The 10 Worst Places To Live In Minnesota For 2023


The worst places to live in Minnesota are Waite Park and Brooklyn Center for 2023 based on Friday Night Science.

If you ask someone from Minnesota what they love about their state, you’ll get a lot of answers. Friendly people, beautiful scenery, and hockey. Lots and lots of hockey.

It’s not an easy life for most of the year. But if you ask people who live there, they are fiercely protective of their state. They stick together up there, and would probably rather you stay out. Unless you’re on vacation.

But is it all great in The Land of 10,000 Lakes? Of course not. Just like every other state, Minnesota has its trouble spots. The purpose of this post is to use science and data to determine which cities in Minnesota are the least desirable to live in.

Of course, many of the cities on this list would rank highly if they were in other states. But nonetheless, according to science, these cities are the worst places you could possibly live if you make Minnesota your home. These places need a big hug right about now.

After analyzing 146 of the state’s most populous cities (over 5,000 people), we came up with this list as the 10 worst places to live in Minnesota:

Where are these places, you wonder? And before you get all riled up and say we’re picking on small towns in Minnesota, that’s not the case.

We understand there’s a lot of good in every place. For example, the best place to live in Minnesota is Plymouth.

However, according to data (which doesn’t measure things like beauty and ‘friendly people’), the state has far better options for making a place home. And the worst place to live in Minnesota? The worst place to live in Minnesota is Waite Park.

Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your city fared in 2023.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

For more Minnesota reading, check out:


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


The 10 Worst Places To Live In Minnesota For 2023

Waite Park, MN

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 8,245
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $181,000
Unemployment Rate: 6.4%
More on Waite Park:  Data | Photos

It might seem really odd to hear that little Waite Park has the worst crime, per capita, in Minnesota. A suburb of St. Cloud, this little city’s issues are with property crimes. A staggering 1 in 11.4 residents here was the victim of some type of reported theft in 2023.

That’s just about as high as it gets, nationwide. And yes, we’re aware that there is a huge amount of retail here, which might skew the numbers. But if you live in a place where people are stealing from stores and breaking into parked cars left and right, is that enjoyable?

Besides very low household income and home values, everything else is average.

Just remember to lock your doors when you go there. It’s simply not a safe place at all.

Brooklyn Center, MN

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 33,298
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $203,200
Unemployment Rate: 6.3%
More on Brooklyn Center:  Data | Photos

A suburb of Minneapolis, about 40 minutes to the northwest of the city center, Brooklyn Center has a lot going for it: a strong housing market, wide diversity, and good access to amenities. Sadly, this isn’t enough to counteract high crime and a weak education system. This leaves Brooklyn Center as the number 2 worst location in Minnesota.

The crime rate runs more than 70% above the national average. The schools in the area are also subpar, with none rating more than a 5/10 on Great Schools.

The economy in Brooklyn Center is relatively strong, with median income of $64,618. However, residents have to stretch those funds to pay for a median home price of $203,200.

Virginia, MN

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 8,444
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $90,200
Unemployment Rate: 7.3%
More on Virginia:  Data | Photos

Little Virginia, Minnesota could use a big hug right now. The crime is the 46th highest in the state, income levels and home values are in the bottom half, and the unemployment rate is far above average. Virginia, which has seen its population shrink 5% over the last 10 years, is about an hour’s drive north of Duluth.

Famous winemaker Robert Mondavi was born in Virginia. Unfortunately, the town has some sour grapes to contend with these days.

On the bright side, the public schools in Virginia are some of the highest rated when it comes to the amount of spending and 1-on-1 student support.

Brainerd, MN

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 14,053
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $134,800
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
More on Brainerd:  Data | Photos

Brainerd is way up on 371, north of Little Falls. You can’t blame them for living up here, since it’s really beautiful. But there are sacrifices you make to live in the boonies. One of them is income.

Not only is the unemployment rate the 19th highest in the state here (5.5%), the residents in Brainerd earn the smallest household income in the state of Minnesota. At a combined income of $41,671, families of four are barely above the poverty line.

In addition, the crime here is really high for a small city in Minnesota. Brainerd has the 39th highest crime rate in the state.

St. Cloud, MN

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 68,430
Rank Last Year: 37 (Up 32)
Median Home Value: $164,500
Unemployment Rate: 7.9%
More on St. Cloud:  Data | Photos

Bemidji, MN

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 15,114
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 4)
Median Home Value: $149,700
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
More on Bemidji:  Data | Photos

Bemidji is way out at the intersection of Highways 2 and 71. And you may be surprised to hear that the crime here is the 2nd-highest in the state per capita, according to the FBI data base.

Residents in Bemidji had a 1 in 12.5 chance of being robbed in 2022. To put things into perspective, since the average person has 300 friends on Facebook, if everyone you friended lived in Bemidji, statistically, 25 of them would have been the victim of a property crime, meaning a home robbery, car break in or a stolen wallet.

Bemidji’s other issues are a very high unemployment rate (3.7%) and income levels of its residents ($42,218).

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 10,704
Rank Last Year: 22 (Up 15)
Median Home Value: $247,200
Unemployment Rate: 5.2%
More on Little Canada:  Data

Red Wing, MN

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 16,596
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $185,800
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%
More on Red Wing:  Data | Photos

Faribault, MN

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 24,310
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $173,600
Unemployment Rate: 6.6%
More on Faribault:  Data | Photos

A modest-sized town located about an hour south of Minneapolis, Faribault offers plenty of services and excellent access to parks. Check out the area’s River Bend Nature Center. Unfortunately, these benefits can’t save the town from becoming the number 9 most unappealing community in Minnesota.

Jobs and education represent the main stumbling blocks in Faribault. The local financial situation is tough on the area’s 24,310 inhabitants. The median income hovers at $55,229, while the unemployment rate sits at 6.6%.

The unimpressive economy leads to other problems. For instance, schools in the region are mediocre at best, topping out at 5/10 from Great Schools.

St. Paul, MN

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 309,751
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $232,400
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%
More on St. Paul:  Data | Photos

One of the twin cities that make up Minnesota’s main urban area, St. Paul provides a home to 309,751 people. As a major city, it offers many advantages. Diversity is high, good schools are easy to find, and you can locate almost any amenity you want. The area even benefits from a strong economy.

However, there are drawbacks. Crime and a high cost of living make this one of the toughest places in Minnesota to live.

Safety is a major concern. The crime rate runs about 70% above the U.S. norm. Meanwhile, the cost of living is relatively high for the state, including expensive services. The median housing value comes in $232,400 compared to a local median income of $63,483.

Methodology: How we determined the worst places to live in Minnesota for 2023

To figure out the worst places to live in Minnesota, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that people like the following things:

  • Good education
  • Lots of jobs
  • Low crime
  • Low poverty
  • Nice homes
  • High incomes
  • High population density (Lots of things to do)
  • Short work commutes
  • Health insurance

The data comes from the Census’s most recent American Community Survey and the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

We broke crime down into violent crime and property crime to give violent crime a more significant weight. If you did a simple calculation of all crimes per capita, property crimes are typically 7x more common and bias that ranking.

Furthermore, only cities with at least 5,000 people were considered — leaving 146 cities.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 146 for all the criteria, with a #1 ranking being the worst for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the rankings into one “Worst Place To Live Score.”

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Worst Place To Live Score,” with the lowest score being the worst city in Minnesota — Waite Park. Read on for a detailed look at the ten worst cities in Minnesota.

Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2023. This is our tenth time ranking the worst places to live in Minnesota.

Summary: Wrapping Up The Worst In Minnesota

If you’re looking at areas in Minnesota with the worst economic situations, where there’s higher than average crime and little to do, this is an accurate list.

And in the end, Waite Park ranks as the worst city to live in Minnesota for 2023.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best cities to live in Minnesota:

  1. Medina (Pop. 6,654)
  2. Edina (Pop. 53,059)
  3. Plymouth (Pop. 80,034)

For more Minnesota reading, check out:

Worst Places To Live In Minnesota?

Rank City Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Waite Park 8,245 6.4% $181,000
2 Brooklyn Center 33,298 6.3% $203,200
3 Virginia 8,444 7.3% $90,200
4 Brainerd 14,053 5.5% $134,800
5 St. Cloud 68,430 7.9% $164,500
6 Bemidji 15,114 3.7% $149,700
7 Little Canada 10,704 5.2% $247,200
8 Red Wing 16,596 4.8% $185,800
9 Faribault 24,310 6.6% $173,600
10 St. Paul 309,751 5.1% $232,400
11 Little Falls 9,049 6.5% $154,400
12 West St. Paul 20,476 5.1% $232,400
13 International Falls 5,859 6.3% $99,900
14 Fridley 29,422 5.6% $224,700
15 Minneapolis 425,091 5.6% $284,400
16 Willmar 20,823 4.3% $145,900
17 Albert Lea 18,433 5.1% $113,900
18 Fairmont 10,465 5.9% $137,700
19 Brooklyn Park 85,247 4.2% $248,900
20 Fergus Falls 13,969 5.4% $145,200
21 Arden Hills 9,868 6.4% $326,900
22 Richfield 36,899 5.2% $259,200
23 Forest Lake 20,366 5.1% $299,800
24 South St. Paul 20,637 6.7% $220,200
25 Cloquet 12,563 5.5% $155,900
26 East Bethel 11,818 4.2% $284,300
27 Duluth 86,711 5.3% $176,200
28 Spring Lake Park 6,920 3.0% $224,300
29 Isanti 6,667 1.8% $199,900
30 North Branch 10,742 4.0% $233,900
31 Oak Grove 8,870 3.0% $334,600
32 Oakdale 28,019 5.0% $244,900
33 Crookston 7,509 5.3% $139,500
34 Vadnais Heights 12,931 5.4% $269,200
35 Maplewood 41,673 3.3% $243,100
36 Columbia Heights 21,612 3.9% $211,100
37 Worthington 13,782 3.5% $141,400
38 Robbinsdale 14,522 5.8% $228,000
39 Moorhead 44,129 4.7% $209,200
40 Austin 26,030 3.2% $118,500
41 Alexandria 14,030 3.9% $199,000
42 Detroit Lakes 9,717 3.1% $208,600
43 Burnsville 63,926 5.2% $275,500
44 New Hope 21,683 4.9% $249,600
45 Cambridge 9,454 2.1% $187,500
46 Glencoe 5,708 2.5% $169,800
47 Montevideo 5,360 5.7% $103,100
48 Mounds View 13,187 4.5% $236,600
49 Bloomington 89,436 4.9% $279,400
50 St. Paul Park 5,490 2.3% $222,900
51 Hopkins 18,861 5.3% $289,500
52 Roseville 36,119 5.1% $281,100
53 Marshall 13,728 3.4% $164,800
54 Redwood Falls 5,099 1.8% $126,500
55 Inver Grove Heights 35,539 4.2% $284,700
56 North St. Paul 12,395 4.0% $231,000
57 Waseca 9,237 5.0% $142,500
58 Circle Pines 5,001 4.3% $214,300
59 Winona 26,199 2.8% $159,400
60 Hutchinson 14,504 4.7% $164,000
61 Grand Rapids 11,056 6.2% $165,700
62 Coon Rapids 63,269 4.3% $228,900
63 St. Francis 8,099 1.7% $237,800
64 Monticello 14,235 2.5% $230,600
65 Jordan 6,560 6.0% $281,800
66 Mankato 43,938 3.5% $196,300
67 Zimmerman 6,108 0.0% $216,600
68 Ham Lake 16,389 2.4% $347,500
69 Shakopee 43,396 3.2% $295,000
70 Blaine 68,999 4.0% $257,700
71 Falcon Heights 5,388 7.9% $315,500
72 Shorewood 7,779 5.1% $559,800
73 Andover 32,471 2.4% $330,800
74 Shoreview 26,871 4.4% $314,000
75 Crystal 23,143 2.9% $227,100
76 Baxter 8,544 3.5% $209,600
77 Litchfield 6,537 2.4% $154,700
78 Anoka 17,749 5.0% $229,400
79 Apple Valley 55,237 4.3% $291,400
80 Elk River 25,467 2.2% $260,400
81 Buffalo 16,121 4.4% $217,800
82 Owatonna 26,366 3.9% $183,400
83 Ramsey 27,409 4.5% $281,800
84 Rochester 119,732 3.5% $236,400
85 Morris 5,190 1.0% $167,700
86 Belle Plaine 7,293 1.1% $250,600
87 Wyoming 7,984 2.2% $264,400
88 Mound 9,365 1.0% $279,300
89 New Brighton 23,293 3.0% $287,200
90 Hibbing 16,224 4.3% $111,300
91 White Bear Lake 24,520 5.0% $256,100
92 Hugo 15,541 2.1% $292,400
93 Hermantown 10,128 1.2% $300,100
94 North Oaks 5,204 1.7% $696,800
95 St. Peter 11,699 1.7% $188,400
96 Eagan 68,205 4.3% $312,100
97 Northfield 20,374 5.5% $250,100
98 East Grand Forks 9,140 4.9% $215,400
99 Sartell 19,096 2.9% $226,500
100 Prior Lake 27,242 2.0% $348,700

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.