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Do you live in one of the most miserable places in Minnesota?
According to a Harris Poll taken in October of 2015, only a third of Americans say they are truly happy. That’s too bad, considering that Americans – especially folks in Minnesota – don’t really have it too bad, in the grand scheme of things.
But, we were curious – which Minnesota cities might be the most miserable? We’re about to find out, using science and data.
After analyzing the largest cities, we sadly present the most miserable cities in the North Star State:
- Minneapolis (Photos)
- Brainerd (Photos)
- Crosby (Photos)
- Princeton (Photos)
- Brooklyn Center
- Bemidji (Photos)
- Columbia Heights (Photos)
- Worthington (Photos)
- Lexington (Photos)
- Winona (Photos)
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably don’t live in one of these cities.
Oh, and by the way, Mendota Heights is the happiest place in Minnesota.
Or check out the Most Miserable Cities In America.
If you’re looking for something more positive, check out the best states in America or the best places to live in America.
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How We Measured The Most Miserable Cities In Minnesota
In order to rank the unhappiest places in Minnesota, we had to determine what criteria makes people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress free, and have a stable home life.
So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2010-2014 report for the criteria, flipped the list, and it spit out the answer. Like magic.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible:
- Percentage of residents with a college degree
- Average commute times
- Unemployment rates
- Cost of living
- % of married couples
- % of home owners
- Poverty rate
After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 108 places in Minnesota with over 2,000 people.
We then ranked each place from one to 168 for each of the seven criteria with a score of one being the most miserable (Any ties were given to the larger place).
Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Miserable Index for each place with the lowest overall Miserable Index ‘earning’ the title ‘Most Miserable City In Minnesota’.
If you’d like to see the complete list of states, most miserable to happiest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.
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1. Minneapolis
Population: 394,424
People Who Own Their Home: 44.88%
Married Adults: 33.41%
2. Brainerd
Population: 13,521
People Who Own Their Home: 45.9%
Married Adults: 36.38%
3. Crosby
Population: 2,397
People Who Own Their Home: 50.08%
Married Adults: 43.35%
4. Princeton
Population: 4,725
People Who Own Their Home: 51.57%
Married Adults: 38.77%
5. Brooklyn Center
Population: 30,549
People Who Own Their Home: 57.15%
Married Adults: 41.61%
6. Bemidji
Population: 14,319
People Who Own Their Home: 46.47%
Married Adults: 32.32%
7. Columbia Heights
Population: 19,605
People Who Own Their Home: 61.53%
Married Adults: 40.5%
8. Worthington
Population: 12,920
People Who Own Their Home: 56.73%
Married Adults: 46.25%
9. Lexington
Population: 2,019
People Who Own Their Home: 59.85%
Married Adults: 37.68%
10. Winona
Population: 27,526
People Who Own Their Home: 56.0%
Married Adults: 34.09%
There You Have It
Like we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in {state} is usually a subjective matter. But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.
If you’re curious enough, here are the happiest cities in {state}, according to science:
For more Minnesota reading , check out:
- These Are The 10 Most Ghetto Cities In Minnesota
- These Are The 10 Safest Places In Minnesota
- These Are The 10 Worst Places To Live In Minnesota
Detailed List Of Miserable Places In Minnesota
| City | Rank |
|---|---|
| Minneapolis | 1 |
| Brainerd | 2 |
| Crosby | 3 |
| Princeton | 4 |
| Brooklyn Center | 5 |
| Bemidji | 6 |
| Columbia Heights | 7 |
| Worthington | 8 |
| Lexington | 9 |
| Winona | 10 |
| Little Canada | 11 |
| Virginia | 12 |
| Richfield | 13 |
| Waite Park | 14 |
| Montgomery | 15 |
| Foley | 16 |
| Anoka | 17 |
| Fridley | 18 |
| Faribault | 19 |
| Little Falls | 20 |
| Duluth | 21 |
| New Hope | 22 |
| Brooklyn Park | 23 |
| Alexandria | 24 |
| Spring Lake Park | 25 |
| Hibbing | 26 |
| Willmar | 27 |
| Cambridge | 28 |
| Hopkins | 29 |
| Mankato | 30 |
| Austin | 31 |
| Bayport | 32 |
| Detroit Lakes | 33 |
| International Falls | 34 |
| Tracy | 35 |
| Sauk Rapids | 36 |
| Crookston | 37 |
| Red Wing | 38 |
| Annandale | 39 |
| Robbinsdale | 40 |
| Spring Valley | 41 |
| Big Lake | 42 |
| Ely | 43 |
| Arlington | 44 |
| Winsted | 45 |
| Zimmerman | 46 |
| Grand Rapids | 47 |
| Newport | 48 |
| Watertown | 49 |
| Mounds View | 50 |
| Montrose | 51 |
| Rockford | 52 |
| Marshall | 53 |
| Burnsville | 54 |
| Moorhead | 55 |
| Glenwood | 56 |
| Albert Lea | 57 |
| Cloquet | 58 |
| Maplewood | 59 |
| Buffalo | 60 |
| Isanti | 61 |
| Montevideo | 62 |
| Glencoe | 63 |
| Crystal | 64 |
| Waseca | 65 |
| Coon Rapids | 66 |
| Caledonia | 67 |
| Roseville | 68 |
| Morris | 69 |
| Bloomington | 70 |
| Northfield | 71 |
| North Branch | 72 |
| Mound | 73 |
| Fergus Falls | 74 |
| Hastings | 75 |
| New Brighton | 76 |
| Litchfield | 77 |
| Falcon Heights | 78 |
| Inver Grove Heights | 79 |
| Monticello | 80 |
| Melrose | 81 |
| Forest Lake | 82 |
| Oakdale | 83 |
| Jordan | 84 |
| Thief River Falls | 85 |
| East Grand Forks | 86 |
| Rochester | 87 |
| Hutchinson | 88 |
| Benson | 89 |
| Fairmont | 90 |
| Redwood Falls | 91 |
| Jackson | 92 |
| White Bear Lake | 93 |
| Arnold | 94 |
| Arden Hills | 95 |
| Cold Spring | 96 |
| Shakopee | 97 |
| Golden Valley | 98 |
| Chaska | 99 |
| Wells | 100 |
| Elk River | 101 |
| Owatonna | 102 |
| Vadnais Heights | 103 |
| Hermantown | 104 |
| Baxter | 105 |
| Oak Grove | 106 |
| North Mankato | 107 |
| Prior Lake | 108 |
| Stillwater | 109 |
| New Prague | 110 |
| East Bethel | 111 |
| Springfield | 112 |
| Belle Plaine | 113 |
| Lake City | 114 |
| Ham Lake | 115 |
| Rosemount | 116 |
| Eagan | 117 |
| Apple Valley | 118 |
| Barnesville | 119 |
| New Ulm | 120 |
| Stewartville | 121 |
| Delano | 122 |
| Hugo | 123 |
| Minnetrista | 124 |
| Blaine | 125 |
| Minnetonka | 126 |
| Sartell | 127 |
| Cottage Grove | 128 |
| Ramsey | 129 |
| Otsego | 130 |
| Albany | 131 |
| Plymouth | 132 |
| Shoreview | 133 |
| Savage | 134 |
| Plainview | 135 |
| Edina | 136 |
| Centerville | 137 |
| Wyoming | 138 |
| Rockville | 139 |
| Columbus | 140 |
| Eden Prairie | 141 |
| Mahtomedi | 142 |
| Lakeville | 143 |
| Woodbury | 144 |
| Greenfield | 145 |
| Janesville | 146 |
| Corcoran | 147 |
| Afton | 148 |
| Independence | 149 |
| Orono | 150 |
| Andover | 151 |
| Dayton | 152 |
| Champlin | 153 |
| Farmington | 154 |
| Albertville | 155 |
| Maple Grove | 156 |
| Rogers | 157 |
| Lino Lakes | 158 |
| Waconia | 159 |
| Victoria | 160 |
| Chanhassen | 161 |
| Hanover | 162 |
| Shorewood | 163 |
| Lake Elmo | 164 |
| Grant | 165 |
| Medina | 166 |
| Kasson | 167 |
| Mendota Heights | 168 |
