According to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit think tank, a family of four – two adults and two children – can expect to pay an estimated $15,031 on housing in 2022. This amount varies across the country, however.
In Minnesota, a family of four will spend an average of $13,486 on housing per year, the 21st highest amount among states, according to the EPI’s Family Budget Calculator. This amount reflects both housing and utilities costs for a modest two-bedroom rental.
Housing costs are partially driven by what residents can afford, and states with higher rental costs also often have higher than average family incomes, and vice-versa. Minnesota is an exception, however. Though housing costs are lower than average in Minnesota, incomes are not. The typical family in the state earns $92,692 a year, compared to the national average of $80,069.
Housing cost figures in this story are 2022 estimates from the EPI and family income figures are five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey.
| Rank | State | Est. avg. housing cost, family of 4, 2022 ($) | Median family income ($) | Homeownership rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 23,734 | 89,798 | 55.3 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 23,335 | 97,813 | 60.3 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 22,294 | 106,526 | 62.5 |
| 4 | New York | 20,092 | 87,270 | 54.1 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 19,811 | 104,804 | 64.0 |
| 6 | Maryland | 17,840 | 105,790 | 67.1 |
| 7 | Washington | 17,824 | 92,422 | 63.3 |
| 8 | Colorado | 17,157 | 92,752 | 66.2 |
| 9 | Connecticut | 17,127 | 102,061 | 66.1 |
| 10 | Virginia | 15,870 | 93,284 | 66.7 |
| 11 | Oregon | 15,607 | 80,630 | 62.8 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 15,267 | 97,001 | 71.2 |
| 13 | Florida | 15,232 | 69,670 | 66.2 |
| 14 | Alaska | 14,566 | 92,648 | 64.8 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 14,502 | 89,330 | 61.6 |
| 16 | Vermont | 14,321 | 83,023 | 71.3 |
| 17 | Delaware | 14,037 | 84,825 | 71.4 |
| 18 | Arizona | 13,875 | 73,456 | 65.3 |
| 19 | Illinois | 13,692 | 86,251 | 66.3 |
| 20 | Nevada | 13,543 | 74,077 | 57.1 |
| 21 | Minnesota | 13,486 | 92,692 | 71.9 |
| 22 | Texas | 13,475 | 76,073 | 62.3 |
| 23 | Maine | 13,104 | 76,192 | 72.9 |
| 24 | Utah | 12,508 | 84,590 | 70.5 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | 12,412 | 80,996 | 69.0 |
| 26 | Georgia | 12,152 | 74,127 | 64.0 |
| 27 | Michigan | 11,467 | 75,470 | 71.7 |
| 28 | North Carolina | 11,360 | 70,978 | 65.7 |
| 29 | South Carolina | 11,096 | 68,813 | 70.1 |
| 30 | Louisiana | 11,046 | 65,427 | 66.6 |
| 31 | Montana | 10,972 | 72,773 | 68.5 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 10,970 | 80,844 | 67.1 |
| 33 | Tennessee | 10,906 | 68,793 | 66.5 |
| 34 | Idaho | 10,791 | 70,885 | 70.8 |
| 35 | New Mexico | 10,784 | 62,611 | 68.0 |
| 36 | Kansas | 10,740 | 77,620 | 66.2 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 10,551 | 80,125 | 66.2 |
| 38 | Wyoming | 10,423 | 81,290 | 71.0 |
| 39 | Missouri | 10,344 | 72,834 | 67.1 |
| 40 | Indiana | 10,331 | 73,265 | 69.5 |
| 41 | Ohio | 10,324 | 74,391 | 66.3 |
| 42 | North Dakota | 10,236 | 86,798 | 62.5 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 10,059 | 67,511 | 66.1 |
| 44 | Iowa | 9,802 | 79,186 | 71.2 |
| 45 | Alabama | 9,784 | 66,772 | 69.2 |
| 46 | Kentucky | 9,687 | 65,893 | 67.6 |
| 47 | South Dakota | 9,670 | 77,042 | 68.0 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 9,546 | 58,923 | 68.8 |
| 49 | West Virginia | 9,133 | 61,707 | 73.7 |
| 50 | Arkansas | 8,993 | 62,067 | 65.8 |
