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Rent vs Buy Calculator for Duluth, MN
Local data pre-filled
Duluth's price-to-rent ratio is 13.5 — generally favoring buying if you can qualify for a mortgage. Median rent is $1,559/mo vs a $253,294 purchase price.
✓ Calculator below is pre-filled with Duluth local data
Data as of · Sources: Zillow, Census ACS, Tax Foundation, Freddie Mac
Minnesota Financial Snapshot (2026) — Rent vs Buy Calculator
Home value, monthly carrying cost, property tax, and insurance are the four levers for the rent vs buy calculator in Minnesota.
How the Rent vs Buy Calculator Math Works Under Minnesota Law
Every real-estate number on this page runs through the same core identity: the monthly principal-and-interest payment on a fully amortizing fixed-rate loan is M = P · r / (1 − (1+r)^(−n)), where P is the loan principal, r is the monthly rate (annual rate / 12), and n is the term in months. For a typical Minnesota buyer in 2026, P starts from an $335,000 median home value (Zillow ZHVI)[1], minus a standard 20% down payment.
On top of P&I the calculator adds the two Minnesota-specific carrying costs: property tax at the state effective rate of 1.12%[2] and homeowners insurance at roughly $1,680/year (NAIC state average)[3]. The Freddie Mac PMMS national average 30-year fixed rate (6.30% (Freddie Mac PMMS · week of ))[4] drives the payment curve — Minnesota rate quotes can move a few basis points around that number depending on lender, loan size, and credit band.
Calc-specific note: Break-even = (closing + opportunity cost of down payment) ÷ (rent − owner-equivalent PITI) in years, adjusted for Minnesota appreciation.
Worked example — Minnesota
Buying Minnesota's $335,000 median home with 20% down and 6% closing costs means $87,100 upfront. Break-even vs renting depends on how fast Minnesota appreciates and how much of the monthly PITI rolls into equity (principal) vs cash-out (interest + tax + insurance).
Local context: Duluth, MN
Housing economics in Duluth, MN. The median home value runs 29.2% below the U.S. baseline for Duluth, MN is $253,294 per Zillow's home-value index. Median rent runs $1,559 a month per Zillow ZORI, cheaper than the national $1,850 baseline. Effective property tax sits at 1.30% of assessed value, meaningfully higher than the 0.99% national average tracked by the Tax Foundation.
Income and tax climate. Minnesota's top marginal state income tax bracket lands at 9.85% — compared to the volume-weighted national average around 4-5%. BEA's Regional Price Parity scores Duluth, MN at 90.0 (national = 100), meaning a dollar in Duluth, MN buys 111¢ — more goods and services than the same dollar nationally.
Local context as of 2026-04-19.
Duluth versus the U.S. baseline
| Metric | Duluth, MN | U.S. baseline | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value[zillow] | $253,294 | $358,000 | -29.2% |
| Median monthly rent[zillow] | $1,559 | $1,850 | -15.7% |
| Property tax (effective)[tax-foundation] | 1.30% | 0.99% | 31.3% |
| State top marginal income tax[tax-foundation] | 9.85% | ~4.08% (volume-weighted) | 5.8 pp |
| State cost-of-living index[bea-rpp] | 90.0 | 100.0 | -10.0 pts |
How to use the Rent vs Buy Calculator
Walk through using the Rent vs Buy Calculator with Duluth, MN-specific defaults pre-loaded from primary sources.
- Enter your Duluth numbersFill in the rent vs buy inputs. Defaults reflect Duluth, MN 2026: median home $253,294, median rent $1,559/mo, 1.30% effective property tax.
- Apply the local 2026 inputsThe median home value in Duluth is $253,294 (Zillow ZHVI), with median monthly rent running $1,559/mo.
- Compare against Duluth contextMonthly PITI on the $253,294 median home in Duluth is ~$1,810/mo — vs a $1,559/mo median rent.
How Minnesota Compares to Neighboring States
| State | Median home | Top inc tax | Prop tax rate | RPP (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota (this page) | $335,000 | 9.85% | 1.12% | 98.3 |
| see Iowa | $215,000 | 3.80% | 1.50% | 88.8 |
| check North Dakota | $265,000 | 2.50% | 0.98% | 88.2 |
| check South Dakota | $275,000 | None | 1.24% | 88.1 |
| Wisconsin side-by-side | $295,000 | 7.65% | 1.85% | 93.2 |
Sources: Zillow ZHVI[1], state Departments of Revenue / Tax Foundation[2], Tax Foundation property taxes[3], BEA Regional Price Parities[4].
What Changes Your Result in Minnesota
- Down payment size:Minnesota's typical down payment is 11.0%according to NAR survey data. Every 5% shift changes the monthly P&I by roughly 5–6% of the headline payment.
- First-time buyer programs:Minnesota runs state-level first-time buyer programs (DPA, MCC) that can cut effective down payment costs by $5,000–$15,000 for qualifying buyers. See programs block below.
- County-level property tax variance:The state effective rate shown in the snapshot is a statewide weighted average. Within Minnesota, county rates can swing ±30% around the median, especially in border counties with differing school-district mill levies.
Related Calculations for Minnesota
- how mortgage affordability works for Minnesota residents — affordability feeds the buy side of the decision.
- Minnesota home appreciation rates — equity growth on the buy side.
- Minnesota rent affordability rates — rent affordability on the rent side.
How Duluth Compares to the National Average
Understanding how Duluth stacks up helps you calibrate your financial planning.
| Metric | Duluth, MN | US Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $253,294 | $420,800 | -39.8% |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,559 | $1,713 | -9.0% |
| Median Household Income | $71,067 | $74,580 | -4.7% |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.30% | 1.10% | +18.2% |
| Cost of Living Index | 90 | 100 | -10.0% |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, BLS, Zillow, NAR (2024–2025). Green = favorable for residents; red = less favorable.
Duluth Financial Snapshot
- Population (Metro)
- 295,000
- Unemployment
- 3.8%
- Avg Commute
- 19 min
- Median Age
- 35.2
- Price-to-Rent Ratio
- 13.5x
- Annual Property Tax
- $3,293
More Financial Calculators for Duluth, MN
Rent vs Buy Calculator in Other Minnesota Cities
Frequently Asked Questions — Duluth
- Can median-income households afford the median home in Duluth?
- With a ~$1,810 monthly PITI and $71,067 median income, housing would consume ~30.6% of gross annual income. Qualifying under the 28% DTI rule requires ~$77,571 in annual income. Educational reference only.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Duluth?
- Duluth's price-to-rent ratio (13.5x) tilts toward buying — below 15x, homes are economical relative to renting.
- What is the annual property tax bill on the median home in Duluth?
- Approximately $3,293/yr at the 1.30% effective rate on the $253,294 median home. The national average effective rate is 1.07%.
- What share of median income goes to rent in Duluth?
- The $1,559/mo median rent represents 26.3% of the $71,067 median household income. The recommended housing cost threshold is 30%; Duluth falls within that guideline. Educational reference only.
- How much does commuting cost in Duluth?
- Average commute time in Duluth is 19 minutes per ACS. Estimated annual commute cost runs about $3,310. Educational reference only.
- How does the cost of living in Duluth compare to the national average?
- Duluth's BEA RPP index is 90, 10% below the national baseline of 100. For a household earning the national median income of $77,540, this translates to ~$7,754/yr in purchasing power difference. Educational reference only.
- What is the median home price in Duluth, MN?
- The median home price in Duluth is $253,294 as of 2025–2026.
- What is the average rent in Duluth?
- The median monthly rent in Duluth, MN is $1,559.
- Does the rent vs buy replace professional advice?
- No. This calculator gives educational estimates using public Duluth data and standard formulas. It is not personalized tax, legal, or investment advice. Consult a licensed professional for decisions with material consequences.
Minnesota State Context
Minnesota Real Estate Tips
Minnesota's median home price of $345,000 is near the national average, with Twin Cities metro running $350-450K.
Minnesota Housing offers multiple programs with DPA and below-market rates.
Property taxes at 1.12% are slightly above the national average.
Minnesota Homebuyer Programs
- ✓Minnesota Housing Start Up Program — below-market mortgages with DPA.
- ✓Minnesota Housing Deferred Payment Loan — up to $12,000 in DPA as a deferred loan.
Statewide Minnesota figures apply broadly across Duluth. County- and city-level variation can be significant — verify against local sources before closing a transaction. [3]
How we compute this — methodology
The Duluth page uses local median home price ($253,294), median rent ($1,559/mo), and property tax rate (1.30%) alongside the calculator's client-side formula. Calculations run in your browser — no inputs are sent to a server.
Known limits: ZIP-level variance within Duluth can be substantial — the figures shown are city-wide medians. For a precise property tax quote, consult your county assessor.
Sources
- Zillow Research — ZHVI (Zillow Home Value Index) + ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index), city-level. zillow.com/research/data. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for median household income and population. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs.
- CalcFi state financial context — tips + first-time homebuyer programs compiled from each state's Housing Finance Authority (HFA) public pages. See
src/data/state-financial-context.ts. - Tax Foundation — state property tax effective rates and state/local sales tax rates. taxfoundation.org.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rate averages used by mortgage-related calculators. freddiemac.com/pmms.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) — weekly national mortgage rates — www.freddiemac.com/pmms. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- NAIC Dwelling Fire, Homeowners Owners, and Homeowners Tenants Insurance Report — content.naic.org/article/homeowners-insurance-report. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- State Departments of Revenue — official bracket + deduction publications (one primary URL per state; linked in the brackets table below) — taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities by State — www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws — www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) — real median household income, unemployment, HPI, LFPR per state — fred.stlouisfed.org. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — state-level occupational wages — www.bls.gov/oes. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
Spot an error? Email [email protected] with the URL and the correct figure.
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National reference: Rent Vs Buy Calculator