You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Minnesota. Best suburbs in Minnesota. Best counties in Minnesota.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the North Star State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Minnesota based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Minnesota ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$131,614 median income · 1.7% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$197,679 median income · 1.7% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$109,922 median income · 1.2% unemployment
$96,964 median income · 1.2% unemployment
Data | Movers
$186,597 median income · 0.8% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$157,500 median income · 2.4% unemployment
$125,893 median income · 1.8% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$101,800 median income · 3.6% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$109,063 median income · 1.5% unemployment
$109,063 median income · 2.0% unemployment
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Minnesota’s statewide median.
Minnesota statewide median: $89,062
Minnesota statewide median: $346,668
Minnesota statewide median: 4.1%
On the map
Where Minnesota’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Minnesota
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Minnesota possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 209 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 209, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Minnesota. Top of that list — Wayzata.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Minnesota.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Minnesota
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayzata | 4,354 | $131,614 | $913,298 | 1.7% |
| 2 | Deephaven | 3,793 | $197,679 | $1,062,991 | 1.7% |
| 3 | St. Bonifacius | 1,997 | $109,922 | $375,774 | 1.2% |
| 4 | Eagle Lake | 3,281 | $96,964 | $341,524 | 1.2% |
| 5 | Independence | 3,694 | $186,597 | $797,890 | 0.8% |
| 6 | Oronoco | 1,679 | $157,500 | $556,578 | 2.4% |
| 7 | Bayport | 3,905 | $125,893 | $434,119 | 1.8% |
| 8 | Circle Pines | 4,968 | $101,800 | $309,951 | 3.6% |
| 9 | Long Lake | 1,728 | $109,063 | $424,976 | 1.5% |
| 10 | Esko | 1,813 | $109,063 | $388,338 | 2.0% |
| 11 | Tonka Bay | 1,270 | $156,458 | $1,086,034 | 9.7% |
| 12 | Goodview | 4,103 | $74,712 | $267,607 | 2.1% |
| 13 | Centerville | 3,935 | $122,541 | $397,125 | 2.2% |
| 14 | Dellwood | 1,181 | $225,000 | $910,810 | 0.9% |
| 15 | Hanover | 3,626 | $156,536 | $444,056 | 1.3% |
| 16 | Nisswa | 1,954 | $100,000 | $573,443 | 0.0% |
| 17 | Chatfield | 2,559 | $96,078 | $355,994 | 2.0% |
| 18 | Greenfield | 2,894 | $153,750 | $585,815 | 0.4% |
| 19 | Cottonwood | 1,061 | $97,500 | $244,401 | 1.3% |
| 20 | Barnesville | 2,762 | $97,917 | $301,126 | 0.9% |
| 21 | Mantorville | 1,047 | $110,000 | $449,013 | 2.9% |
| 22 | Grand Meadow | 1,011 | $72,125 | $262,125 | 0.7% |
| 23 | Lake St. Croix Beach | 1,105 | $102,159 | $341,570 | 2.1% |
| 24 | Pine Island | 3,580 | $104,432 | $374,739 | 1.7% |
| 25 | Lonsdale | 4,896 | $95,176 | $367,004 | 1.9% |
| 26 | Baudette | 1,139 | $71,061 | $218,801 | 0.4% |
| 27 | Mayer | 2,518 | $124,917 | $385,366 | 3.2% |
| 28 | Grant | 3,950 | $150,875 | $713,726 | 1.4% |
| 29 | East Gull Lake | 1,076 | $123,333 | $688,453 | 2.7% |
| 30 | Lakeland | 1,492 | $100,132 | $402,835 | 4.9% |
| 31 | Maple Plain | 1,701 | $93,750 | $380,314 | 1.8% |
| 32 | St. Charles | 4,037 | $96,200 | $339,328 | 0.0% |
| 33 | Watertown | 4,790 | $99,671 | $374,890 | 0.0% |
| 34 | Rockford | 4,597 | $94,162 | $351,341 | 1.6% |
| 35 | Excelsior | 2,570 | $103,068 | $799,758 | 0.0% |
| 36 | Hawley | 2,178 | $99,188 | $399,440 | 2.1% |
| 37 | Rockville | 2,452 | $105,329 | $385,093 | 0.7% |
| 38 | Proctor | 3,100 | $67,377 | $247,930 | 0.7% |
| 39 | St. Augusta | 3,625 | $140,227 | $376,074 | 3.6% |
| 40 | Scandia | 3,950 | $101,953 | $540,660 | 1.7% |
| 41 | Spicer | 1,222 | $77,969 | $381,354 | 1.3% |
| 42 | Richmond | 1,431 | $71,438 | $356,741 | 1.6% |
| 43 | Lester Prairie | 1,898 | $96,544 | $320,174 | 0.8% |
| 44 | Lake Crystal | 2,606 | $83,317 | $289,196 | 1.5% |
| 45 | Cologne | 2,282 | $129,398 | $397,512 | 4.0% |
| 46 | Zumbrota | 3,914 | $78,156 | $326,661 | 1.3% |
| 47 | New London | 1,187 | $68,421 | $329,856 | 0.2% |
| 48 | Oak Park Heights | 4,756 | $82,476 | $344,826 | 3.3% |
| 49 | Lake Shore | 1,073 | $96,563 | $742,925 | 1.6% |
| 50 | Martin Lake | 1,068 | $123,208 | $524,687 | 0.0% |
| 51 | Medford | 1,257 | $108,250 | $305,147 | 3.3% |
| 52 | Lewiston | 1,613 | $91,875 | $305,489 | 1.6% |
| 53 | Madison Lake | 1,322 | $87,727 | $438,146 | 4.4% |
| 54 | Rice | 2,085 | $107,692 | $346,087 | 2.3% |
| 55 | Grand Marais | 1,796 | $70,583 | $407,103 | 0.9% |
| 56 | Dundas | 1,916 | $116,310 | $386,744 | 11.7% |
| 57 | Afton | 2,957 | $133,305 | $711,857 | 3.2% |
| 58 | Nowthen | 4,538 | $160,417 | $484,261 | 3.3% |
| 59 | Lakefield | 1,507 | $71,648 | $200,258 | 0.5% |
| 60 | Cold Spring | 4,249 | $72,228 | $369,442 | 5.3% |
| 61 | Eyota | 1,944 | $82,930 | $366,796 | 2.2% |
| 62 | Lauderdale | 2,388 | $78,684 | $304,242 | 9.1% |
| 63 | Lindstrom | 4,978 | $98,226 | $387,082 | 2.8% |
| 64 | Spring Park | 1,896 | $48,315 | $576,573 | 8.9% |
| 65 | Avon | 1,552 | $91,563 | $385,205 | 2.6% |
| 66 | Glyndon | 1,098 | $95,313 | $353,557 | 2.9% |
| 67 | Janesville | 2,378 | $74,643 | $274,025 | 3.6% |
| 68 | Blooming Prairie | 1,843 | $63,656 | $261,334 | 2.4% |
| 69 | Dilworth | 4,713 | $90,694 | $286,916 | 2.2% |
| 70 | Luverne | 4,925 | $64,366 | $252,378 | 2.5% |
| 71 | Columbus | 4,248 | $123,194 | $471,094 | 2.2% |
| 72 | Howard Lake | 1,832 | $92,188 | $342,112 | 1.4% |
| 73 | Dodge Center | 2,880 | $93,884 | $286,912 | 2.3% |
| 74 | Clearwater | 1,970 | $91,346 | $278,518 | 2.1% |
| 75 | Albany | 2,821 | $69,167 | $356,906 | 2.9% |
| 76 | Cannon Falls | 4,227 | $84,097 | $284,368 | 1.7% |
| 77 | Elgin | 1,116 | $92,083 | $369,714 | 5.2% |
| 78 | Adrian | 1,236 | $73,438 | $246,092 | 1.3% |
| 79 | Plainview | 3,500 | $82,926 | $271,000 | 4.9% |
| 80 | Maple Lake | 2,042 | $93,750 | $371,866 | 2.8% |
| 81 | Fulda | 1,393 | $71,136 | $175,405 | 2.5% |
| 82 | Madison | 1,550 | $61,172 | $156,369 | 2.6% |
| 83 | Montgomery | 3,434 | $79,432 | $320,195 | 3.0% |
| 84 | Sleepy Eye | 3,444 | $66,911 | $168,303 | 2.7% |
| 85 | Crosslake | 2,521 | $79,635 | $498,684 | 1.6% |
| 86 | Montrose | 3,888 | $102,625 | $317,715 | 5.0% |
| 87 | Lexington | 2,770 | $75,347 | $319,764 | 4.7% |
| 88 | New Richland | 1,184 | $67,000 | $257,208 | 0.8% |
| 89 | Paynesville | 2,519 | $75,250 | $221,349 | 2.4% |
| 90 | Arlington | 2,065 | $68,073 | $268,507 | 0.3% |
| 91 | Le Center | 2,513 | $80,673 | $328,419 | 5.2% |
| 92 | Edgerton | 1,104 | $68,894 | $188,160 | 3.2% |
| 93 | Rushford | 1,826 | $76,638 | $220,135 | 3.7% |
| 94 | Annandale | 3,399 | $65,583 | $403,615 | 3.9% |
| 95 | Cohasset | 2,703 | $92,692 | $335,071 | 8.6% |
| 96 | Red Lake Falls | 1,348 | $64,342 | $211,845 | 1.9% |
| 97 | Atwater | 1,203 | $71,042 | $277,112 | 8.7% |
| 98 | Waverly | 2,285 | $112,222 | $341,914 | 2.0% |
| 99 | Shafer | 1,186 | $99,489 | $347,764 | 2.3% |
| 100 | Scanlon | 1,146 | $68,750 | $275,454 | 9.4% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 209 Minnesota towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Minnesota are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Minnesota are Wayzata, Deephaven, St. Bonifacius, Eagle Lake, Independence, Oronoco, Bayport, Circle Pines, Long Lake, and Esko.
