Bloomington vs Manchester
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $361,700 in Bloomington and $365,600 in Manchester.
- Households earn more in Bloomington ($93,211 vs $81,007 median).
- Manchester has the warmer winter: January highs of 32°F vs 24°F.
- Manchester gets far more snow: 68 inches a year vs 51.
- Manchester is growing faster: +1% since 2020 vs -1%.
- New Hampshire has no state income tax on wages; Minnesota's top rate is 9.85%.
Side by side
| Bloomington, MN | Manchester, NH | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 89,034 | 116,818 |
| Growth since 2020 | -1% | +1% |
| People per square mile | 2,566 | 3,532 |
| Median age | 41.1 | 38.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46% | 34% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $93,211 | $81,007 |
| Median home value | $361,700 | $365,600 |
| Home value to income | 3.9× | 4.5× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,561 | $1,564 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 104.8 | 105.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 111.8 | 134.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $78,600 | $79,200 |
| Homeowners | 66% | 49% |
| Top state income tax | 9.85% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.14% | 0% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.0 | 23.9 |
| Work from home | 22% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 4% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.8% | 3.3% |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 11.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 24° / 9° | 32° / 13° |
| July high / low | 83° / 65° | 83° / 59° |
| Precipitation per year | 32 in | 42 in |
| Snowfall per year | 51 in | 68 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 13 | 14 |
| Nights below freezing | 147 | 165 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.3 | 89.8 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 55% | 85% |
| Home prices, past year | +2.6% | +4.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +27.3% | +52.4% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Bloomington: May and July to September. Manchester: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Bloomington weather by month and Manchester weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $78,600 in Bloomington and $79,200 in Manchester. Moving from Bloomington to Manchester, you would need about $75,600 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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