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
The 10 Poorest Places In Minnesota For 2025:
What’s the poorest city in Minnesota? According to the facts, Virginia is the poorest place in Minnesota for 2025.
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:
- Best Places To Live In Minnesota
- Cheapest Places To Live In Minnesota
- Most Dangerous Cities In Minnesota
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In Minnesota For 2025
1. Virginia
/10
Population: 8,362
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Median Income: $48,321 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 23.2% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 1,943
More on Virginia: Data
Virginia, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Minnesota thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 8,362 people averages the 2nd lowest median household income in Minnesota and the 2nd 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. Bemidji
/10
Population: 15,490
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 2)
Median Income: $53,850 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 20.7% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,204
More on Bemidji: Data
The second poorest city in Minnesota is Bemidji.
The city ranks as having the 6th highest incidence of poverty and 5th lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 24th highest in the North Star State.
3. Waite Park
/10
Population: 8,341
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 2)
Median Income: $56,884 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.1% (highest)
People In Poverty: 2,009
More on Waite Park: Data
Placing as the third poorest city, Waite Park’s median income ranks as the 10th 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 24.09% 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. Winona
/10
Population: 25,998
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 2)
Median Income: $56,163 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 20.8% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,410
More on Winona: Data
Winona ranks as the fourth poorest place in Minnesota.
The town ranks as having the 8th 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
/10
Population: 9,094
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Income: $46,284 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 16.1% (17th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,463
More on Little Falls: Data
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 17th highest in Minnesota.
Still not the best news for Little Falls.
6. Crookston
/10
Population: 7,388
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 6)
Median Income: $54,003 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 17.0% (13th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,255
More on Crookston: Data
Crookston ranks as the sixth poorest place in the North Star State.
It ranks as having the 13th highest incidence of poverty and the 84th highest unemployment rate.
7. Brainerd
/10
Population: 14,474
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 4)
Median Income: $53,705 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 16.7% (15th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,418
More on Brainerd: Data
Brainerd places as the seventh poorest city in Minnesota.
The city of over 14,474 ranks as having the 15th 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. Grand Rapids
/10
Population: 11,186
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Income: $56,542 (9th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 17.6% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,969
More on Grand Rapids: Data
Grand Rapids 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. St. Cloud
/10
Population: 69,926
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Income: $61,112 (14th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 18.5% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 12,929
More on St. Cloud: Data
St. Cloud couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Minnesota; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 14th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, St. Cloud ranks as having the 8th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Minnesota.
10. Mankato
/10
Population: 44,882
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 1)
Median Income: $64,826 (28th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 21.7% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 9,739
More on Mankato: Data
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Minnesota is Mankato.
The city of 44,882 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 2025
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 2019-2023 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, Virginia, crowned the “Poorest Place In Minnesota For 2025”.
This report has been updated for 2025, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Minnesota.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Minnesota For 2025
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: Victoria
2nd Richest: Medina
3rd Richest: Rogers
For more Minnesota reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Minnesota
- Safest Places In Minnesota
- Worst Places To Live In Minnesota
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Minnesota
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Minnesota
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 8,362 | 23.2% | $48,321 | 1,943 |
| 2 | Bemidji | 15,490 | 20.7% | $53,850 | 3,204 |
| 3 | Waite Park | 8,341 | 24.1% | $56,884 | 2,009 |
| 4 | Winona | 25,998 | 20.8% | $56,163 | 5,410 |
| 5 | Little Falls | 9,094 | 16.1% | $46,284 | 1,463 |
| 6 | Crookston | 7,388 | 17.0% | $54,003 | 1,255 |
| 7 | Brainerd | 14,474 | 16.7% | $53,705 | 2,418 |
| 8 | Grand Rapids | 11,186 | 17.6% | $56,542 | 1,969 |
| 9 | St. Cloud | 69,926 | 18.5% | $61,112 | 12,929 |
| 10 | Mankato | 44,882 | 21.7% | $64,826 | 9,739 |
| 11 | Hibbing | 16,100 | 14.2% | $55,463 | 2,291 |
| 12 | Faribault | 24,458 | 15.9% | $61,662 | 3,893 |
| 13 | Worthington | 13,792 | 15.6% | $61,840 | 2,155 |
| 14 | St. Peter | 12,085 | 17.5% | $65,042 | 2,110 |
| 15 | Montevideo | 5,303 | 19.3% | $65,724 | 1,024 |
| 16 | Marshall | 13,880 | 16.9% | $64,636 | 2,344 |
| 17 | Redwood Falls | 5,075 | 15.2% | $61,947 | 772 |
| 18 | International Falls | 5,728 | 12.5% | $61,043 | 716 |
| 19 | Morris | 5,092 | 15.6% | $63,807 | 793 |
| 20 | Fairmont | 10,348 | 12.4% | $59,228 | 1,281 |
| 21 | Willmar | 21,136 | 15.2% | $63,368 | 3,202 |
| 22 | Duluth | 86,863 | 17.2% | $66,263 | 14,905 |
| 23 | Moorhead | 44,706 | 17.7% | $69,371 | 7,912 |
| 24 | Fergus Falls | 14,138 | 10.7% | $50,865 | 1,517 |
| 25 | St. Joseph | 7,024 | 21.6% | $75,217 | 1,519 |
| 26 | Cloquet | 12,582 | 13.4% | $63,854 | 1,687 |
| 27 | Alexandria | 14,579 | 11.2% | $61,558 | 1,627 |
| 28 | Albert Lea | 18,379 | 11.5% | $62,522 | 2,108 |
| 29 | Austin | 26,167 | 14.8% | $66,488 | 3,877 |
| 30 | Red Wing | 16,660 | 14.0% | $65,259 | 2,332 |
| 31 | Litchfield | 6,599 | 9.6% | $57,539 | 634 |
| 32 | St. Paul | 307,762 | 15.8% | $73,055 | 48,472 |
| 33 | Detroit Lakes | 10,002 | 10.2% | $62,123 | 1,015 |
| 34 | Waseca | 9,209 | 9.3% | $61,546 | 861 |
| 35 | Thief River Falls | 8,841 | 11.3% | $65,244 | 999 |
| 36 | Minneapolis | 426,845 | 16.4% | $80,269 | 69,831 |
| 37 | Columbia Heights | 22,016 | 14.4% | $74,688 | 3,172 |
| 38 | Spring Lake Park | 6,997 | 14.3% | $77,112 | 1,002 |
| 39 | Brooklyn Center | 32,811 | 11.5% | $72,009 | 3,786 |
| 40 | New Hope | 21,402 | 11.7% | $73,698 | 2,495 |
| 41 | Cambridge | 9,992 | 10.6% | $67,632 | 1,059 |
| 42 | Baxter | 8,804 | 10.8% | $71,272 | 952 |
| 43 | Hutchinson | 14,629 | 10.7% | $71,730 | 1,557 |
| 44 | New Ulm | 14,066 | 8.7% | $63,984 | 1,226 |
| 45 | East Grand Forks | 9,067 | 10.8% | $74,618 | 981 |
| 46 | North St. Paul | 12,511 | 13.1% | $81,641 | 1,641 |
| 47 | Little Canada | 10,546 | 10.1% | $71,370 | 1,063 |
| 48 | Hopkins | 18,696 | 10.0% | $71,170 | 1,863 |
| 49 | Fridley | 29,944 | 11.4% | $79,274 | 3,410 |
| 50 | Glencoe | 5,702 | 8.0% | $63,967 | 456 |
| 51 | West St. Paul | 21,076 | 9.1% | $70,738 | 1,920 |
| 52 | Zimmerman | 6,410 | 11.8% | $86,169 | 756 |
| 53 | Robbinsdale | 14,318 | 11.4% | $84,719 | 1,627 |
| 54 | Mounds View | 12,992 | 12.5% | $90,148 | 1,620 |
| 55 | Brooklyn Park | 84,349 | 10.3% | $85,964 | 8,713 |
| 56 | Sauk Rapids | 13,851 | 7.2% | $67,004 | 991 |
| 57 | Monticello | 14,607 | 8.8% | $81,563 | 1,291 |
| 58 | Anoka | 17,941 | 7.9% | $75,262 | 1,419 |
| 59 | New Brighton | 22,900 | 10.3% | $87,272 | 2,349 |
| 60 | Sartell | 19,620 | 8.1% | $77,465 | 1,581 |
| 61 | South St. Paul | 20,633 | 9.1% | $84,472 | 1,879 |
| 62 | Owatonna | 26,462 | 8.2% | $81,276 | 2,161 |
| 63 | Burnsville | 64,295 | 8.7% | $83,953 | 5,612 |
| 64 | White Bear Lake | 24,026 | 7.8% | $79,712 | 1,883 |
| 65 | Maplewood | 40,981 | 10.0% | $88,534 | 4,098 |
| 66 | North Mankato | 14,212 | 7.7% | $77,571 | 1,090 |
| 67 | Rochester | 121,638 | 9.1% | $87,767 | 11,008 |
| 68 | Coon Rapids | 63,348 | 8.0% | $86,618 | 5,080 |
| 69 | Lake City | 5,021 | 6.5% | $76,125 | 325 |
| 70 | Bloomington | 88,838 | 9.1% | $90,677 | 8,057 |
| 71 | Richfield | 36,725 | 7.3% | $84,055 | 2,673 |
| 72 | Crystal | 22,685 | 7.8% | $86,752 | 1,776 |
| 73 | Mound | 9,176 | 9.0% | $91,370 | 828 |
| 74 | Roseville | 35,905 | 7.2% | $88,440 | 2,595 |
| 75 | La Crescent | 5,266 | 5.7% | $82,109 | 300 |
| 76 | Isanti | 7,023 | 5.8% | $84,412 | 403 |
| 77 | Buffalo | 16,388 | 6.6% | $88,306 | 1,075 |
| 78 | Stewartville | 6,754 | 3.4% | $65,714 | 226 |
| 79 | Falcon Heights | 5,145 | 7.8% | $93,233 | 401 |
| 80 | Forest Lake | 20,678 | 6.7% | $89,879 | 1,393 |
| 81 | Northfield | 20,678 | 7.2% | $92,000 | 1,499 |
| 82 | North Branch | 11,182 | 6.8% | $90,383 | 754 |
| 83 | Oakdale | 28,109 | 6.0% | $90,379 | 1,694 |
| 84 | St. Louis Park | 49,541 | 7.3% | $100,250 | 3,641 |
| 85 | Golden Valley | 21,927 | 8.1% | $114,435 | 1,773 |
| 86 | Stillwater | 19,323 | 7.7% | $109,297 | 1,487 |
| 87 | St. Francis | 8,279 | 7.2% | $101,875 | 593 |
| 88 | Vadnais Heights | 12,789 | 5.3% | $91,946 | 677 |
| 89 | Hastings | 22,050 | 5.6% | $92,940 | 1,241 |
| 90 | Blaine | 71,261 | 6.5% | $103,382 | 4,596 |
| 91 | Apple Valley | 55,696 | 5.9% | $99,277 | 3,263 |
| 92 | Hermantown | 10,192 | 5.0% | $92,026 | 514 |
| 93 | St. Paul Park | 5,464 | 5.4% | $98,670 | 295 |
| 94 | Eagan | 68,158 | 6.0% | $107,486 | 4,055 |
| 95 | Chisago City | 5,629 | 5.0% | $96,964 | 280 |
| 96 | Jordan | 6,704 | 6.1% | $110,139 | 406 |
| 97 | Champlin | 23,450 | 7.0% | $115,719 | 1,646 |
| 98 | Shoreview | 26,724 | 5.5% | $109,399 | 1,472 |
| 99 | Minnetrista | 8,509 | 8.8% | $156,346 | 749 |
| 100 | Byron | 6,510 | 6.2% | $121,681 | 404 |
Winona is on the southeast tip of the state not southwest.
You need an edit. Winona is in the southeast corner of Minnesota, not the southwest.