How Much Does a Car Really Cost in Minneapolis–Saint Paul?

Minneapolis–Saint Paul figures checked October 26, 2026

The answer up front

For a worked example, use a 2026 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4 at $51,090, the truck Minnesota buys more than any other new vehicle. Over five years in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, it runs $71,867, or about $1,198 a month. The loan payment alone is $1,004 a month. The six buckets:

• Value lost: $19,721 ($51,090 minus $31,369 resale)
• Insurance: $15,180 ($3,036 a year x 5 years)
• Fuel: $12,029 (12,000 / 21 x $4.21 x 5 years)
• Maintenance: $7,000 ($1,400 x 5 years)
• Tax, fees and interest: $14,287 ($3,512 sales tax, $46 state fees, $10,729 loan interest)
• Registration and yearly tab tax: $3,650 ($3,500 tab tax, $50 base fees, $100 wheelage tax)

The state figures on this page match the Minnesota state door, which this city page builds on: the same 6.875% sales tax, the same tab-tax schedule, the same $46 in state fees. What changes for the Twin Cities is the city-level part, insurance at the Minneapolis rate, gas at the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro average, and a wheelage tax that is $20 a year on both sides of the river.

Day one: the 6.875% sales tax

Minnesota charges a 6.875% motor vehicle sales tax on the purchase price, in place since July 2023, when it replaced the old 6.5% rate. Older guides that still say 6.5% are out of date. On the $51,090 example, the tax is $3,512. Two things that help: local city and county sales taxes do not apply to vehicles in Minnesota, so the 6.875% is the whole sales tax in Minneapolis and in St. Paul alike, and a trade-in lowers the price the tax is figured on, trade in a $15,000 truck and the tax falls by about $1,031.

The bill that comes back every year: the tab tax

Minnesota's registration tax, the tab tax, is 1.575% of the vehicle's base sticker price (sticker price including destination), multiplied by an age factor that falls each year. For vehicles first registered since November 16, 2020, the factors are 100% in year 1, 95% in year 2, 90% in year 3, 80% in year 4, and 70% in year 5. On the $51,090 example:

• Year 1: $51,090 x 1.575% x 100% = $805
• Year 2: $51,090 x 1.575% x 95% = $764
• Year 3: $51,090 x 1.575% x 90% = $724
• Year 4: $51,090 x 1.575% x 80% = $644
• Year 5: $51,090 x 1.575% x 70% = $563

That is $3,500 over five years (yearly figures rounded to the nearest dollar). Add the $10 a year base fee ($50 over five years) and the county wheelage tax, $20 a year in Hennepin County (Minneapolis) and $20 a year in Ramsey County (St. Paul), per the state Department of Public Safety wheelage table, for $100 over five years, and the registration bucket is $3,650. The two cities agree on wheelage, so the example needs no side-of-the-river adjustment. Note for older vehicles: cars first registered before November 16, 2020 use a 1.54% rate instead, so a used car's tab bill runs a little lower than this schedule.

Title and plates: the smaller stack

The state's own one-time fees are small: title fee $8.25, transfer tax $10, plates $15.50, filing fee $12, $45.75 in all, rounded to $46 in the total. As on the state door, dealer documentation fees are not in this total because no verified typical figure was found, a real Twin Cities purchase will likely add a dealer fee on top of the $46, and the total above would rise by that amount. The $46 is not double-counted anywhere: it sits in the tax, fees and interest bucket, not in the registration bucket.

Emissions tests and safety inspections: $0

Minnesota has no emissions testing requirements for regular cars, the old Twin Cities testing program ran from 1991 to 1999 and was discontinued. Minnesota also has no safety inspections for passenger vehicles (inspections apply to commercial vehicles only). That is why emissions and inspection costs are $0 in the $71,867 total.

Insurance: the Minneapolis figure, with St. Paul beside it

Full-coverage insurance, insurance that covers damage to your own car, not just damage you cause to others, averages about $3,036 a year in Minneapolis and about $2,931 a year in St. Paul, for a benchmark 40-year-old driver with a clean record, from rates insurers filed with state regulators as of August 31, 2026. The example uses the Minneapolis figure, $3,036 a year, or $15,180 over five years. St. Paul runs $105 a year cheaper; at the St. Paul figure the five-year total would be $71,342 instead of $71,867. Minnesota is a no-fault state, so personal injury protection is part of every policy, and Twin Cities rates run above the state average of $2,674 a year.

Gas: the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro price, dated today

Gas here is a snapshot, not a five-year promise: the AAA Minneapolis–St. Paul metro average was $4.21 a gallon for regular on October 26, 2026, a cent or two above the statewide average. For a truck driving 12,000 miles a year at 21 mpg, that is 571.4 gallons a year, or $12,029 over five years at the snapshot price. Gas prices move weekly, and winter in the Twin Cities is when this line earns its keep.

What Minneapolis–Saint Paul drives

At the state level, the Ford F-150 is Minnesota's most popular new vehicle, with a 4.6% share in iSeeCars' state study, and the F-150 is also the most popular used vehicle in Minnesota. One conflict, disclosed rather than settled: one 2025 dataset put the Chevrolet Silverado first in Minnesota instead, and an older Minneapolis–St. Paul metro study had the Silverado 1500 first for used sales. The studies disagree; this page uses the iSeeCars state figure for the example, and the disagreement is why the worked example is labeled as one truck, not as the only truck Twin Cities drivers buy. A city-only best-seller for Minneapolis or St. Paul was not established in the sources retrieved, so this page claims the state figure and labels it as such.

A full Minneapolis–Saint Paul example: a 2026 F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4

The example truck is built from verified pieces: XLT starting price $44,695, four-wheel drive typically adding $3,800, plus the $2,595 destination charge, for $51,090 before tax, registration, and options. Same loan pattern as the other city pages: 10% down ($5,109), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan), 60 months. The financed amount, price plus tax plus fees minus the down payment, is $51,090 + $3,512 + $46 − $5,109 = $49,539, which works out to $1,004 a month on the loan, with $10,729 of interest over five years. Resale comes from iSeeCars: the F-150 loses 38.6% of its value over five years on the model's own page, so the truck is worth $31,369 after five years and depreciation is $19,721. Conflict disclosed: iSeeCars' newer 2026 study puts F-150 depreciation at 37.9% instead, which would give $31,727 resale and $19,363 depreciation, while CarEdge's retention figure implies about $25,800 resale. This page uses the model-page rate and shows the others so the range is visible.

• Value lost: $19,721 ($51,090 minus $31,369 resale)
• Insurance: $15,180 ($3,036 a year x 5 years)
• Fuel: $12,029 (12,000 / 21 x $4.21 x 5 years)
• Maintenance: $7,000 ($1,400 x 5 years)
• Tax, fees and interest: $14,287 ($3,512 sales tax, $46 state fees, $10,729 loan interest)
• Registration and yearly tab tax: $3,650 ($3,500 tab tax, $50 base fees, $100 wheelage tax)

That totals $71,867 over five years, or about $1,198 a month. The Twin Cities pattern in one sentence: the day-one tax is moderate and the state fees are small, but the yearly tab tax keeps billing on the sticker price, insurance runs higher than the state average on both sides of the river, and the one break, no emissions tests and no safety inspections, saves only a little against the rest.

Formula

The five-year total is the sum of six buckets: value lost, insurance, fuel, maintenance, tax, fees and interest, and registration and yearly tab tax. Value lost is the $51,090 price minus the $31,369 resale value after five years, which is $19,721. Insurance is $3,036 a year times 5 years, which is $15,180. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 21 miles per gallon, times $4.21 a gallon, times 5 years, which is $12,029. Maintenance is $1,400 a year times 5 years, which is $7,000. Tax, fees and interest is $3,512 of sales tax, $46 in state fees, and $10,729 of loan interest, which is $14,287. Registration and yearly tab tax is $3,650 over five years: $3,500 of tab tax, $50 of base fees, and $100 of wheelage tax.

Added together, $19,721 plus $15,180 plus $12,029 plus $7,000 plus $14,287 plus $3,650 equals $71,867, or about $1,198 a month. The financed amount is the $51,090 price plus $3,512 sales tax plus $46 in fees, minus the $5,109 down payment, which is $49,539. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $49,539 is $1,004 a month, and the loan costs $10,729 in interest over five years.

Calculation transparency

Jurisdiction. Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota, in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Tax, titling, registration, and insurance rules are set by your state and county, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. Minnesota charges a 6.875% motor vehicle sales tax with no local vehicle sales tax, then a yearly tab tax on the base sticker price.

Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, a 2026 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4 at $51,090, 10% down, 8% APR, 60 months. Minnesota motor vehicle sales tax 6.875% ($3,512, no trade-in), $46 in state fees, gas at the $4.21 Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro AAA average from October 26, 2026, insurance at the $3,036 Minneapolis example value, $1,400 a year maintenance, $31,369 resale after five years, tab tax on the 1.575% schedule, base fees $10 a year, wheelage tax $20 a year in both Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Emissions testing is $0 and safety inspections are $0 for passenger vehicles.

Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Not in this total: any dealer documentation fee, since no verified typical figure was found, so a real Twin Cities purchase will likely add a dealer fee on top of the $46. At the St. Paul insurance figure of $2,931 a year the five-year total would be $71,342 instead of $71,867. The F-150 depreciation rate is also disclosed rather than settled: iSeeCars' newer 2026 study puts it at 37.9% instead of the model-page 38.6%, while CarEdge's retention figure implies about $25,800 resale. Insurance quotes, gas prices, and local rates vary by driver and address. Get a real quote for the same car, coverage, and loan before you decide.

Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services, 6.875% motor vehicle sales tax since July 2023, tab tax 1.575% of base sticker price, title $8.25, transfer tax $10, plates $15.50, filing fee $12, wheelage tax $20 a year in Hennepin and Ramsey counties; AAA Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro gas $4.21 a gallon, October 26, 2026; full-coverage insurance about $3,036 a year in Minneapolis and $2,931 in St. Paul, filed rates August 31, 2026, state average $2,674; iSeeCars state study and 2026 depreciation study; CarEdge retention figure.

Primary sources: Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services; AAA gas prices. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.

Definitions

Motor vehicle sales tax. The tax you pay when you buy a car. Minnesota charges a 6.875% motor vehicle sales tax on the purchase price, in place since July 2023. Local city and county sales taxes do not apply to vehicles. On the $51,090 example, the tax is $3,512.

Trade-in. Your old car, counted toward the price of the new one. A trade-in lowers the price the tax is figured on: trade in a $15,000 truck and the tax falls by about $1,031.

Tab tax. Minnesota's registration tax, of 1.575% of the vehicle's base sticker price, multiplied by an age factor that falls each year: 100% in year one, 95% in year two, 90% in year three, 80% in year four, and 70% in year five. On the $51,090 example, the five-year tab tax is $3,500.

Base sticker price. The sticker price including destination, which the tab tax is figured on. For the example truck, the base sticker price is $51,090.

Wheelage tax. A county charge of $20 a year in Hennepin County (Minneapolis) and $20 a year in Ramsey County (St. Paul), for $100 over five years.

Title fee. The one-time fee to put the car in your name. The state's own one-time fees are small: title fee $8.25, transfer tax $10, plates $15.50, filing fee $12, $45.75 in all, rounded to $46 in the total.

Base fee. A $10 a year base fee, $50 over five years, added to the tab tax.

Emissions test. A check that the car's exhaust is clean enough. Minnesota has no emissions testing for regular cars, the old Twin Cities program ended in 1999.

Safety inspection. The yearly check that a car is roadworthy. Minnesota has no safety inspections for passenger vehicles.

No-fault. Minnesota is a no-fault state, so personal injury protection is part of every policy.

Full-coverage insurance. Insurance that covers damage to your own car, not just damage you cause to others. Full coverage averages about $3,036 a year in Minneapolis and about $2,931 a year in St. Paul, for a benchmark 40-year-old driver with a clean record in rates filed as of August 31, 2026. The example uses the Minneapolis figure, $3,036 a year.

APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%. For context, Experian reported average rates of 6.35% on new cars and 11.19% on used cars in the second quarter of 2026.

Depreciation. The value the car loses over time. On this page, the $51,090 price minus the $31,369 resale value after five years, which is $19,721.

Common questions

What is the cost of owning a car in Minneapolis–Saint Paul?

For the worked example on this page, a 2026 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4x4 at $51,090, the five-year cost in Minneapolis–Saint Paul is $71,867, about $1,198 a month. Your number will differ with the vehicle, the loan, and your insurance quote.

How much is sales tax on a car in Minneapolis–Saint Paul?

Minnesota charges a 6.875% motor vehicle sales tax on the purchase price, in place since July 2023. Local city and county sales taxes do not apply to vehicles. On the $51,090 example, the tax is $3,512.

What is the Twin Cities yearly tab tax?

Minnesota charges a registration tax of 1.575% of the vehicle's base sticker price, multiplied by an age factor that falls each year: 100% in year one, 95% in year two, 90% in year three, 80% in year four, and 70% in year five. On the $51,090 example, the five-year tab tax is $3,500, plus $10 a year in base fees and a $20-a-year county wheelage tax in both Hennepin and Ramsey counties.

Does Minneapolis–Saint Paul require emissions testing?

No. Minnesota has no emissions testing for regular cars, the old Twin Cities program ended in 1999. There are also no safety inspections for passenger vehicles. Emissions and inspection costs in this example are $0.

How much is car insurance in Minneapolis–Saint Paul?

Full coverage averages about $3,036 a year in Minneapolis and about $2,931 a year in St. Paul, for a benchmark 40-year-old driver with a clean record in rates filed as of August 31, 2026. This example uses the Minneapolis figure, $3,036 a year. Your own quote is what matters.

Figures from the Minnesota state door (Minnesota Department of Revenue and Driver and Vehicle Services guidance, Minnesota Department of Public Safety wheelage table), AAA Minneapolis–St. Paul metro gas average (October 26, 2026), filed-rate insurance data as of August 31, 2026, and iSeeCars F-150 depreciation and state popularity studies. Insurance quotes, gas prices, and county wheelage taxes vary by driver, car, and county, the structure above is the part that does not change.

Related: the same costs in Milwaukee and Green Bay; the true cost of a Chevrolet Silverado; how much car insurance costs.

See the same math for other cities

The same example pattern, run with each city's own costs: Riverside–San Bernardino, San Diego, Baltimore, Minnesota, Texas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Denver, Seattle, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Detroit, St. Louis, Maryland, Washington DC, Wisconsin, Canada, and Wyoming.