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Duluth vs Bloomington

146 miles apart. The biggest differences: work in town (+43.7 pts in Duluth) and trails (3.7× in Duluth).

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Duluth, MNA colonial town, settled 1679Minnesota · 87,093 people
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Bloomington, MNA college townMinnesota · 88,665 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $370 more a month in Bloomington

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Duluth$1,860/mo
Typical home $298K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,087/mo · Housing →
Bloomington$2,220/mo
Typical home $362K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $1,561/mo · Housing →

The difference: $370 a month, about $4,400 a year, between Bloomington and Duluth.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Bloomington places higher on 13 of 23 MN lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Minnesota ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
DuluthBloomington
Snow a year56″51″
January low6°F9°F
July high76°F83°F
Growing season (days)154d176d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)28th27th
Outdoors & history
DuluthBloomington
Conserved land8.6%20.9%
Settled16791843
National Register places443
Archive photos1712
Famous people born here5937
Community
DuluthBloomington
Library hours a week44 hrs52 hrs
Colleges in town34
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

146 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Duluth ↔ Bloomington146 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

DuluthBloomington
People
Population 87,093Lowest 88,665Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.5%Lowest MN: +7.6% +8.6%Highest MN: +7.6%
Median age 35.2±0.7Lowest 9% below MN 41.1±0.9Highest 6% above MN
Kids under 18 17.6%±0.8Lowest MN: 22.9% 20%±1.3Highest MN: 22.9%
Age 65+ 17.3%±0.7Lowest MN: 17.3% 20.6%±1Highest MN: 17.3%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 44%Lowest MN: 39.4% 46.2%Highest MN: 39.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 14.6%±0.9Highest MN: 5.8% 5.4%±0.7Lowest MN: 5.8%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $68,807±$2kLowest 23% below MN $93,211±$3kHighest 5% above MN
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $242,700±$5kLowest 26% below MN $361,700±$5kHighest 10% above MN
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,087±$45Lowest 15% below MN $1,561±$36Highest 22% above MN
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,885Lowest 14% below MN $3,881Highest 16% above MN
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54%±3.2Highest MN: 48.1% 46.3%±4Lowest MN: 48.1%
Below poverty line 16.8%Highest MN: 9.3% 9.2%Lowest MN: 9.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59.4%Lowest MN: 72.2% 65.7%Highest MN: 72.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1951Lowest 28 yrs older than MN 1972Highest 7 yrs older than MN
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 24% below MN 21 minHighest 7% below MN
Work from home 13.2%±1.3Lowest MN: 17.6% 22.3%±1.8Highest MN: 17.6%
Work in townworking residents 63.2%Highest 19.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.8 miLowest 8.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.65Lowest 1.97Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Superior (5%)Minneapolis (17%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BloomingtonFew work in Duluth
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 8.6%Lowest 20.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 172.4 miHighest 46.3 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.2 miHighest 1.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 70Lowest 73Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 36.3Lowest 75.4Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #136 of 230 in MN#163 of 230 in MN
School district DULUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACADEMY · DULUTH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTSuccess Academy · New Century School
High school in town East High SchoolJefferson High School
Students per teacherat that high school 20.3Lowest 22.8Highest
Minnesota average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Duluth neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Duluth’s Town Square.

Bloomington neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bloomington’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Duluth and Bloomington

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Bordering Duluth

Towns like Duluth

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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