The 10 Most Miserable Cities In Minnesota For 2023


The most miserable cities in Minnesota are Brooklyn Center and Big Lake for 2023 based on Saturday Night Science.

Do you live in one of the most miserable places in Minnesota?

Only a third of Minnesotans say they are truly happy. That’s too bad, considering that 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 Saturday Night Science and data.

After analyzing the 149 largest cities, we sadly present the most miserable cities in the North Star State.


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


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.

For more Minnesota reading, check out:

The 10 Most Miserable Places In Minnesota For 2023

Brooklyn Center, MN

Source: Wikipedia User AvianEnRoute | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 33,298
Poverty Level: 12.2%
Median Home Price $203,200
Married Households 14.0%
Households With Kids 38.33%
More on Brooklyn Center: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Big Lake, MN

Source: Wikipedia User KAM32296 | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 11,614
Poverty Level: 2.1%
Median Home Price $226,600
Married Households 37.0%
Households With Kids 51.22%
More on Big Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Jordan, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Appraiser | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 6,560
Poverty Level: 14.2%
Median Home Price $281,800
Married Households 31.0%
Households With Kids 49.64%
More on Jordan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 5,490
Poverty Level: 4.3%
Median Home Price $222,900
Married Households 25.0%
Households With Kids 28.95%
More on St. Paul Park: Data | Crime

Faribault, MN

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

6
/10

Population: 24,310
Poverty Level: 17.4%
Median Home Price $173,600
Married Households 23.0%
Households With Kids 30.36%
More on Faribault: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Brooklyn Park, MN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 85,247
Poverty Level: 8.7%
Median Home Price $248,900
Married Households 19.0%
Households With Kids 39.15%
More on Brooklyn Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Waseca, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 9,237
Poverty Level: 9.0%
Median Home Price $142,500
Married Households 32.0%
Households With Kids 35.82%
More on Waseca: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Coon Rapids, MN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 63,269
Poverty Level: 6.2%
Median Home Price $228,900
Married Households 28.0%
Households With Kids 30.98%
More on Coon Rapids: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Farmington, MN

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

6
/10

Population: 23,253
Poverty Level: 3.1%
Median Home Price $286,400
Married Households 32.0%
Households With Kids 45.85%
More on Farmington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

North St. Paul, MN

Source: Wikipedia User TheG3NERAL John 3:16 | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 12,395
Poverty Level: 9.4%
Median Home Price $231,000
Married Households 26.0%
Households With Kids 31.92%
More on North St. Paul: Data | Crime

Methodology: How We Measured The Most Miserable Cities In The North Star State

To rank the unhappiest places in Minnesota, we had to determine what criteria make 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 2017-2021 report for the happy criteria, flipped the list with Saturday Night Science, and it spit out the answer.

Like magic.

Here are the criteria we used to measure misery:

  • Percentage of residents with a college degree
  • Average commute times
  • Unemployment rates
  • Cost of living
  • % of married couples
  • % of families with kids
  • Poverty rate

After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 149 places in Minnesota with over 5,000 people.

We then ranked each place from one to 149 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.

We updated this article for 2023, and it’s our tenth time ranking the most miserable cities in Minnesota.

There You Have It – The Least Happy Cities In Minnesota

As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Minnesota 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 Minnesota, according to science:

  1. Mendota Heights
  2. Morris
  3. Minnetonka

For more Minnesota reading, check out:

Miserable Cities In Minnesota For 2023

Rank City Population Poverty Level Median Home Value % Married % Kids
1 Brooklyn Center, MN 33,298 12.2% $203,200 14.0% 38.33%
2 Big Lake, MN 11,614 2.1% $226,600 37.0% 51.22%
3 Jordan, MN 6,560 14.2% $281,800 31.0% 49.64%
4 St. Paul Park, MN 5,490 4.3% $222,900 25.0% 28.95%
5 Faribault, MN 24,310 17.4% $173,600 23.0% 30.36%
6 Brooklyn Park, MN 85,247 8.7% $248,900 19.0% 39.15%
7 Waseca, MN 9,237 9.0% $142,500 32.0% 35.82%
8 Coon Rapids, MN 63,269 6.2% $228,900 28.0% 30.98%
9 Farmington, MN 23,253 3.1% $286,400 32.0% 45.85%
10 North St. Paul, MN 12,395 9.4% $231,000 26.0% 31.92%
11 Worthington, MN 13,782 15.0% $141,400 16.0% 33.33%
12 Zimmerman, MN 6,108 11.8% $216,600 32.0% 42.2%
13 Ramsey, MN 27,409 4.0% $281,800 38.0% 37.48%
14 Elk River, MN 25,467 3.9% $260,400 32.0% 36.84%
15 East Bethel, MN 11,818 2.0% $284,300 49.0% 30.28%
16 Anoka, MN 17,749 8.3% $229,400 29.0% 31.5%
17 St. Francis, MN 8,099 7.5% $237,800 36.0% 41.46%
18 East Grand Forks, MN 9,140 12.1% $215,400 19.0% 36.11%
19 South St. Paul, MN 20,637 10.5% $220,200 26.0% 30.17%
20 Glencoe, MN 5,708 5.6% $169,800 32.0% 30.76%
21 Fridley, MN 29,422 11.0% $224,700 22.0% 28.91%
22 Buffalo, MN 16,121 6.7% $217,800 39.0% 32.17%
23 New Prague, MN 8,060 4.3% $271,400 45.0% 45.81%
24 Apple Valley, MN 55,237 4.7% $291,400 25.0% 35.11%
25 Isanti, MN 6,667 14.8% $199,900 32.0% 36.47%
26 Brainerd, MN 14,053 18.0% $134,800 25.0% 26.56%
27 Blaine, MN 68,999 5.6% $257,700 32.0% 37.37%
28 Circle Pines, MN 5,001 4.8% $214,300 35.0% 30.52%
29 Belle Plaine, MN 7,293 2.3% $250,600 38.0% 41.87%
30 Montevideo, MN 5,360 15.1% $103,100 31.0% 26.59%
31 Burnsville, MN 63,926 6.9% $275,500 22.0% 29.97%
32 Spring Lake Park, MN 6,920 12.1% $224,300 25.0% 29.78%
33 Albert Lea, MN 18,433 13.2% $113,900 31.0% 29.09%
34 Cambridge, MN 9,454 8.4% $187,500 30.0% 29.85%
35 Waite Park, MN 8,245 22.9% $181,000 22.0% 24.32%
36 Oakdale, MN 28,019 6.2% $244,900 31.0% 31.38%
37 Carver, MN 5,837 0.7% $342,800 39.0% 50.65%
38 Cloquet, MN 12,563 15.5% $155,900 32.0% 32.4%
39 St. Cloud, MN 68,430 22.0% $164,500 22.0% 27.9%
40 Kasson, MN 6,772 2.1% $217,400 41.0% 46.0%
41 North Branch, MN 10,742 9.1% $233,900 41.0% 30.05%
42 Columbia Heights, MN 21,612 11.1% $211,100 20.0% 25.7%
43 Wyoming, MN 7,984 3.4% $264,400 46.0% 37.26%
44 New Hope, MN 21,683 9.0% $249,600 22.0% 30.26%
45 Shakopee, MN 43,396 5.4% $295,000 26.0% 43.34%
46 Robbinsdale, MN 14,522 10.2% $228,000 25.0% 26.98%
47 Savage, MN 32,092 5.8% $340,300 30.0% 40.77%
48 Rosemount, MN 25,513 1.7% $320,600 35.0% 42.07%
49 Monticello, MN 14,235 9.4% $230,600 38.0% 37.93%
50 Willmar, MN 20,823 16.5% $145,900 26.0% 30.71%
51 Mounds View, MN 13,187 10.9% $236,600 30.0% 31.84%
52 Victoria, MN 10,361 2.0% $478,600 36.0% 44.22%
53 Otsego, MN 19,565 0.9% $307,200 39.0% 49.02%
54 International Falls, MN 5,859 13.5% $99,900 28.0% 20.56%
55 Austin, MN 26,030 15.6% $118,500 27.0% 32.72%
56 Virginia, MN 8,444 25.0% $90,200 29.0% 25.32%
57 Cottage Grove, MN 38,582 3.1% $282,000 37.0% 41.18%
58 Forest Lake, MN 20,366 4.6% $299,800 37.0% 29.77%
59 Albertville, MN 7,792 1.2% $243,400 46.0% 40.53%
60 St. Paul, MN 309,751 17.6% $232,400 16.0% 29.45%
61 Champlin, MN 23,877 6.8% $271,300 34.0% 34.52%
62 St. Michael, MN 18,148 3.3% $299,800 42.0% 48.71%
63 Byron, MN 6,220 5.1% $259,800 30.0% 42.28%
64 Little Falls, MN 9,049 16.3% $154,400 38.0% 25.34%
65 Little Canada, MN 10,704 10.4% $247,200 23.0% 25.14%
66 Northfield, MN 20,374 8.3% $250,100 20.0% 26.77%
67 Crystal, MN 23,143 6.5% $227,100 26.0% 26.34%
68 Delano, MN 6,386 3.8% $278,700 38.0% 38.9%
69 Chisago City, MN 5,499 4.7% $293,000 49.0% 34.37%
70 Fergus Falls, MN 13,969 11.0% $145,200 27.0% 18.54%
71 West St. Paul, MN 20,476 12.1% $232,400 25.0% 25.73%
72 Richfield, MN 36,899 7.3% $259,200 22.0% 23.51%
73 Lakeville, MN 69,026 3.9% $342,100 33.0% 44.89%
74 White Bear Lake, MN 24,520 5.9% $256,100 31.0% 26.21%
75 Vadnais Heights, MN 12,931 6.5% $269,200 34.0% 28.04%
76 Maplewood, MN 41,673 10.3% $243,100 25.0% 28.94%
77 Stewartville, MN 6,620 6.6% $198,300 36.0% 40.89%
78 Oak Grove, MN 8,870 2.1% $334,600 47.0% 29.25%
79 Red Wing, MN 16,596 11.5% $185,800 34.0% 26.1%
80 Woodbury, MN 74,014 4.2% $355,200 28.0% 38.25%
81 Waconia, MN 12,773 3.9% $340,400 37.0% 42.46%
82 Marshall, MN 13,728 16.8% $164,800 28.0% 33.54%
83 Fairmont, MN 10,465 14.4% $137,700 33.0% 23.86%
84 Crookston, MN 7,509 15.6% $139,500 27.0% 27.53%
85 Hastings, MN 22,063 5.5% $239,600 34.0% 29.96%
86 Sartell, MN 19,096 6.0% $226,500 36.0% 39.91%
87 Andover, MN 32,471 3.0% $330,800 42.0% 41.01%
88 Eden Prairie, MN 64,048 5.0% $383,300 25.0% 35.92%
89 Shorewood, MN 7,779 4.6% $559,800 33.0% 37.62%
90 Arden Hills, MN 9,868 6.9% $326,900 29.0% 35.81%
91 Owatonna, MN 26,366 8.8% $183,400 35.0% 31.14%
92 Moorhead, MN 44,129 17.9% $209,200 20.0% 29.75%
93 Sauk Rapids, MN 13,830 7.9% $190,900 34.0% 32.38%
94 Bemidji, MN 15,114 24.8% $149,700 15.0% 24.63%
95 Litchfield, MN 6,537 8.3% $154,700 32.0% 26.89%
96 Rogers, MN 13,182 1.9% $361,200 40.0% 49.94%
97 Hutchinson, MN 14,504 9.2% $164,000 36.0% 22.53%
98 Eagan, MN 68,205 5.8% $312,100 27.0% 30.64%
99 Lino Lakes, MN 21,180 1.9% $308,600 43.0% 33.26%
100 Grand Rapids, MN 11,056 14.1% $165,700 31.0% 24.12%
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

3 thoughts on “The 10 Most Miserable Cities In Minnesota For 2023

  1. That is ridiculous! Just because you may not have a college degree or own your own house your miserable? I don’t see the correlation! Happiness and Money don’t necessarily go hand in hand!

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