MN city profile

Bemidji Cost of Living

Bemidji is a supplemental starter city profile for the northwoods regional access market in Minnesota, useful for route coverage and starter comparisons around rent, housing, utilities, wages, benefits, insurance, and moving costs.

Median rent$1,513
Home price$216,534
Salary needed$53,167
Move score82/100

Decision Brief

What Bemidji Means for a Monthly Budget

Start here before diving into source readiness: this translates the starter numbers into the first budget questions a mover would ask.

Housing floor

Rent plus utilities

$1,723/mo

Starter monthly baseline before insurance, transportation, childcare, debt, healthcare, and deposits.

Income fit

Rent share

34%

Rent as a share of the monthly income target of $4,431.

Best next check

Check move timing

82/100

One of the stronger starter relocation signals in this state set.

Budget itemStarter valueHow to use it
Rent benchmark$1,513/moUse this as the first housing filter before deposits, parking, pet rent, and insurance.
Rent plus utilities$1,723/moA starter housing floor for comparing monthly pressure across nearby cities.
Monthly income target$4,431/moDerived from the annual salary-needed estimate; verify taxes and household size later.
Home price signal$216,534Useful for buy-versus-rent screening before taxes, insurance, HOA, and mortgage rates.
Groceries index106Directional grocery pressure benchmark until source-backed local rows are added.

Metric Readiness

Bemidji Cost Data Checklist

2 of 6 metrics have source-backed rows.

MetricCurrent ValueReview StatusSource
Median rent$1,513Source-backedZillow Observed Rent Index city all-homes rent, Apr 30, 2026
Home price$216,534Source-backedZillow Home Value Index city all-homes mid-tier value, Apr 30, 2026
Utilities$210/moStarter estimateNeeds metric-level source row
Groceries index106Starter estimateNeeds metric-level source row
Salary needed$53,167Starter estimateNeeds metric-level source row
Move score82/100Starter estimateNeeds metric-level source row

City Snapshot

Bemidji Budget Signals

Starter comparisons against the current Minnesota city set.

Higher-rent market

Rent Position

$1,513

$33 above the state starter average.

Lower salary target

Salary Fit

$53,167

$10,474 below the state starter average.

Monthly pressure

Utilities

$210

Starter monthly utility benchmark before provider and home-efficiency checks.

Move score

Relocation Signal

82/100

One of the stronger starter relocation signals in this state set.

Budget Read

Salary Needed Estimate

A starter household income estimate for comparing cities is $53,167. The next data pass should split this by household size, tax profile, debt payments, and renter versus homeowner scenarios.

Median rent$1,513
Home price$216,534
Utilities$210/mo
Groceries106
Salary needed$53,167
Move score82/100

Data note

The metric readiness table marks which numbers are backed by metric-level source rows and which remain starter estimates. Replace starter estimates with sourced rows before publishing advice pages at scale.

Move Readiness

Before Moving to Bemidji

Treat this as a short pre-move screen. It turns the starter profile into a practical checklist for budget, support, and bill-risk research.

Budget

Confirm the full monthly stack

Start with $1,513 rent and $210 utilities, then add insurance, transportation, healthcare, childcare, debt, and deposits.

Comparison

Test cheaper nearby options

Bemidji is $33 above the Minnesota starter rent average, so compare at least two other city pages before choosing a lease.

Benefits

Check local support before a crisis

Open the Bemidji benefits page for food, healthcare, rent, utility, and local intake pathways.

Bills

Price the recurring bill risks

Quote insurance, mobile, internet, utilities, and debt payments early so the rent number does not hide the real monthly pressure.

Compare Nearby

Bemidji Versus Other Minnesota Markets

Use these starter comparisons to decide which city page or calculator to open next.

Nearby comparison

Minneapolis

Rent: $1,566. Salary needed: $74,100.

Nearby comparison

Bloomington

Rent: $1,654. Salary needed: $58,500.

Next Actions

Plan Around Bemidji

Move from the city profile into practical tools and local support paths.