Flooring across Minnesota
Nine cities, nine different housing stocks, and nine different answers to the same question. Every figure here is that city's own Census number.
Oldest housing stock first
Median year built and the share of homes predating 1940, by city, alongside the surrounding county. The gap between the two columns on the right is the story in half these places.
| City | Median year built | Built before 1940 | County median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | 1951 | 42.8% | Hennepin County — 1973 |
| Duluth | 1951 | 42.8% | St. Louis County — 1962 |
| St. Paul | 1952 | 41.6% | Ramsey County — 1965 |
| Bloomington | 1972 | 3.3% | Hennepin County — 1973 |
| Brooklyn Park | 1980 | 3.1% | Hennepin County — 1973 |
| St. Cloud | 1981 | 11.6% | Stearns County — 1985 |
| Plymouth | 1988 | 1.8% | Hennepin County — 1973 |
| Eagan | 1988 | 1.0% | Dakota County — 1988 |
| Rochester | 1989 | 7.7% | Olmsted County — 1989 |
| Woodbury | 1997 | 1.3% | Washington County — 1992 |
Housing figures for this page: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, tables B25034 and B25035.
Pick your city
Each page covers that city's housing stock, what it does to a floor, and installed cost ranges adjusted for regional labor.
Why the city matters more than you would think
Minneapolis’s median house was built in 1951. Woodbury’s was built in 1997. Those are the same metro and a forty-six-year gap, and they are not the same job.
Bloomington splits the other way from the city it borders: 3.3% of its housing predates 1940 against 42.8% in Minneapolis itself. A county average would hide both.
Questions people actually ask
Does my flooring contractor need a license in Minnesota?
Usually not, and that is legal. Minnesota licenses residential building contractors and remodelers through the Department of Labor and Industry, but the requirement is triggered by working in two or more special skills. A contractor who only installs flooring provides one skill and is exempt by statute. Check insurance, references and the written contract instead — those are the real checks in this state.
What flooring works in a Minnesota basement?
Luxury vinyl plank in most cases — waterproof, stable across the temperature swing, and it floats over a concrete slab. Carpet works in a dry, finished lower level with a below-grade rated pad and a vapor barrier. Solid hardwood does not belong below grade here.
Why do my floorboards gap every winter?
Months of heated indoor air is very dry, and wood gives up moisture and shrinks. Gaps that open in deep winter and close by summer are normal seasonal movement. Whole-house humidity in the 30–40% range through the heating season keeps it in check.
Why is flooring cheaper in greater Minnesota than in the Twin Cities?
Material is a national commodity and costs about the same everywhere. Labor is not, and it is the only part of an installed price that genuinely varies across the state. The Twin Cities metro sits at the top of each band; Duluth, St. Cloud and rural counties sit at the bottom.