Rents are 3% below what Duluth's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,434 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
October. Asking rents in Duluth usually run 0.8% below trend in October and 0.6% above it in July, about $20 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in Duluth is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in October 2017.
Rent in Duluth changed +3.4% over the year to September 2026. Across the 53 Minnesota cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.4%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Duluth rose 29.7% while median household income rose 31.2% ($52,463 to $68,807). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Duluth is 38.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 8 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($68,807) is $1,720 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,666); a 4-bedroom is $2,078.
The priciest of 5 ZIP codes in Duluth, 55811 ($2,073/mo), costs 1.8 times the cheapest, 55806 ($1,171/mo).
Superior, WI, 14 miles away, rents for 21% less ($1,126/mo), about $3,700 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Duluth. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
Is your rent fair?
Compare your rent to the local median.
Who lives here
Duluth, MN is majority owner-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, 44% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Duluth, MN has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Duluth, MN has shifted from $1,098 to $1,434, up 30.6% since 2021. Median household income climbed from $58,014 to $68,807 between 2021 and 2024, a 18.6% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 40.4% to 44% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in Duluth, MN reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
Discussions about Duluth
No discussions yet. Start the conversation.
Can you afford rent in Duluth on your salary?
At $1,434/mo, how Duluth rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Duluth rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Duluth. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Duluth
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Duluth is $1,434/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $848/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,236/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $972/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,666/mo.
At 25% of local median household income ($68,807/yr), Duluth ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in Duluth?
Is rent going up or down in Duluth?
When is the cheapest time to rent in Duluth?
Has rent outpaced income in Duluth?
Which Duluth neighborhoods have the lowest rent?
How does Duluth rent compare to other cities in Minnesota?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Duluth?
At $1,434/mo, rent takes ~25% of Duluth's median household income ($68,807/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
How does this area stack up?
Pick another city or ZIP to compare.
Estimated from ZIP-level data
Be the first to submit your rent for Duluth.
No discussions yet.