The 10 Safest Cities In Minnesota For 2024

The safest cities in Minnesota are Montevideo and New Ulm for 2024 using Saturday Night Science.

In Minnesota, safety is more than just a statistic; it's a shared commitment. According to our analysis of the safest states, Minnesota ranks as the 19th safest state nationally, so needless to say, there must be some pretty safe places to live in Minnesota.

HomeSnacks analyzed 127 places in Minnesota with a population of more than 5,000 using the latest FBI crime data on violent and property crimes per capita. We have performed this analysis of the safest places in Minnesota since 2015. What unites these safe havens is not only their low crime rates but also the dedication of their law enforcement agencies to uphold the state's reputation for safety.

Turns out that the big cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul aren't the safest, but their smaller suburbs are. So grab your Vikings hat, a cold one, and get ready to bunker down and read on to learn about the safest places to live in the North Star State for 2024.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table

Here are the 10 safest cities to live in Minnesota for 2024:

  1. Montevideo (Homes For Sale)
  2. New Ulm (Homes For Sale)
  3. Corcoran (Homes For Sale)
  4. La Crescent (Homes For Sale)
  5. St. Joseph (Homes For Sale)
  6. Big Lake (Homes For Sale)
  7. Dayton (Homes For Sale)
  8. Medina (Homes For Sale)
  9. South Lake Minnetonka (Homes For Sale)
  10. Rosemount (Homes For Sale)
Safest Cities In Minnesota Map

What's the safest place to live in minnesota? Montevideo is the safest city in Minnesota based on the most recent FBI crime data.

Montevideo must have made some fundamental safety changes, too, as they moved up from last year-- a feat only a few cities have been able to make in Minnesota on a year-to-year basis.

Read on to learn more about how Montevideo came in first place and how your city ranked in our top ten safest cities in Minnesota for 2024.

For more reading on safe places to live in and around Minnesota, check out:

The 10 Safest Cities In Minnesota For 2024

Montevideo, MN
Source: Wikipedia User McGhiever | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 5,180
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 38 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Montevideo: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
7
/10

Montevideo, a city in Chippewa County, Minnesota, boasts a high safety record, with only 0 violent crimes, a minimal 38/100k people property crime rate, and rare occurrences of serious crime. It is ranked as the safest city statewide.

Founded in 1879 at the meeting point of the Minnesota and Chippewa rivers, Montevideo ensures the well-being of its 5,180 citizens through its historical commitment to public safety. It ranks safest for violent crime and safest for property crime,

New Ulm, MN
Source: Wikipedia User Bobak Ha'Eri | CC BY 3.0

Population: 14,067
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 163 (second safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on New Ulm: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
8.5
/10

New Ulm, a city with deep German roots founded in 1854, boasts exceptional safety records, with a violent crime rate of 0/100k people. This secures its rank as the safest city for violent crimes statewide.

Property crimes are similarly scarce at 23 incidents, ranking it 2. Nestled at the Minnesota and Cottonwood Rivers intersection, New Ulm's emphasis on education and community aligns with its status as one of Minnesota's most secure locations, holding the second spot for overall safety.

Corcoran, MN
Source: Flickr User Ann Forstie | CC BY 2.0

Population: 7,295
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 27 (fifth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 342 (fifth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Corcoran: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
6
/10

See that picture of Corcoran? Yea, that's one big polar bear keeping you safe throughout the winter.

One of the smaller cities on the list, the poverty rate here is extremely low at only 1.9%, which could contribute to the third lowest property rate in the state.

Interestingly enough, Corcoran has been on this list for years, and living here is still super safe.

Corcoran is a city in Hennepin County on the state's east side.

La Crescent, MN
Source: Wikipedia User Slyfry91 | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 5,222
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 38 (ninth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 191 (third safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on La Crescent: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
9
/10

Located across the Mississippi from Wisconsin, the small city of La Crescent earned itself a fourth place spot with super high ranks in terms of both violent and property crime.

And if that's not peaceful enough for you, then the fishing at Blue Lake should seal the deal. With a property crime rate about five times lower than the national average, it's improbable that someone will steal your prize catch at the end of the day.

St. Joseph, MN
Source: Wikipedia User Bobak Ha'Eri | CC BY 3.0

Population: 6,937
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 43 (11th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 475 (seventh safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on St. Joseph: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
6
/10

St. Joseph, in Stearns County, is the fifth safest city in Minnesota with a small population of 6,937, boasting no murders and only 3 violent crimes and 33 property crimes. The town ranks 11th safest and seventh safest for violent and property crime, respectively.

As part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area, it combines historical values with community-driven safety.

Big Lake, MN
Source: Wikipedia User KAM32296 | CC BY-SA 4.0

Population: 12,625
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 55 (16th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 253 (fourth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Big Lake: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Big Lake has some big-time safety this year as it ranks as the sixth safest city in one of the safest states in America.

So yeah, it's a safe place to live.

It has the fourth safest lowest property crime rate and 16th safest lowest violent crime rate in Minnesota for 2024. That means you can leave the keys in your car when you run into the store to pick up a gift for your neighbor, and your car will still be there when you get out.

Big Lake is 41 miles northwest of Minneapolis and 27 miles southeast of St. Cloud.

Dayton, MN
Source: Public domain

Population: 9,078
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 22 (fourth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 638 (16th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Dayton: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
6
/10

What's better than a day spent mountain biking, swimming, and eagle-spotting at Elm Creek Park Preserve? Arriving home safely to an un-robbed house helps! Located 30 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Dayton has the fourth safest rate of violent crime in the state, with the last year of available data showing only two violent crimes committed.

Dayton's also got a booming jobs market, affordable housing, and an excellent educational system, so it's an all-around groovy place to call home.

Medina, MN
Source: Flickr User Tony Webster | CC BY 2.0

Population: 6,753
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 44 (12th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 503 (eighth safest)
Murders: 1
Murders Per 100k: 14
More on Medina: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
7
/10

Medina, the eighth safest city in Minnesota, seems like my kind of place to live. Based on the reviews on TripAdvisor, the best restaurant in town is Countryside Cafe, and the best thing to do is stop by Skyrock Farm. I'm 100% down to grab some eggs and toast and then check out the farm they came from.

On the safe side, the town has the 12th safest lowest violent crime rate in the state. That's the opposite of dangerous. Like several other cities on the list, Medina is a city in Hennepin County.

9. South Lake Minnetonka
Source: Public Domain

Population: 12,391
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 40 (tenth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 597 (15th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on South Lake Minnetonka: Real Estate

South Lake Minnetonka made the jump into the top ten this year with an impressive showing as the ninth safest place to live in Minnesota.

The family friendly town located south of Lake Minnetonka had the tenth safest violent crime rate and 15th safest property crime rate in the state. That's significantly better than the national average for both metrics and a sign that you can leave your door unlocked at night without fear.

Rosemount, MN
Source: Wikipedia User Hourick | CC BY-SA 3.0

Population: 27,503
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 47 (14th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 567 (13th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Rosemount: Data | Crime | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
9.5
/10

Another fantastic place to live that just got better is Rosemount -- the tenth safest city in Minnesota for 2024.

Last year, we had Rosemount as the 8th best for families and the 28th best place to live in Minnesota, and this increase in safety will help it move up those lists this year, too.

Over 45% of the city has at least a Bachelor's degree, which is equally impressive as its safety rating.

Methodology: How we calculated the safest cities in Minnesota for 2024

Safest Cities in Minnesota Graph

While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Minnesota are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Minnesota.

Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:

  • Violent crimes per capita (murders, assaults, rapes, armed robberies)
  • Property crimes per capita (thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts)

For example, there were 2 crimes committed in Montevideo, with a reported population of 5,180. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0004, which translates into a 1 in 2,590 chance of being the victim of a crime.

We only looked at Minnesota cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 127 of the biggest cities in Minnesota to rank.

We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 127 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.

Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In Minnesota," with any ties going to the bigger city.

The safest city in Minnesota, based on our criteria, is Montevideo. The most dangerous city in Minnesota? Bemidji, where residents had a 1 in 11 chance of being the victim of a crime.

This article has been update for 2024. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in Minnesota. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2022 report.

Best Places To Live In Minnesota

Summary: The Safest Cities In The North Star State

Looking at the data, you can tell that Montevideo is as safe as they come in Minnesota, according to science and data.

But as most Minnesota residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.

The safest places in Minnesota are .

Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Minnesota according to the data:

  1. Bemidji
  2. Minneapolis
  3. St. Paul
For more reading, check out:

Where Are The 10 Safest Cities In Minnesota For 2024?

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per 100k Property Crimes Per 100k Murders Per 100k Murders
1 Montevideo, MN 5,180 0 38 0 0
2 New Ulm, MN 14,067 0 163 0 0
3 Corcoran, MN 7,295 27 342 0 0
4 La Crescent, MN 5,222 38 191 0 0
5 St. Joseph, MN 6,937 43 475 0 0
6 Big Lake, MN 12,625 55 253 0 0
7 Dayton, MN 9,078 22 638 0 0
8 Medina, MN 6,753 44 503 14 1
9 South Lake Minnetonka, MN 12,391 40 597 0 0
10 Rosemount, MN 27,503 47 567 0 0
11 Minnetrista, MN 10,959 36 684 9 1
12 West Hennepin, MN 5,311 37 677 0 0
13 Buffalo, MN 16,531 12 744 0 0
14 Hibbing, MN 15,980 31 769 6 1
15 New Prague, MN 8,354 59 706 0 0
16 Farmington, MN 23,551 89 581 0 0
17 Lakeville, MN 75,548 76 673 0 0
18 Ramsey, MN 28,562 70 714 0 0
19 Jordan, MN 6,890 101 566 0 0
20 Savage, MN 33,372 74 845 0 0
21 Centennial Lakes, MN 11,649 51 1,021 0 0
22 Cold Spring/Richmond, MN 5,730 104 558 0 0
23 Litchfield, MN 6,490 46 1,078 0 0
24 Cottage Grove, MN 40,871 70 939 0 0
25 East Grand Forks, MN 9,002 111 522 0 0
26 Lino Lakes, MN 21,997 72 941 0 0
27 Chaska, MN 28,204 95 787 0 0
28 Orono, MN 19,245 119 524 5 1
29 Kasson, MN 6,997 100 714 0 0
30 Lake City, MN 5,318 94 864 0 0
31 Becker, MN 5,033 99 774 0 0
32 Plymouth, MN 78,585 58 1,254 5 4
33 Stillwater, MN 19,388 97 887 0 0
34 Belle Plaine, MN 7,440 120 658 0 0
35 St. Paul Park, MN 5,429 92 957 0 0
36 Isanti, MN 7,257 96 950 0 0
37 Eden Prairie, MN 62,008 77 1,303 0 0
38 Northfield, MN 20,746 125 742 0 0
39 Marshall, MN 13,658 219 453 0 0
40 White Bear Lake, MN 27,700 68 1,740 0 0
41 Champlin, MN 23,038 108 1,037 4 1
42 North Mankato, MN 14,403 124 930 0 0
43 Woodbury, MN 78,531 96 1,475 1 1
44 Sauk Rapids, MN 13,860 79 1,724 0 0
45 St. Peter, MN 11,647 154 832 0 0
46 Minnetonka, MN 52,309 89 1,735 0 0
47 Grand Rapids, MN 11,388 149 895 0 0
48 Lakes Area, MN 10,739 121 1,154 0 0
49 Waseca, MN 9,253 140 961 0 0
50 Wyoming, MN 8,098 111 1,271 0 0
51 Elk River, MN 26,519 101 1,704 0 0
52 Edina, MN 53,206 92 1,977 0 0
53 Thief River Falls, MN 8,625 57 2,202 0 0
54 Little Falls, MN 9,025 66 2,193 0 0
55 North Branch, MN 11,439 157 1,215 0 0
56 North St. Paul, MN 15,208 105 1,795 13 2
57 Glencoe, MN 5,695 175 1,106 0 0
58 Shakopee, MN 45,122 135 1,600 0 0
59 Forest Lake, MN 20,512 102 1,969 0 0
60 St. Francis, MN 8,502 152 1,329 0 0
61 Blaine, MN 71,368 107 1,915 0 0
62 Worthington, MN 13,616 257 873 0 0
63 Hastings, MN 21,772 169 1,322 0 0
64 Rogers, MN 13,438 104 2,024 0 0
65 Maple Grove, MN 70,935 117 1,932 1 1
66 Owatonna, MN 26,394 227 1,038 0 0
67 Mendota Heights, MN 11,569 129 1,858 0 0
68 Albert Lea, MN 18,338 147 1,772 0 0
69 Baxter, MN 9,024 99 2,227 0 0
70 Prior Lake, MN 28,559 157 1,680 0 0
71 New Brighton, MN 26,408 143 1,859 0 0
72 Morris, MN 5,319 206 1,372 0 0
73 Mounds View, MN 14,897 181 1,637 0 0
74 Hutchinson, MN 14,628 287 977 0 0
75 Fairmont, MN 10,369 231 1,311 0 0
76 Anoka, MN 17,864 251 1,265 0 0
77 Alexandria, MN 14,564 212 1,675 0 0
78 Sartell, MN 19,607 122 2,193 0 0
79 Cloquet, MN 12,747 251 1,427 0 0
80 Apple Valley, MN 55,145 242 1,635 1 1
81 Cambridge, MN 10,137 98 3,807 0 0
82 Eagan, MN 68,518 138 2,250 0 0
83 Golden Valley, MN 21,424 186 1,979 0 0
84 Wayzata, MN 5,986 167 2,155 0 0
85 Rochester, MN 121,534 222 1,872 0 1
86 Coon Rapids, MN 63,181 231 1,869 3 2
87 Redwood Falls, MN 5,090 432 1,218 0 0
88 Inver Grove Heights, MN 35,294 195 2,105 2 1
89 International Falls, MN 5,657 318 1,573 0 0
90 St. Anthony, MN 11,568 121 3,959 0 0
91 Winona, MN 25,936 165 2,351 0 0
92 Faribault, MN 24,417 253 1,994 0 0
93 Austin, MN 26,275 251 2,047 0 0
94 Crookston, MN 7,214 457 1,580 0 0
95 Oakdale, MN 27,681 155 2,915 0 0
96 Hopkins, MN 18,125 198 2,322 0 0
97 Fergus Falls, MN 14,017 221 2,311 0 0
98 Spring Lake Park, MN 7,163 265 2,163 0 0
99 St. Louis Park, MN 48,311 180 3,458 0 0
100 Detroit Lakes, MN 9,771 266 2,190 0 0

Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In Minnesota

Safest Cities in Minnesota Breakdown

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn.

Safest Cities By State

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