Nobles County ranks third among Minnesota sites for affordability

Minnesota Now is reporting that Nobles County ranks as the third least expensive place to live in the state.

The rankings were compiled by focusing solely on the seven main areas of expense that individuals and families face by using Economic Policy Institute data. These seven areas are categorized as housing, food, child care, transportation, health care, other necessities and taxes.

According to MIT's living wage calculator, the statewide average annual cost for a family of four with two working parents is $110,360 in 2026 --up from $108,327 in 2025 and $106,353 in 2024.

The most recent data shows the average annual expense for a family of four in the United States is around $101,500 to $103,000, which means the cost to live in Minnesota is now 8.73 percent higher than the national average and up from 6.71 percent in 2025. As a whole, Minnesota now ranks 29th in the country for affordability, according to US News.

In Nobles County, the data shows that average monthly total cost of a family of four with two working parents is $7,909.33, which computes to an annual total of $94,912. The only Minnesota counties less costly than Nobles are Lyon County, which ranks second, and Wilkin County.

Among other area counties, Cottonwood County ranks sixth, Jackson County seventh, Pipestone County 12th, Murray County 15^th and Rock County 16^th among the least costly in the state.