CostIndexUSA

College Station, TX vs Rochester, MN Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostTX
College Station
91
overall index
$1,700/mo rent
MN
Rochester
90.8
overall index
$1,625/mo rent

College Station and Rochester have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing+4.7%
College Station
75.1
Rochester
78.6
🛒 Groceries+1.7%
College Station
93.8
Rochester
95.4
🚗 Transportation4.3%
College Station
101.1
Rochester
96.8
🏥 Healthcare4.2%
College Station
91.4
Rochester
87.6
Utilities+3.6%
College Station
84.4
Rochester
87.4

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in College Station to see what you'd need to earn in Rochester to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
Equivalent salary in Rochester, MN
$79,800
$200 less needed in Rochester

Formula: salary × (90.8 ÷ 91) = salary × 0.9978. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

College Station, TX

Median Home Price
$301,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,700
Housing Index
75.1
Price-to-Rent Ratio
14.8×

Rochester, MN

Median Home Price
$324,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,625
Housing Index
78.6
Price-to-Rent Ratio
16.6×

Rochester has 4.7% higher housing costs compared to College Station.

Income & Job Market

College Station, TX

Median Household Income
$54,700
Per Capita Income
$31,200
Unemployment Rate
4.8%
Population
120,511
Top Industries
EducationTechnologyHealthcareGovernmentResearch

Rochester, MN

Median Household Income
$85,200
Per Capita Income
$48,600
Unemployment Rate
2.8%
Population
121,395
Top Industries
HealthcareTechnologyEducationManufacturingFinance

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

College Station, TX
2.7×income-to-rent ratio

63% of income left after rent (median)

Rochester, MN
4.4×income-to-rent ratio

77% of income left after rent (median)

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.