Bloomington MN vs Burlington VT — Cost of Living, Crime & Income Comparison 2026

Updated May 2026 · Source: US Census ACS 5-Year (2023), FBI CDE (2023), BLS OEWS (2024)

Bloomington, MN

Minnesota · Population: 71,261

  • Median HH Income$103,382
  • Median Home Price$366,438
  • Unemployment4.5%
  • Bachelor's+36.1%

Burlington, VT

Vermont · Population: 44,649

  • Median HH Income$68,854
  • Median Home Price$510,361
  • Unemployment4.6%
  • Bachelor's+60.5%

Detailed Comparison

Demographics

Population
Bloomington
71,261
Bloomington +
Burlington
44,649
Pop. Density / sq mi
Lower = more space
Bloomington
N/A
Burlington
N/A
Median Age
Bloomington
37.3
Burlington
26.7
Burlington +
Foreign Born
Bloomington
14.1%
Bloomington +
Burlington
7.2%
White
Bloomington
72.7%
Burlington
85.8%
Burlington +
Black
Bloomington
8.6%
Bloomington +
Burlington
3.7%
Asian
Bloomington
9.5%
Bloomington +
Burlington
3.7%
Hispanic
Bloomington
5.1%
Bloomington +
Burlington
3.3%
Spanish at Home
Bloomington
N/A
Burlington
N/A

Economy

Median HH Income
Bloomington
$103,382
Bloomington +
Burlington
$68,854
Per Capita Income
Bloomington
$44,640
Bloomington +
Burlington
$39,027
Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)
BEA MSA-level
Bloomington
$69,467
Bloomington +
Burlington
$63,829
Unemployment Rate
Bloomington
4.5%
Bloomington +
Burlington
4.6%
Poverty Rate
Bloomington
6.5%
Bloomington +
Burlington
23.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
Bloomington
36.1%
Burlington
60.5%
Burlington +

Housing

Median Home Value
Zillow ZHVI / Census ACS
Bloomington
$366,438
Bloomington +
Burlington
$510,361
Homeownership Rate
Bloomington
85.0%
Bloomington +
Burlington
39.8%

Safety

Violent Crime / 100K
FBI CDE (state-level est.)
Bloomington
284
Burlington
224
Burlington +
Property Crime / 100K
FBI CDE (state-level est.)
Bloomington
1992
Burlington
1714
Burlington +

Health

Obesity Rate
CDC PLACES
Bloomington
26.8%
Burlington
23.1%
Burlington +
Diabetes Rate
CDC PLACES
Bloomington
8.9%
Burlington
5.4%
Burlington +
Poor Mental Health
CDC PLACES — 14+ days/month
Bloomington
14.2%
Bloomington +
Burlington
20.3%
No Health Insurance
CDC PLACES
Bloomington
8.5%
Burlington
6.9%
Burlington +
Binge Drinking
CDC PLACES
Bloomington
17.2%
Bloomington +
Burlington
19.1%
Current Smokers
CDC PLACES
Bloomington
11.4%
Burlington
9.5%
Burlington +

Climate

Avg Annual Temp
NOAA 1991–2020 normal
Bloomington
N/A
Burlington
46.0°F
Annual Precipitation
NOAA 1991–2020 normal
Bloomington
N/A
Burlington
36.8 in

Air Quality

PM2.5 Annual Avg
EPA AQS (state-level est.)
Bloomington
8.1 µg/m³
Burlington
6.2 µg/m³
Burlington +
Good Air Days
AQI ≤ 50
Bloomington
75.0%
Burlington
75.0%
Tie

Commute

Mean Commute Time
Census ACS
Bloomington
27.0 min
Burlington
20.6 min
Burlington +

Which City is Right for You?

Bloomington leads in median household income at $103,382, while bloomington offers more affordable housing with a median home price of $366,438. On public safety, Burlington is safer with a violent crime rate of 224 per 100,000 residents, compared to 284 in Bloomington. Bloomington has a lower unemployment rate at 4.5%, and Burlington has cleaner air (PM2.5 avg 6.2 µg/m³). For overall health outcomes, Burlington scores better with a lower obesity rate of 23.1%.

Compare More Cities

About Bloomington & Burlington