State of the State’s Housing 2019 – Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP)

In its second edition, State of the State’s Housing shows that more than a quarter of Minnesota families pay more than they can afford for housing — and that number is growing. As legislators make critical decisions about housing funding and programs across Minnesota, this report provides a comprehensive and compelling look at important metrics at the state, region and county levels.

In addition to spotlighting key trends, like the gap between the costs of housing and the salaries of in-demand jobs, the report also ranks counties on benchmarks like renter cost burden and showcases issues like aging housing stock with dynamic maps. The report also shares stories from communities collaborating to tackle local needs.

The major takeaway: Minnesota’s lack of affordable homes impacts everyone, everywhere across our state. And for people of color and Indigenous people, Minnesotans at the lowest income levels, and seniors, the impacts are particularly severe.

Click here to download the full report.

In 2019, from racial disparities to cost burden, many trends are going in the wrong direction.

Building on our County Profiles, released each year since 2009, MHP created the State of the State’s Housing to continue to benchmark progress at the state, region and county levels in critical areas, including

cost-burdened households paying at least 30% of their income for housing;
a comparison of what common jobs pay relative to what renting and owning actually costs;
changes in rent and home values;
construction of multi- and single-family homes;
trends in homelessness;
and more!

The report also includes county rankings and maps that reveal trends in areas like gross rent increase, affordable housing for extremely low-income households and housing cost burden for seniors.

Click here to download the full report.

Top five takeaways and solutions

Because our homes impact every aspect of our lives, the concerning trends highlighted in State of the State’s Housing affect all of us. Therefore, tackling Minnesota’s deep need for affordable housing will require collaboration and investment across all sectors and all levels of government. While there is no single solution, opportunities to address this issue are already within reach. It’s up to us to seize them together.

Download a one-pager highlighting the top five takeaways from the report and actions we can take NOW to address Minnesota’s pressing need for affordable homes.

Watch a video summarizing the report:

Regional analyses and County Profiles

With 87 counties spanning urban and rural communities, Minnesota is diverse in its housing needs and challenges. Click below to download regional analyses and county profiles for your area of the state.

Central Region

The Central region is home to 282,160 households, 78 percent of which are homeowners and 22 percent renters. This region has the largest percentage of homeowners in the state, as well as the highest rate of owner cost burden in the state. The Central region has also seen some of sharpest declines in median owner income, and significant increases in housing costs in recent years. At $57,700, the East Central portion of the region has the second highest cost of living in the state, just behind the Twin Cities, with housing accounting for approximately 20 percent of a household’s budget. By 2035, the region is expected to gain an additional 41,715 individuals, making Central the second fastest growing region in the state after the Twin Cities. As the Central region grows, it will be critical to expand affordable housing opportunities for renters, homeowners, and seniors to reduce housing cost burden and support a strong economy

Download the Central Region Spotlight