184 pleasant days, 21 extreme cold days, and $1,075 rent for $604 less than Minneapolis.
$1,075
median rent / month
184
pleasant days a year
21
days a year below 20°F
04
Photo by Elijah Mears on Unsplash
NC · 790k metro
Greensboro pairs 6 hard-cold days (78 fewer than Minneapolis) with $1,428 rent and 189 pleasant days.
$1,428
median rent / month
189
pleasant days a year
6
days a year below 20°F
05
Photo by Gage LaVergne on Pexels
LA · 414k metro
Lafayette earns it on cold and cost: 84 fewer freezing days than Minneapolis, $1,332 rent, 211 pleasant days.
$1,332
median rent / month
211
pleasant days a year
0
days a year below 20°F
06
Photo by Greg Bulla on Unsplash
TX · 872k metro
El Paso is the mid-list Minneapolis alternative that holds up: 1 cold days, $1,473 rent, $206 under Minneapolis.
$1,473
median rent / month
222
pleasant days a year
1
days a year below 20°F
07
Photo by Chris Marlin on Unsplash
KY · 1.4M metro
Louisville clears the bar with 15 extreme cold days, 181 pleasant days, and $1,368 median rent.
$1,368
median rent / month
181
pleasant days a year
15
days a year below 20°F
08
Photo by Venti Views on Unsplash
PA · 2.4M metro
Pittsburgh keeps the warmer-and-cheaper promise: 56 fewer cold days than Minneapolis at $1,473 a month.
$1,473
median rent / month
161
pleasant days a year
28
days a year below 20°F
09
Photo by Tiffany Cade on Unsplash
MO · 2.8M metro
St. Louis lands near the bottom of the ten and still beats Minneapolis: 22 cold days, $268 less rent.
$1,411
median rent / month
174
pleasant days a year
22
days a year below 20°F
10
Photo by Eyes2Soul Eyes2Soul on Pexels
OH · 2.3M metro
Cincinnati rounds out the list: 26 extreme cold days, 162 pleasant days, $1,549 median rent.
$1,549
median rent / month
162
pleasant days a year
26
days a year below 20°F
We rank by 40% weather, 25% affordability, 20% things to do, 10% parks, and 5% walkability, filtered to no more than 30 extreme cold days, a state income tax rate under 5%, and median rent under $1,600.
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