--- title: "Denver vs Minneapolis: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Denver and Minneapolis — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/denver-vs-minneapolis pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Denver ($38/sqft, 23.5% vacancy) and Minneapolis ($32/sqft, 23.7% vacancy) compete on different axes: Denver on rent and tax and Minneapolis on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Denver $38/sqft vs Minneapolis $32/sqft. - Vacancy: Denver 23.5% vs Minneapolis 23.7%. - Talent index: Denver 80 vs Minneapolis 82. - Corporate tax: Denver 25.6% vs Minneapolis 30.6%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Denver $660 vs Minneapolis $580. # Denver vs Minneapolis: Class A office comparison **Denver ($38/sqft, 23.5% vacancy) and Minneapolis ($32/sqft, 23.7% vacancy) compete on different axes: Denver on rent and tax and Minneapolis on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Denver $38/sqft vs Minneapolis $32/sqft. - Vacancy: Denver 23.5% vs Minneapolis 23.7%. - Talent index: Denver 80 vs Minneapolis 82. - Corporate tax: Denver 25.6% vs Minneapolis 30.6%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Denver $660 vs Minneapolis $580. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Denver | Minneapolis| | Region | Americas | Americas| | Country | United States | United States| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $38 | $32| | Class A rent (local) | 38 USD | 32 USD| | Vacancy | 23.5% | 23.7%| | Trend | softening | softening| | Prime yield | 7.1% | 7.4%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $660 | $580| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 5| | Corporate tax | 25.6% | 30.6%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Denver | Minneapolis| | Typical term | 10 yrs | 10 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 14 mos | 16 mos| | Lease norms | Modified-gross structures. 7-10 year terms standard. Free rent of 12-16 months and TI of $80-$120/sqft typical on a 10-year Class A deal. | Modified-gross structures with opex pass-throughs. 10-year terms standard for trophy. Free rent of 14-18 months and TI of $80-$120/sqft typical on a 10-year deal.| | Tax note | 21% federal plus 4.4% Colorado corporate income tax for an effective rate near 25.6%. Denver occupational privilege tax applies. | 21% federal plus 9.8% Minnesota corporate franchise tax for an effective rate near 30.6%. Minnesota property tax classification for commercial property is a meaningful occupancy cost line item.| ## Talent | Metric | Denver | Minneapolis| | Talent index (0–100) | 80 | 82| | Talent note | Deep professional services, energy, aerospace, and outdoor-industry talent. Strong feed from CU Boulder, CSU, and the Colorado School of Mines. Lifestyle draw continues to support in-migration. | Deep Fortune 500 corporate, healthcare, retail, and agribusiness talent. Strong feed from the University of Minnesota and the broader UMN system. Healthcare talent base supports Mayo Clinic and UnitedHealth Group.| ## Transit & commute **Denver:** RTD light rail (10+ lines) plus commuter rail to DIA via the A Line. 16th Street Mall (under reconstruction) anchors downtown pedestrian network. **Minneapolis:** Metro Transit light rail (Blue, Green) plus regional bus and a planned third light rail line. Downtown skyway system is unique and weather-relevant. ## Top submarkets — Denver - [**LoDo (Lower Downtown)**](/cities/denver/lodo) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · $56/sqft/yr - [**Central Business District**](/cities/denver/cbd) — trophy tier · $50/sqft/yr - [**Cherry Creek**](/cities/denver/cherry-creek) — prime tier · $48/sqft/yr ## Top submarkets — Minneapolis - [**Downtown East**](/cities/minneapolis/downtown-east) — trophy tier · $44/sqft/yr - [**Downtown West**](/cities/minneapolis/downtown-west) — trophy tier · $42/sqft/yr - [**North Loop**](/cities/minneapolis/north-loop) — prime tier · $38/sqft/yr ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Minneapolis is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Minneapolis has the deeper talent index (82/100 vs 80/100). ### Pick by tax Denver has the lower headline corporate tax (25.6% vs 30.6%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Denver typical term is 10 years with 14 months free; Minneapolis runs 10 years with 16 months free. ### Pick by transit Denver: RTD light rail (10+ lines) plus commuter rail to DIA via the A Line. 16th Street Mall (under reconstruction) anchors downtown pedestrian network. Minneapolis: Metro Transit light rail (Blue, Green) plus regional bus and a planned third light rail line. Downtown skyway system is unique and weather-relevant. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Denver, Minneapolis and up to two more markets side-by-side on Class A rent, vacancy, talent, corporate tax, and premium flex pricing — all in USD. [**Run a 4-city comparison →**](/tools/city-comparator) ## Frequently asked questions ****Is Class A office cheaper in Denver or Minneapolis?**** : Minneapolis is cheaper on a USD basis: $32/sqft vs $38/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Denver or Minneapolis?**** : Minneapolis indexes higher on talent depth (82 vs 80). ****Which has more sublease availability, Denver or Minneapolis?**** : Minneapolis carries higher vacancy (23.7% vs 23.5%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/topics/sublease-strategy)">sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Denver vs Minneapolis?**** : Denver typical term is 10 years with 14 months rent-free; Minneapolis typical term is 10 years with 16 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Denver: RTD light rail (10+ lines) plus commuter rail to DIA via the A Line. 16th Street Mall (under reconstruction) anchors downtown pedestrian network. Minneapolis: Metro Transit light rail (Blue, Green) plus regional bus and a planned third light rail line. Downtown skyway system is unique and weather-relevant. ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Miriam Hollander**](/about/authors/miriam-hollander) — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/compare/denver-vs-minneapolis), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.