Interstate Relocation: Minnesota → California

Moving from Minnesota to California: Cost & Tax Comparison

Compare state income tax savings, HUD rent differentials, and household purchasing power adjustments when relocating from Minnesota to California.

Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Effective Tax Rate Change +0.9 pts CA vs MN, $100k single
Annual Tax Savings -$934 Federal + FICA + state, $100k
1BR Rent Change +94.0% Avg 1BR $1,899 vs $979/mo
Net Annual Difference -$11,980 Tax savings + 1BR rent savings

What changes when you move from Minnesota to California

Minnesota has graduated income tax rates up to 9.85% and California has graduated income tax rates up to 13.3%. On a $100,000 salary a single filer pays $5,277 in state income tax in Minnesota and $4,911 in state income tax in California. With federal income tax and FICA unchanged, total tax rises by $934 a year after the move. HUD's one-bedroom Fair Market Rent averages $979 a month across Minnesota's metro areas and $1,899 across California's (+94.0%). Pay differs too: the BLS median wage across all occupations, weighted by employment in each state's metros, is $58,289 in Minnesota and $58,891 in California. City and county income taxes, which some localities add, are not included in these state-level figures; the metro routes below include them.

Origin State: Minnesota

Minnesota Paycheck & Living Costs

Destination State: California

California Paycheck & Living Costs

Metropolitan Corridors Between Minnesota & California

Duluth, MN-WI → Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA On $100k: $934 more tax and $17,292 more 1BR rent a year
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Duluth, MN-WI → Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA On $100k: $934 more tax and $8,928 more 1BR rent a year
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Moving from Minnesota to California: Cost & Tax Comparison Overview

Moving from Minnesota to California on a $100,000 salary: pay $934 more in total taxes per year; average one-bedroom rent is $1,899 vs $979 a month (HUD FMR).

Quick answers
How much money will I save moving from Minnesota to California?

For a single filer earning $100,000 with no local income tax, total federal, FICA and state taxes are $934 higher in California than in Minnesota (0.9 percentage points of gross pay). The average HUD one-bedroom Fair Market Rent across California's metros is $1,899 a month, versus $979 in Minnesota (+94.0%). Taxes and one-bedroom rent combined change by -$11,980 a year.

What are the key tax differences between Minnesota and California?

Minnesota: Graduated Brackets, top rate 9.85%. California: Graduated Brackets, top rate 13.3%. Federal income tax and FICA are the same in both states.