Jobs, pay and daily life in Duluth, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Duluth is a city in Minnesota with 87,093 residents. The median household earns $68,807 a year and the median rent is $1,087 a month, which is 19.0% of the median household income. It is part of the Duluth, MN-WI metropolitan area, where BLS counts 124,710 jobs.
How Duluth compares. Among the 80 largest places in Minnesota, Duluth is #5 by population, #10 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #65 for household income (#1 = highest), #65 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Saint Louis County, is #17 of 87 counties for average pay ($60,452).
Duluth has 87,093 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.5% of the population of Minnesota. It covers 72 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,215 people per square mile. The median age is 35.2, 9% younger than the state median (35.2 against 38.8).
The median gross rent is $1,087 a month (rent plus utilities), 15% below the state median ($1,087 against $1,280). Over a year that is 19.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $242,700, which is 3.5 times the median household income ($68,807); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 59.4% of households own their home, 18% below the state average (59.4% against 72.2%).
The Duluth, MN-WI metropolitan area has 124,710 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $50,000 a year, about the same as the national median ($50,000 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (13,300 jobs, median $48,440); food preparation and serving related (13,260 jobs, median $30,470); sales and related (10,780 jobs, median $35,970). The area is most specialised in healthcare support (1.4 times) and construction and extraction (1.4 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($99,800) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($92,650). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Saint Louis County was 4.8%. 66.2% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Saint Louis County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 69.1% drive alone, 3.3% use public transit, 4.7% walk, 13.2% work from home. 4.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 57% below the state average (4.5% against 10.5%).
44.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 12% above the state share (44.0% against 39.4%). 3.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 64% below the state share (3.1% against 8.7%). The poverty rate is 16.8%, 81% above the state rate (16.8% against 9.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 67°F (19.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 10°F (-12.0°C). About 782 mm (31 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (104 mm) and Jan the driest (23 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Superior (6 miles, rent 17% lower); Hibbing (57 miles, rent 23% lower); Brainerd (102 miles, rent 24% lower); Forest Lake (113 miles, rent 31% higher). Rent differences are against Duluth; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Minnesota (792) →State guide: MinnesotaCountry guideSaint Louis CountyMinnesota rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 792 federal postings open in Minnesota (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Minnesota →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 5,660 | 1.64 | $36,390 | $31,240 | $44,790 | +2% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,410 | 1.63 | $96,940 | $77,460 | $125,980 | -1% |
| Retail Salespersons | 3,490 | 1.12 | $34,650 | $27,500 | $45,710 | -2% |
| Cashiers | 3,290 | 1.33 | $33,020 | $27,130 | $37,560 | +0% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,910 | 0.94 | $29,260 | $24,250 | $35,980 | -6% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,690 | 0.96 | $85,930 | $44,600 | $168,870 | -19% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,590 | 1.31 | $46,820 | $35,030 | $63,610 | +4% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,100 | 1.15 | $23,150 | $23,150 | $39,570 | -34% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,050 | 1.24 | $60,970 | $46,510 | $81,430 | +4% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,930 | 0.85 | $34,700 | $28,630 | $45,500 | -7% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,930 | 1.09 | $37,230 | $28,390 | $51,270 | +1% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,820 | 1.48 | $58,900 | $37,650 | $83,990 | +19% |
| Bartenders | 1,630 | 2.70 | $23,540 | $21,740 | $37,340 | -31% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,610 | 1.38 | $44,250 | $36,180 | $48,760 | +5% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,590 | 1.40 | $39,510 | $30,380 | $47,570 | +7% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,560 | 0.66 | $44,080 | $33,890 | $60,540 | +10% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,500 | 0.72 | $44,940 | $30,280 | $62,910 | +0% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,460 | 1.29 | $36,680 | $29,100 | $45,390 | -2% |
| Construction Laborers | 1,390 | 1.58 | $61,340 | $43,620 | $89,430 | +30% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,380 | 1.23 | $46,510 | $38,690 | $60,260 | +4% |
These figures are for the whole Duluth, MN-WI metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $50,000 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 33.0% |
| Retail trade | 12.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.6% |
| Manufacturing | 7.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.8% |
| Construction | 4.6% |
| Public administration | 4.5% |
| Other services | 4.4% |
| Information | 1.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.0% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Duluth lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Louis County | 200,123 | $13,874 million | $69,326 | 95,504 | 5,646 | $60,452 | +0.9% | 4.8% | 97,699 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 24,190 | 30.0% | $68,738 | 1.77 |
| Retail trade | 11,325 | 14.0% | $35,175 | 1.19 |
| Accommodation and food services | 9,418 | 11.7% | $23,060 | 1.08 |
| Manufacturing | 5,523 | 6.8% | $69,885 | 0.70 |
| Construction | 4,551 | 5.6% | $81,268 | 0.91 |
| Professional and technical services | 3,894 | 4.8% | $88,119 | 0.59 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 3,373 | 4.2% | $113,334 | 9.34 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3,285 | 4.1% | $36,562 | 1.14 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,525 | 3.1% | $78,196 | 0.65 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,475 | 3.1% | $65,300 | 0.61 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,857 | 2.3% | $75,721 | 0.49 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,764 | 2.2% | $21,668 | 1.10 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,626 | 2.0% | $40,372 | 0.29 |
| Educational services | 1,409 | 1.7% | $44,032 | 0.71 |
| Real estate and rental | 999 | 1.2% | $45,112 | 0.67 |
| Utilities | 934 | 1.2% | $117,494 | 2.57 |
| Information | 732 | 0.9% | $55,908 | 0.41 |
| Management of companies | 627 | 0.8% | $92,614 | 0.39 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 137 | 0.2% | $38,226 | 0.18 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 69.1% |
| Public transit | 3.3% |
| Walk | 4.7% |
| Work from home | 13.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.5% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,807 |
| Income per person | $41,503 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,087 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.0% |
| Median home value | $242,700 |
| Homeowners | 59.4% |
| Poverty rate | 16.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 88.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $50,000 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 9.85%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 95.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 44.0% |
| Born abroad | 3.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 66.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -12.0 | 10 | 23 |
| Feb | -10.7 | 13 | 27 |
| Mar | -3.3 | 26 | 41 |
| Apr | 3.5 | 38 | 72 |
| May | 9.5 | 49 | 91 |
| Jun | 15.0 | 59 | 104 |
| Jul | 19.6 | 67 | 89 |
| Aug | 19.1 | 66 | 90 |
| Sep | 14.5 | 58 | 82 |
| Oct | 6.4 | 44 | 81 |
| Nov | -0.8 | 31 | 40 |
| Dec | -8.1 | 17 | 42 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior | WI | 6 mi | 26,677 | $64,216 | $900 |
| Hibbing | MN | 57 mi | 16,057 | $55,789 | $833 |
| Brainerd | MN | 102 mi | 14,468 | $56,111 | $827 |
| Forest Lake | MN | 113 mi | 20,729 | $92,944 | $1,421 |
| Ham Lake | MN | 117 mi | 16,702 | $120,135 | $1,173 |
| Hugo | MN | 118 mi | 16,340 | $116,228 | $1,891 |
| Andover | MN | 120 mi | 33,035 | $137,593 | $2,037 |
| Elk River | MN | 121 mi | 26,793 | $108,741 | $1,283 |
| Lino Lakes | MN | 121 mi | 22,113 | $127,181 | $1,874 |
| Blaine | MN | 122 mi | 72,488 | $106,801 | $1,705 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
87,093 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,087 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.0% of the median household income.
$68,807 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.8% (BLS county, Saint Louis County (latest month 2026M09)).
Minnesota. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.