Elgin vs St. Paul
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $273,000 in Elgin and $294,500 in St. Paul.
- Households earn more in Elgin ($90,282 vs $73,394 median).
- Elgin has the warmer winter: January highs of 30°F vs 24°F.
- St. Paul gets far more snow: 51 inches a year vs 32.
- Elgin is growing faster: +0.6% since 2020 vs -1.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in St. Paul (21 vs 28 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Elgin, IL | St. Paul, MN | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 115,476 | 306,684 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0.6% | -1.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,025 | 5,900 |
| Median age | 36.7 | 33.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27% | 44% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $90,282 | $73,394 |
| Median home value | $273,000 | $294,500 |
| Home value to income | 3.0× | 4.0× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,361 | $1,281 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.6 | 104.8 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 112.0 | 111.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,700 | $78,600 |
| Homeowners | 72% | 53% |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 9.85% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.98% | 8.14% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.2 | 21.1 |
| Work from home | 13% | 20% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 5% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.1% | 5.4% |
| Poverty rate | 9.8% | 15.6% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 30° / 14° | 24° / 9° |
| July high / low | 84° / 63° | 83° / 65° |
| Precipitation per year | 40 in | 32 in |
| Snowfall per year | 32 in | 51 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 15 | 13 |
| Nights below freezing | 139 | 147 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 94.6 | 94.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 30% | 55% |
| Home prices, past year | +6% | +2.6% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +53% | +27.3% |
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: Elgin: June to September. St. Paul: May and July to September.
Full monthly tables: Elgin weather by month and St. Paul weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,700 in Elgin and $78,600 in St. Paul. Moving from Elgin to St. Paul, you would need about $75,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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