The 10 Poorest Cities In Minnesota For 2024


The poorest places in Minnesota are Waite Park and Virginia for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Like all states, Minnesota has certain places that are going on hard times. These Minnesota places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.

Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Minnesota.

To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 148 cities in Minnesota with more than 5,000 people.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


Here are the ten poorest places in Minnesota for 2024:

  1. Waite Park
  2. Virginia
  3. Brainerd
  4. Bemidji
  5. Little Falls
  6. Winona
  7. Montevideo
  8. St. Cloud
  9. Grand Rapids
  10. Mankato

What’s the poorest city in Minnesota? According to the facts, Waite Park is the poorest place in Minnesota for 2024.

This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.

For more Minnesota reading, check out:

The 10 Poorest Cities In Minnesota For 2024

1. Waite Park

Waite Park, MN

Source: Flickr User saltedwound | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 8,290
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 2)
Median Income: $52,391 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.1% (highest)
People In Poverty: 2,082
More on Waite Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Waite Park, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Minnesota thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.

The city of 8,290 people averages the 7th lowest median household income in Minnesota and the highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.

2. Virginia

Virginia, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Bjoertvedt | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 8,415
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Income: $49,789 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 23.3% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 1,964
More on Virginia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

The second poorest city in Minnesota is Virginia.

The city ranks as having the 3rd highest incidence of poverty and 5th lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 17th highest in the North Star State.

3. Brainerd

Brainerd, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Elkman | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 14,412
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Income: $46,933 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 19.4% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,795
More on Brainerd: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Placing as the third poorest city, Brainerd’s median income ranks as the 2nd lowest.

And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 19.4% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.

But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the North Star State.

4. Bemidji

Bemidji, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Crash over ride at English Wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 15,441
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 3)
Median Income: $49,799 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 21.8% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,364
More on Bemidji: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Bemidji ranks as the fourth poorest place in Minnesota.

The town ranks as having the 6th lowest median household income and the 5th highest incidence of poverty in the state.

That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.

5. Little Falls

Little Falls, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Dustin Simmonds at English Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 9,084
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Median Income: $44,455 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 17.7% (11th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,607
More on Little Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

The fifth poorest city in Minnesota is Little Falls.

The city ranks as having the lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 11th highest in Minnesota.

Still not the best news for Little Falls.

6. Winona

Winona, MN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 26,083
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Median Income: $52,500 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 21.3% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,547
More on Winona: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Winona ranks as the sixth poorest place in the North Star State.

It ranks as having the 6th highest incidence of poverty and the 105th highest unemployment rate.

7. Montevideo

Montevideo, MN

Source: Wikipedia User McGhiever | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 5,350
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 8)
Median Income: $49,435 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 15.9% (20th highest)
People In Poverty: 852
More on Montevideo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Montevideo places as the seventh poorest city in Minnesota.

The city of over 5,350 ranks as having the 20th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.

8. St. Cloud

St. Cloud, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Elkman | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 68,910
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Median Income: $58,910 (18th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 19.8% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 13,637
More on St. Cloud: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

St. Cloud ranks as the eighth poorest city in Minnesota.

The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.

9. Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Jonathunder | GFDL 1.2
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 11,158
Rank Last Year: 20 (Up 11)
Median Income: $53,317 (11th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 17.0% (14th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,892
More on Grand Rapids: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Grand Rapids couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Minnesota; it ranks number 9.

While the median income is the 11th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Grand Rapids ranks as having the 14th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Minnesota.

10. Mankato

Mankato, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Bobak Ha’Eri | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 44,444
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Income: $61,726 (27th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 22.5% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 9,982
More on Mankato: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Minnesota is Mankato.

The city of 44,444 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the North Star State.

Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Minnesota for 2024

The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.

However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey:

  • Poverty Level
  • Median Household Income

After we collected the data for all 148 places with more than 5,000 people in Minnesota, we ranked each place from 1 to 148 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.

We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Waite Park, crowned the “Poorest Place In Minnesota For 2024”.

This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Minnesota.

Summary: The Poorest Cities In Minnesota For 2024

Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Minnesota, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Minnesota.

When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.

If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Minnesota, according to data:

    Richest: Dayton
    2nd Richest: Victoria
    3rd Richest: Rosemount

For more Minnesota reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Minnesota

Rank City Population Poverty Rate Median Income People In Poverty
1 Waite Park 8,290 25.1% $52,391 2,082
2 Virginia 8,415 23.3% $49,789 1,964
3 Brainerd 14,412 19.4% $46,933 2,795
4 Bemidji 15,441 21.8% $49,799 3,364
5 Little Falls 9,084 17.7% $44,455 1,607
6 Winona 26,083 21.3% $52,500 5,547
7 Montevideo 5,350 15.9% $49,435 852
8 St. Cloud 68,910 19.8% $58,910 13,637
9 Grand Rapids 11,158 17.0% $53,317 1,892
10 Mankato 44,444 22.5% $61,726 9,982
11 Willmar 21,006 17.6% $59,132 3,701
12 Crookston 7,472 15.3% $52,557 1,143
13 Morris 5,094 16.8% $59,261 855
14 International Falls 5,795 15.0% $54,680 867
15 Hibbing 16,167 14.2% $52,881 2,300
16 Faribault 24,418 15.8% $58,881 3,860
17 Worthington 13,838 15.4% $58,690 2,136
18 Cloquet 12,559 16.5% $59,647 2,069
19 Duluth 86,772 17.5% $63,545 15,159
20 Fairmont 10,411 13.9% $56,744 1,450
21 Marshall 13,647 16.4% $60,532 2,244
22 Alexandria 14,400 13.2% $57,309 1,897
23 St. Peter 12,039 18.5% $67,255 2,230
24 Moorhead 44,443 18.4% $68,680 8,186
25 Austin 26,156 14.4% $61,667 3,756
26 St. Joseph 7,066 24.0% $74,318 1,695
27 Albert Lea 18,434 10.8% $56,347 1,989
28 Fergus Falls 14,108 9.2% $48,738 1,302
29 St. Paul 308,806 16.7% $69,919 51,477
30 Detroit Lakes 9,966 10.9% $60,317 1,082
31 Red Wing 16,627 12.6% $65,107 2,090
32 Redwood Falls 5,091 11.5% $64,214 586
33 Minneapolis 426,877 16.8% $76,332 71,544
34 Thief River Falls 8,871 11.4% $65,086 1,007
35 Baxter 8,668 11.5% $67,064 994
36 Columbia Heights 21,822 13.1% $70,470 2,856
37 Isanti 6,850 14.1% $76,146 967
38 Cambridge 9,726 9.4% $64,286 918
39 Hutchinson 14,588 9.6% $64,635 1,397
40 New Hope 21,620 10.7% $69,244 2,321
41 New Ulm 14,055 8.3% $59,985 1,167
42 Zimmerman 6,243 14.7% $79,720 919
43 Little Canada 10,624 10.7% $69,673 1,132
44 North St. Paul 12,465 13.0% $77,475 1,615
45 Spring Lake Park 6,966 11.6% $74,697 808
46 West St. Paul 20,820 9.6% $68,359 2,002
47 Litchfield 6,598 7.9% $60,804 519
48 Robbinsdale 14,452 12.3% $80,125 1,776
49 Brooklyn Center 33,109 9.9% $70,692 3,284
50 Hopkins 18,752 9.1% $70,058 1,697
51 Waseca 9,208 7.2% $62,632 663
52 Fridley 29,731 10.6% $76,592 3,145
53 Anoka 17,892 9.0% $73,118 1,613
54 New Brighton 23,141 11.1% $84,707 2,573
55 East Grand Forks 9,118 10.2% $81,783 930
56 North Mankato 14,238 8.7% $74,602 1,238
57 Sauk Rapids 13,830 7.2% $66,442 988
58 Monticello 14,447 9.2% $80,290 1,334
59 Mounds View 13,100 11.6% $89,358 1,523
60 Sartell 19,382 7.8% $74,177 1,507
61 South St. Paul 20,598 9.7% $82,644 2,006
62 Owatonna 26,400 8.8% $78,295 2,333
63 Lake City 5,108 7.3% $71,324 373
64 Maplewood 41,405 10.7% $86,769 4,422
65 Brooklyn Park 84,951 8.9% $82,271 7,543
66 Rochester 120,848 9.1% $83,973 11,009
67 Glencoe 5,712 5.7% $67,547 326
68 Richfield 36,809 7.2% $80,712 2,653
69 Northfield 20,518 7.8% $83,125 1,592
70 Burnsville 64,075 8.0% $85,801 5,126
71 White Bear Lake 24,317 6.7% $79,699 1,629
72 Coon Rapids 63,296 7.7% $85,445 4,873
73 Bloomington 89,244 8.0% $87,381 7,094
74 Jordan 6,648 11.6% $111,290 773
75 La Crescent 5,352 5.3% $70,813 283
76 Buffalo 16,288 6.6% $81,868 1,071
77 Crystal 22,954 7.2% $86,288 1,643
78 Mound 9,272 7.6% $89,855 708
79 Roseville 36,066 7.1% $87,702 2,575
80 Falcon Heights 5,232 7.0% $87,750 366
81 Oakdale 28,029 6.3% $86,003 1,771
82 St. Louis Park 49,500 7.2% $94,263 3,564
83 North Branch 10,968 7.2% $94,564 788
84 Hastings 22,063 6.1% $87,722 1,337
85 Golden Valley 22,142 8.6% $110,026 1,906
86 Forest Lake 20,553 6.3% $91,157 1,290
87 Hermantown 10,135 5.0% $85,417 511
88 Stewartville 6,684 6.1% $92,961 408
89 Vadnais Heights 12,864 5.2% $89,632 675
90 Shakopee 44,135 6.8% $103,924 3,005
91 St. Paul Park 5,497 5.6% $92,760 306
92 St. Francis 8,198 6.0% $98,390 494
93 Apple Valley 55,594 5.9% $97,588 3,285
94 Blaine 70,047 6.1% $100,659 4,272
95 Inver Grove Heights 35,673 5.7% $98,719 2,044
96 Stillwater 19,316 6.1% $107,986 1,182
97 Champlin 23,666 6.5% $113,570 1,535
98 Eagan 68,262 5.8% $104,101 3,993
99 Chisago City 5,576 4.5% $92,278 252
100 Elk River 25,936 4.8% $95,597 1,250
About Chris Kolmar

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 or his website.

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