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 151 cities in Minnesota with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In Minnesota For 2026:
- Bemidji
- Little Falls
- Winona
- Virginia
- Waite Park
- St. Cloud
- Hibbing
- Redwood Falls
- Fairmont
- Worthington
What’s the poorest city in Minnesota? According to the facts, Bemidji is the poorest place in Minnesota for 2026.
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 2026
1. Bemidji
/10
Population: 15,569
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Median Income: $55,405 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 21.3% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 3,322
More on Bemidji: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Bemidji, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Minnesota thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 15,569 people averages the 5th 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. Little Falls
/10
Population: 9,121
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 3)
Median Income: $47,863 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 18.7% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,703
More on Little Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The second poorest city in Minnesota is Little Falls.
The city ranks as having the 8th highest incidence of poverty and lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 11th highest in the North Star State.
3. Winona
/10
Population: 26,009
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Income: $56,337 (9th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 23.1% (highest)
People In Poverty: 6,008
More on Winona: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Placing as the third poorest city, Winona’s median income ranks as the 9th 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 23.1% 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. Virginia
/10
Population: 8,332
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 3)
Median Income: $51,720 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 18.0% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,503
More on Virginia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Virginia ranks as the fourth poorest place in Minnesota.
The town ranks as having the 2nd lowest median household income and the 9th 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. Waite Park
/10
Population: 8,399
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 2)
Median Income: $59,285 (12th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 21.2% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 1,783
More on Waite Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The fifth poorest city in Minnesota is Waite Park.
The city ranks as having the 12th 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 3rd highest in Minnesota.
Still not the best news for Waite Park.
6. St. Cloud
/10
Population: 70,629
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 3)
Median Income: $61,374 (16th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 20.2% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 14,252
More on St. Cloud: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
St. Cloud ranks as the sixth poorest place in the North Star State.
It ranks as having the 5th highest incidence of poverty and the 12th highest unemployment rate.
7. Hibbing
/10
Population: 16,057
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 4)
Median Income: $55,789 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 16.2% (18th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,602
More on Hibbing: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Hibbing places as the seventh poorest city in Minnesota.
The city of over 16,057 ranks as having the 18th 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. Redwood Falls
/10
Population: 5,068
Rank Last Year: 17 (Up 9)
Median Income: $61,750 (18th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 17.2% (11th highest)
People In Poverty: 872
More on Redwood Falls: Movers
Redwood Falls 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. Fairmont
/10
Population: 10,296
Rank Last Year: 20 (Up 11)
Median Income: $53,084 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 15.3% (26th highest)
People In Poverty: 1,572
More on Fairmont: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Fairmont couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Minnesota; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 3rd lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Fairmont ranks as having the 26th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Minnesota.
10. Worthington
/10
Population: 13,780
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 3)
Median Income: $61,797 (19th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 17.6% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,429
More on Worthington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Minnesota is Worthington.
The city of 13,780 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 2026
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 2020-2024 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 151 places with more than 5,000 people in Minnesota, we ranked each place from 1 to 151 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, Bemidji, crowned the “Poorest Place In Minnesota For 2026”.
This report has been updated for 2026, which is our eleventh time ranking the poorest places in Minnesota.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Minnesota For 2026
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: Elko New Market
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 | Bemidji | 15,569 | 21.3% | $55,405 | 3,322 |
| 2 | Little Falls | 9,121 | 18.7% | $47,863 | 1,703 |
| 3 | Winona | 26,009 | 23.1% | $56,337 | 6,008 |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,332 | 18.0% | $51,720 | 1,503 |
| 5 | Waite Park | 8,399 | 21.2% | $59,285 | 1,783 |
| 6 | St. Cloud | 70,629 | 20.2% | $61,374 | 14,252 |
| 7 | Hibbing | 16,057 | 16.2% | $55,789 | 2,602 |
| 8 | Redwood Falls | 5,068 | 17.2% | $61,750 | 872 |
| 9 | Fairmont | 10,296 | 15.3% | $53,084 | 1,572 |
| 10 | Worthington | 13,780 | 17.6% | $61,797 | 2,429 |
| 11 | Mankato | 45,473 | 20.6% | $66,873 | 9,385 |
| 12 | Litchfield | 6,576 | 15.1% | $54,875 | 994 |
| 13 | Faribault | 24,631 | 16.4% | $61,449 | 4,044 |
| 14 | Crookston | 7,344 | 15.6% | $57,315 | 1,143 |
| 15 | Cloquet | 12,537 | 15.9% | $61,367 | 1,994 |
| 16 | Brainerd | 14,468 | 15.0% | $56,111 | 2,168 |
| 17 | Detroit Lakes | 10,025 | 16.6% | $62,958 | 1,668 |
| 18 | Grand Rapids | 11,207 | 15.5% | $61,029 | 1,740 |
| 19 | Montevideo | 5,315 | 19.6% | $68,596 | 1,042 |
| 20 | St. Peter | 12,185 | 16.8% | $65,122 | 2,048 |
| 21 | International Falls | 5,642 | 13.3% | $57,662 | 750 |
| 22 | Marshall | 13,896 | 16.9% | $68,566 | 2,344 |
| 23 | Duluth | 87,093 | 16.8% | $68,807 | 14,640 |
| 24 | Morris | 5,128 | 15.9% | $67,727 | 813 |
| 25 | Willmar | 21,378 | 13.1% | $62,280 | 2,802 |
| 26 | St. Joseph | 7,021 | 19.1% | $74,946 | 1,342 |
| 27 | Alexandria | 14,735 | 12.0% | $61,374 | 1,763 |
| 28 | Red Wing | 16,758 | 13.8% | $67,192 | 2,314 |
| 29 | Albert Lea | 18,330 | 12.8% | $64,603 | 2,342 |
| 30 | Moorhead | 45,036 | 16.1% | $72,761 | 7,268 |
| 31 | Columbia Heights | 22,155 | 16.3% | $73,691 | 3,611 |
| 32 | Austin | 26,358 | 12.5% | $68,057 | 3,297 |
| 33 | St. Paul | 307,284 | 15.6% | $73,394 | 47,997 |
| 34 | Baxter | 8,966 | 13.1% | $70,688 | 1,173 |
| 35 | Fergus Falls | 14,181 | 9.1% | $56,162 | 1,286 |
| 36 | Thief River Falls | 8,823 | 12.2% | $71,144 | 1,072 |
| 37 | Minneapolis | 427,246 | 16.0% | $80,846 | 68,231 |
| 38 | Waseca | 9,164 | 9.5% | $64,074 | 869 |
| 39 | Brooklyn Center | 32,479 | 12.3% | $72,535 | 3,985 |
| 40 | Hutchinson | 14,680 | 12.4% | $72,836 | 1,815 |
| 41 | New Ulm | 14,056 | 9.2% | $64,449 | 1,287 |
| 42 | East Grand Forks | 9,028 | 12.4% | $77,549 | 1,118 |
| 43 | Hopkins | 18,819 | 12.1% | $75,234 | 2,284 |
| 44 | Cambridge | 10,307 | 10.4% | $69,154 | 1,077 |
| 45 | Princeton | 5,274 | 8.5% | $62,219 | 449 |
| 46 | Fridley | 30,241 | 11.9% | $77,680 | 3,610 |
| 47 | West St. Paul | 21,382 | 8.8% | $68,464 | 1,892 |
| 48 | Glencoe | 5,695 | 9.2% | $71,356 | 524 |
| 49 | Little Canada | 10,514 | 11.4% | $77,957 | 1,203 |
| 50 | New Hope | 21,181 | 10.8% | $77,662 | 2,276 |
| 51 | North St. Paul | 12,570 | 11.2% | $84,797 | 1,409 |
| 52 | Zimmerman | 6,546 | 11.8% | $85,645 | 773 |
| 53 | Owatonna | 26,498 | 9.2% | $80,750 | 2,445 |
| 54 | Robbinsdale | 14,234 | 11.5% | $88,252 | 1,632 |
| 55 | Burnsville | 64,463 | 10.8% | $87,024 | 6,994 |
| 56 | Anoka | 17,970 | 8.3% | $75,948 | 1,496 |
| 57 | Mounds View | 12,926 | 11.9% | $90,009 | 1,544 |
| 58 | Becker | 5,034 | 9.5% | $86,094 | 478 |
| 59 | Sauk Rapids | 13,852 | 7.0% | $71,841 | 976 |
| 60 | Northfield | 20,742 | 8.8% | $84,895 | 1,833 |
| 61 | Spring Lake Park | 7,032 | 11.0% | $90,753 | 770 |
| 62 | Maplewood | 40,695 | 11.2% | $91,394 | 4,565 |
| 63 | Brooklyn Park | 83,876 | 9.5% | $89,891 | 7,993 |
| 64 | Mound | 9,107 | 8.8% | $86,675 | 803 |
| 65 | Lake City | 5,034 | 5.9% | $72,244 | 298 |
| 66 | Buffalo | 16,499 | 8.9% | $88,820 | 1,476 |
| 67 | Richfield | 36,642 | 8.2% | $85,132 | 3,004 |
| 68 | Sartell | 19,758 | 7.4% | $84,131 | 1,456 |
| 69 | Monticello | 14,858 | 6.8% | $79,534 | 1,002 |
| 70 | South St. Paul | 20,611 | 8.3% | $87,994 | 1,708 |
| 71 | Bloomington | 88,665 | 9.2% | $93,211 | 8,157 |
| 72 | New Brighton | 22,710 | 8.3% | $88,521 | 1,891 |
| 73 | White Bear Lake | 23,908 | 7.0% | $83,554 | 1,678 |
| 74 | Rochester | 122,330 | 8.5% | $89,389 | 10,422 |
| 75 | Coon Rapids | 63,468 | 8.2% | $88,251 | 5,229 |
| 76 | Roseville | 35,802 | 7.5% | $86,930 | 2,695 |
| 77 | North Branch | 11,565 | 7.7% | $90,456 | 889 |
| 78 | Crystal | 22,476 | 8.2% | $92,513 | 1,849 |
| 79 | La Crescent | 5,251 | 5.7% | $85,368 | 300 |
| 80 | Falcon Heights | 5,085 | 7.5% | $96,528 | 382 |
| 81 | Golden Valley | 21,725 | 9.1% | $108,772 | 1,985 |
| 82 | Forest Lake | 20,729 | 7.0% | $92,944 | 1,455 |
| 83 | Stewartville | 6,807 | 4.8% | $82,632 | 325 |
| 84 | North Mankato | 14,211 | 4.5% | $80,791 | 645 |
| 85 | Isanti | 7,210 | 5.2% | $87,500 | 377 |
| 86 | St. Anthony | 9,671 | 6.9% | $97,363 | 665 |
| 87 | Stillwater | 19,355 | 7.3% | $105,853 | 1,407 |
| 88 | Blaine | 72,488 | 7.2% | $106,801 | 5,248 |
| 89 | Apple Valley | 55,679 | 6.0% | $97,673 | 3,324 |
| 90 | Hermantown | 10,218 | 5.4% | $90,849 | 555 |
| 91 | St. Louis Park | 49,594 | 6.9% | $101,648 | 3,402 |
| 92 | Oakdale | 28,585 | 5.7% | $93,772 | 1,617 |
| 93 | Kasson | 7,050 | 5.5% | $93,333 | 385 |
| 94 | Hastings | 22,117 | 5.4% | $93,998 | 1,203 |
| 95 | Champlin | 23,294 | 7.2% | $116,102 | 1,684 |
| 96 | St. Francis | 8,372 | 7.1% | $111,198 | 591 |
| 97 | Shakopee | 46,012 | 5.9% | $107,223 | 2,705 |
| 98 | Eagan | 68,000 | 5.9% | $108,690 | 4,039 |
| 99 | Medina | 6,968 | 10.3% | $230,859 | 721 |
| 100 | Shoreview | 26,714 | 5.6% | $108,370 | 1,493 |