Blaine vs Duluth
Blaine, Minnesota versus Duluth, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Blaine and Duluth score about the same overall (46 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Blaine | Duluth |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $101k | $64k |
| Cost of Living | $53k | $44k |
| Home Value | $304k | $210k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $990 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.95% | 1.21% |
| Income Tax | 9.90% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.42% | 16.54% |
| Unemployment | 4.4% | 4.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 16°F | 11°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 73°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 28.8 in | 31.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 44.1 in | 56.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 182 days | 214 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 56°F |
| Comfortable Days | 98 days | 68 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 51.4 | 34.5 |
| Air Quality | 37 AQI | 35 AQI |
| School Quality | 48.2 | 66.3 |
| Violent Crime | 304/100k | 1022/100k |
| Property Crime | 1920/100k | 3029/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 70,047 | 86,772 |
| Median Age | 37.6 | 34.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.41 | 0.22 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 74.2% | 87.1% |
| Black (%) | 7.2% | 2.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.8% | 2.7% |
| Asian (%) | 9.2% | 1.6% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.7% | 6.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 17 min |
| Walkability | 8.4/20 | 13.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 19 mi | 141 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.9% | 87.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 31.55 | 29.39 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Blaine or Duluth more affordable?
- Duluth has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Blaine's $53k and Duluth's $44k. Median rent is $2k in Blaine versus $990 in Duluth.
- Is Blaine or Duluth safer?
- Blaine has the lower violent crime rate. Blaine reports 304/100k and Duluth reports 1022/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Blaine or Duluth?
- The median home value is $304k in Blaine and $210k in Duluth, so homes are more affordable in Duluth.