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Bloomington vs Duluth

Bloomington, 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.

Overall livability

Bloomington

Mixed · objective livability45/100

Duluth

Mixed · objective livability47/100

Bloomington and Duluth score about the same overall (45 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorBloomingtonDuluth
Affordability
Median Household Income$87k$64k
Cost of Living$52k$44k
Home Value$327k$210k
Monthly Rent$1k$990
Monthly Owner Costs$2k$1k
Property Tax Rate1.09%1.21%
Income Tax9.90%9.90%
Sales Tax8.04%8.04%
Estimated total tax burden16.62%16.54%
Unemployment4.4%4.9%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)16°F11°F
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F67°F
Annual Precipitation34.0 in31.4 in
Annual Snowfall51.2 in56.0 in
Sunny Days182 days214 days
Summer Humidity61°F56°F
Comfortable Days99 days68 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk48.934.5
Air Quality55 AQI35 AQI
School Quality74.466.3
Violent Crime784/100k1022/100k
Property Crime3752/100k3029/100k
Community
Population89,24486,772
Median Age41.834.7
Racial Diversity0.480.22
Male/Female Ratio0.950.97
Political LeaningD+44Even
White (%)68.7%87.1%
Black (%)10.7%2.5%
Hispanic (%)8.7%2.7%
Asian (%)5.7%1.6%
Other / Multiracial (%)6.2%6.1%
Getting Around
Commute Time21 min17 min
Walkability12.5/2013.9/20
Airport Distance6 mi141 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access91.2%87.8%
Amenities Nearby41.0129.39
Park & Nature AccessGoodExcellent

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 Bloomington or Duluth more affordable?
Duluth has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Bloomington's $52k and Duluth's $44k. Median rent is $1k in Bloomington versus $990 in Duluth.
Is Bloomington or Duluth safer?
Bloomington has the lower violent crime rate. Bloomington reports 784/100k and Duluth reports 1022/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Bloomington or Duluth?
The median home value is $327k in Bloomington and $210k in Duluth, so homes are more affordable in Duluth.
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