Minneapolis vs. St. Paul – which one are you?

The Minneapolis vs. St. Paul debate is almost as old as the two cities themselves. Do you nerd out on history or thrive on nightlife? Hate traveling by car or love the challenge of navigating city roads? Prefer the skyline from the east or the west? Put this age-old controversy to rest, as least when it comes to you personally, by finding out if you are more Minneapolis or St. Paul.

Take our quiz and discover which side of the river calls to you!

Now that you know if you are Minneapolis or St. Paul, let's take a closer look at both cities.

Minneapolis schools

Minneapolis Public Schools help nearly 36,000 students at more than 70 schools throughout Minneapolis neighborhoods prepare for college and future careers. In addition to traditional neighborhood schools, Minneapolis offers language learning through Spanish immersion programs, Indigenous language pathways, dual language programs and a variety of world language options. The district also offers a range of magnet and specialty schools.

Minneapolis recently introduced Full-Service Community Schools, defined as both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and local community resources. Bethune, Cityview and Green Central became the city’s first three FSCS. These schools are open to everyone all day, every day, evenings and weekends with the goal of improving and uniting the entire community.

Minneapolis Public Schools

Saint Paul schools

The Saint Paul Public Schools district serves more than 37,000 students on 56 school campuses, offering a variety of early education options and college and career readiness programs. Similar to Minneapolis, Saint Paul Schools place an emphasis on global cultures and multilingual learning including language immersion schools in Spanish, French, Hmong, Mandarin and German.

Saint Paul made headlines earlier this year when it decided to change school start times to better align with sleep research that shows benefits for teenagers who start school later in the morning. This fall, the start time for all secondary schools in Saint Paul changed to 8:30 a.m.

Saint Paul Public Schools

Read more about local schools in our recent Insights article, Best cities for young families in Minnesota. Spoiler alert: Minneapolis and Saint Paul both rank in the top nine!

Minneapolis cost of living

• Median sold price: $285K
• Population: 406,148
• Bikeability score: 82/100
• ParkScore®: 96 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park

Learn more about living in Minneapolis

St. Paul cost of living

• Median sold price: $230K
• Population: 298,326
• Bikeability score: 63/100
• ParkScore®: 98 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park

Learn more about living in Saint Paul

Exploring the Minneapolis skyline and nightlife

Minneapolis is home to three professional sports stadiums within walking distance from each other: U.S. Bank Stadium—home to the Minnesota Vikings, Target Center—home to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx, and Target Field—home to the Minnesota Twins.

No need to worry about those sub-zero temps—the Minneapolis downtown skyway system connects 80 city blocks within its 9.5 miles of enclosed walkways. The world-famous First Avenue nightclub, made famous by Prince, continues to draw large crowds, national performers and up-and-coming stars. The Minneapolis scene is known for its variety, arts, lively nightlife and numerous theaters.

Meet Minneapolis

Exploring the St. Paul skyline and nightlife

Saint Paul also claims its share of popular venues with the Xcel Energy Center—home to Minnesota Wild hockey, Allianz Field—home to the Minnesota United FC soccer team, and CHS Field—home to the popular St. Paul Saints baseball.

Saint Paul is rich in history and museums. The city still celebrates its gangster roots that date back to 1849 and a bootlegger named Pig’s Eye. Home to 104 nationally registered historic sites, the city invites you to take a walk down the regal Summit Avenue, step back in time at historic Fort Snelling or take a guided tour of the Minnesota State Capitol. Lifelong learning prevails here with a visit to the Science Museum of Minnesota, Minnesota History Museum, Hmong Cultural Center and numerous other must-see locales.

Visit Saint Paul