The 10 Best Places To Live In Minnesota For 2026

The 10 Best Places To Live In Minnesota For 2026

More on Plymouth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Plymouth is the largest Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb we’ll be covering, with a population of 79,220. We don’t hand out perfect 10/10 SnackAbility scores to just any place. Excellent public schools, low crime, and top-notch amenities all make Plymouth an enviable place to live. There’s so much to do at the French Regional Park that I won’t even try to list all the options, and Millenium Garden has been hailed as Plymouth’s best kept secret.

The poverty level and unemployment rate in Plymouth are both substantially lower than the national average, sitting at 4.3% and 2.3% respectively. Folks are doing pretty well for themselves in Plymouth, with a median household income of $136,534/year.

More on Victoria: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

Another western Minneapolis suburb, Victoria ranks as the 2nd best place to call home in Minnesota. The unemployment rate and poverty level in Victoria are absurdly low at 1.8% and 2.1% respectively, both of which are lower than half the national average. Unwelcome medical surprises are a little less devastating in Victoria as well, seeing as 98.9% of residents have health insurance, the 8th highest rate in Minnesota.

We just hope you’re comfortable rubbing elbows with the elite, because we named Victoria the richest city in Minnesota, with a median household income of $195,639/year. Tax dollars go to the right places though, like the Lowry Nature Center, with hiking, winter sports gear rentals, and maple-syrup making workshops. The word is evidently out on how great Victoria is because the population has gone up by about 30% since 2010.

More on Chanhassen: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

Chanhassen is a Carver County city of 26,006 located about a half-hour outside of Minneapolis. A low poverty level and low unemployment rate create a solid economic foundation for the city. Not to mention that both the median household income and median home price in Chanhassen are in the top ten statewide at $143,651/year and $548,742 respectively. Chanhassen also has the 34th lowest adult high school dropout rate in Minnesota, so the motto “stay in school” is certainly felt deeply here.

It’s easy to stop and smell the flowers in a city as awesome as Chanhassen. Especially when you’ve got the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum right in your neighborhood.

More on Albertville: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

Albertville, located in Wright County, Minnesota, is a fantastic place to live in the state. With a population of 8,207, this city offers a low cost of living and a median home price of $375,309. This makes it one of the best places to live in Minnesota for those seeking affordable housing options.

The city is home to the Albertville Premium Outlets, which offers a wide range of shopping options. Additionally, Albertville has access to beautiful parks and recreational facilities, providing ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and picnicking.

Albertville’s location within the state is highly convenient. It is a Northwest suburb of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, commonly referred to as the “Twin Cities.” This means you can enjoy the benefits of a quieter suburban lifestyle while still having easy access to a larger urban center’s cultural amenities and job opportunities.

More on Mendota Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Mendota Heights, Minnesota, exists as a suburb of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, part of the largest metro complex in the state. That might make the city of 11,612 inhabitants seem like a typical urban expanse. Nope. While it does have many of the amenities of a major metropolitan area, it holds a meaningful connection to nature as well. It also serves as the number 5 top community in Minnesota.

Mendota Heights sits along two major rivers, the Mississippi and the Minnesota. This provides excellent scenic vistas and outdoor activities, whether its hiking on Pike Island or a trip to Fort Snelling State Park.

Still, living in the area gives you an exciting city experience as well. It’s 15 minutes to the center of Minneapolis. And, if you’re looking to see the wider world, it’s just over 5 minutes to the region’s busiest airport.

Given its location, Mendota Heights provides an excellent home base for commuters. As such, you’ll find many wealthy executives (and retired executives) living in the community. That leads to a relatively high median age of 47 and a hefty median income of $132,768.

All that cash floating around contributes to high home prices. The median home value sits at $562,136.

More on Edina: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

We begin our tour of Minnesota’s best of the best with Edina, a suburb of the Twin Cities. Education is taken very seriously in this city of 53,262, with multiple Blue Ribbon award-winning elementary schools and a 7.5/10 average rating on GreatSchools. The graduation rate in Edina is more than 10% higher than the statewide average, so it’s no surprise that the high school dropout rate is one of the lowest in Minnesota. It’s not just the kiddos who love to learn in Edina either; over 30% of adults have at least a master’s degree.

Edina is also the most densely populated city on this list, so you know you’ll never be far from the action here. In fact, Edina residents enjoy the shortest commute of cities we’re covering here at just 20 minutes. The median household income in Edina is $128,767/year and home prices are among the priciest in the state. Meaning you might want a lucrative job lined up before committing to a mortgage.

While Edina often gets overshadowed by the Twin Cities, there’s plenty to do here as well. A local favorite is Centennial Lakes Park, complete with an 18-hole putting course, skating rink, amphitheater, and farmer’s market.

More on Corcoran: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

More on Lakeville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Located about 15 minutes south of Bloomington, Lakeville is the sole representative of Dakota County on this list. Lakeville is the youngest city to make the cut, with a median age of 36. Evidently, young-uns are moving here in droves, because its population has grown by 15% since 2010. Maybe they’re attracted by the high median household income of $139,041/year. Or the fact that Lakeville has the 35th lowest crime rate in Minnesota. Or maybe they just want to be as close as possible to the Minnesota Zoo.

In any case, Lakeville’s economy can sustain the increased population, because both the poverty level and unemployment rate here are incredibly low.

More on Minnetonka: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Wrapping up our list of best places to live in Minnesota is Minnetonka, a Twin Cities suburb of 53,064. Minnetonka’s inclusion on this list means that more than half the best places to live in the state are located in Hennepin County. If you’re looking for a more mature community, Minnetonka might be your best bet, because the median age here is 42, the highest on this list. But there’s good news for young people as well because Minnetonka’s school district has a student expenditure about 55% higher than the statewide average. That’s part of the reason why we named Minnetonka one of the best cities for families in Minnesota. All the family-friendly activities available at Purgatory Park is another reason.

Now, at $119,517/year, Minnetonka has the lowest median household income on this list. Seeing as home prices are in the same ballpark as other cities listed here, it makes sense that we named Minnetonka one of the most expensive cities in Minnesota. Don’t let that put you off though; we think Minnetonka is worth every penny.

More on Waconia: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers

Located about 45 minutes west of Minneapolis, the city of Waconia comes in as the 10th best place in Minnesota. Waconia really outshines the competition in terms of economic success. With a ridiculously low poverty level of 4.1% and an unemployment rate of 4.4%, you’d better believe that everyone gets in on the good times in Waconia. Of the places we’ll be covering on this list, Waconia has the lowest cost of living, with an emphasis on affordable health care. Speaking of which, Waconia has the 27th highest rate of residents with health insurance in the state at 97.6%.

If you’re an outdoorsman or woman, you’ll also appreciate living beside Lake Waconia, which attracts visitors year-round for its renowned fishing. If that’s too slow-paced for you, paddling your way over to Coney Island to spot some bald eagles might be your jam.

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Minnesota

Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.

We ranked each place in Minnesota across a number of criteria from one to 148, with one being the best.

We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In Minnesota.”

The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:

• Median Home Values
• Median Income
• Population Density (Higher is better)
• Unemployment Rate
• Commute Time
• Crime
• Education Levels
• Health Insurance Coverage
• Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking Minnesota’s best places to live.

If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Minnesota. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Plymouth at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Best Places To Live In Minnesota Table