Is $126,000 a good salary in Minnesota?

$126,000 in Minnesota provides a monthly take-home of approximately $7,406 after taxes. Across major Minnesota cities, this salary is rated very comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $5,075.

What is the cost of living on $126,000 in Minnesota?

The average monthly living cost across major Minnesota cities is approximately $2,331 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $126,000 take-home pay of $7,406/month, you would have roughly $5,075/month remaining.

Living in Minnesota · 2026

Is $126,000 enough to live in Minnesota?

Single adult · MN · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$7,406

Avg monthly expenses

$2,331

Avg monthly surplus

$5,075

Savings potential

~69%

After-tax take-home in Minnesota

Gross salary$126,000

Federal income tax− $19,154

State income tax− $8,339

Social Security− $7,812

Medicare− $1,827

Annual take-home$88,868

Effective tax rate29.47%

How $126,000 feels in Minnesota cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Minneapolis

COL index: 1.17× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,600

Food

$484

Transport

$205

Utilities

$193

Healthcare

$234

Total: $2,716/mo

Surplus: $4,690/mo

Rent burden: 21.6% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Minneapolis analysis →

St Paul

COL index: 1.10× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,450

Food

$462

Transport

$193

Utilities

$182

Healthcare

$220

Total: $2,507/mo

Surplus: $4,899/mo

Rent burden: 19.6% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full St Paul analysis →

Rochester

COL index: 0.95× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,150

Food

$440

Transport

$166

Utilities

$157

Healthcare

$190

Total: $2,103/mo

Surplus: $5,303/mo

Rent burden: 15.5% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Rochester analysis →

Duluth

COL index: 0.88× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,000

Food

$418

Transport

$154

Utilities

$145

Healthcare

$176

Total: $1,893/mo

Surplus: $5,513/mo

Rent burden: 13.5% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Duluth analysis →

Bloomington

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,400

Food

$418

Transport

$189

Utilities

$178

Healthcare

$216

Total: $2,401/mo

Surplus: $5,005/mo

Rent burden: 18.9% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Bloomington analysis →

Brooklyn Park

COL index: 1.05× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,350

Food

$449

Transport

$184

Utilities

$173

Healthcare

$210

Total: $2,366/mo

Surplus: $5,040/mo

Rent burden: 18.2% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Brooklyn Park analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $7,406 ($88,872/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$3,703

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$2,222

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$1,481

per month

›Emergency fund
›401(k) / IRA
›Investments
›Down payment fund
›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$44,436

Wants / year

$26,662

Savings / year

$17,774

Salary Intelligence

Good salary in Minneapolis

Rent represents 22% of take-home income — comfortably within the recommended 25% guideline. This is a solid salary for this location.

Lifestyle score: 7.2/10 (Very Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $126,000 salary comfortably supports a very good single lifestyle in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with approximately $4,690/month (~63% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Minneapolis's above-average cost of living (index: 1.17) means $126,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $107,692 in an average-cost US city, or $127,077 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$126,000 is 150% above the Minnesota individual median of $50,400 and 125% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.

State individual median

$50,400

+150%

State household median

$87,012

+45%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)

401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$126,000 vs. Minnesota income benchmarks

Individual median (Minnesota)

$50,400

+150% vs. this salary

Household median (Minnesota)

$87,012

+45% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Minnesota

$40,000 $60,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

•Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
•Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
•Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Data updated monthly using government datasets.