The 10 Worst Small Towns In Minnesota For 2024


The worst small towns in Minnesota are Little Rock and Redby for 2024 based on Friday Night Science.

Most Americans have never been to small town Minnesota. However, as the Minnesotan who live there know, small town Minnesota is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Minnesota has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the North Star State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 212 of Minnesota’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Minnesota where you’d never want to live:


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


These are the worst small towns in Minnesota for 2024:

  1. Little Rock
  2. Redby
  3. Red Lake
  4. Keewatin
  5. Appleton
  6. Mahnomen
  7. Sandstone
  8. Hinckley
  9. Crosby
  10. Hilltop

Worst Small Towns To Live In Minnesota Map

So what is the worst small town to call home in Minnesota for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Little Rock is the worst small town to live in Minnesota.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Little Rock home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Minnesota or the worst places to live in Minnesota.

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

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Minnesota For 2024

1. Little Rock

Overall SnackAbility

/10

Population: 1,011
Median Home Value: $64,073
Median Income: $44,931
Unemployment Rate: 23.6%

2. Redby

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,228
Median Home Value: $115,920
Median Income: $43,125
Unemployment Rate: 15.9%

3. Red Lake

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,435
Median Home Value: $155,994
Median Income: $52,929
Unemployment Rate: 19.2%

4. Keewatin

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,195
Median Home Value: $84,223
Median Income: $50,658
Unemployment Rate: 5.9%

5. Appleton

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,346
Median Home Value: $69,755
Median Income: $40,000
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%

6. Mahnomen

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,111
Median Home Value: $123,818
Median Income: $41,875
Unemployment Rate: 11.2%

7. Sandstone

Sandstone, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Paul VanDerWerf | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,566
Median Home Value: $242,653
Median Income: $39,602
Unemployment Rate: 5.4%

8. Hinckley

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,564
Median Home Value: $236,099
Median Income: $40,909
Unemployment Rate: 9.5%

9. Crosby

Crosby, MN

Source: Wikipedia User Elkman | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,519
Median Home Value: $178,799
Median Income: $42,973
Unemployment Rate: 5.4%

10. Hilltop

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,005
Median Home Value: $26,715
Median Income: $46,188
Unemployment Rate: 17.6%

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Minnesota is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Minnesota, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (The lower, the worse)
  • Highest Unemployment Rates
  • Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
  • Education (Number of high school dropouts)
  • High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 212 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Minnesota.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Minnesota

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the North Star State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Minnesota are Little Rock, Redby, Red Lake, Keewatin, Appleton, Mahnomen, Sandstone, Hinckley, Crosby, and Hilltop.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Minnesota, according to science:

  1. Wayzata (Pop. 4,365)
  2. Birchwood Village (Pop. 1,069)
  3. Deephaven (Pop. 3,852)

For more Minnesota reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Minnesota

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value Median Income
1 Little Rock 1,011 23.6% $64,073 $44,931
2 Redby 1,228 15.9% $115,920 $43,125
3 Red Lake 1,435 19.2% $155,994 $52,929
4 Keewatin 1,195 5.9% $84,223 $50,658
5 Appleton 1,346 3.9% $69,755 $40,000
6 Mahnomen 1,111 11.2% $123,818 $41,875
7 Sandstone 2,566 5.4% $242,653 $39,602
8 Hinckley 1,564 9.5% $236,099 $40,909
9 Crosby 2,519 5.4% $178,799 $42,973
10 Hilltop 1,005 17.6% $26,715 $46,188
11 Aurora 1,775 6.9% $142,155 $39,500
12 Winnebago 1,245 6.1% $140,159 $58,750
13 Warroad 2,076 7.3% $214,828 $49,000
14 St. James 4,757 10.7% $141,670 $50,938
15 Bagley 1,194 6.1% $211,831 $51,607
16 Frazee 1,591 9.5% $180,186 $42,083
17 Wadena 4,328 10.7% $187,211 $44,450
18 Elbow Lake 1,125 6.5% $176,346 $49,265
19 Renville 1,397 6.7% $181,673 $64,412
20 Park Rapids 4,163 5.2% $302,232 $42,892
21 Staples 2,299 5.5% $186,872 $45,982
22 Perham 3,524 19.2% $339,176 $46,509
23 Eveleth 3,500 2.6% $147,392 $43,843
24 Nashwauk 1,091 5.2% $112,246 $59,615
25 Fairfax 1,169 5.0% $167,112 $54,688
26 Fosston 1,299 6.4% $189,597 $45,893
27 Menahga 1,218 2.8% $162,840 $54,167
28 Braham 1,680 8.2% $257,670 $53,333
29 Rush City 3,239 5.6% $227,261 $56,436
30 New York Mills 1,166 5.1% $247,793 $46,458
31 Mountain Lake 1,900 5.6% $148,245 $54,107
32 Tracy 2,006 3.4% $115,677 $63,201
33 Parkers Prairie 1,209 4.8% $163,157 $57,875
34 Royalton 1,179 7.7% $250,868 $54,167
35 Gilbert 1,821 1.1% $115,170 $51,250
36 Pine City 3,205 4.9% $225,995 $49,336
37 Aitkin 2,153 4.6% $168,963 $37,177
38 Chisholm 4,759 5.7% $100,299 $47,792
39 Moose Lake 3,282 0.9% $248,509 $49,722
40 Pipestone 4,171 4.0% $122,486 $65,144
41 Babbitt 1,377 4.2% $125,760 $53,875
42 Pelican Rapids 2,589 2.8% $383,808 $56,477
43 Slayton 2,053 3.8% $201,017 $58,026
44 Milaca 3,031 0.9% $211,521 $46,218
45 Olivia 2,358 5.1% $185,040 $60,881
46 Tyler 1,042 1.5% $109,559 $62,847
47 Sauk Centre 4,568 6.8% $296,786 $68,094
48 Ely 3,265 2.8% $222,561 $47,095
49 Stacy 1,895 6.0% $380,448 $71,389
50 Ortonville 2,081 2.7% $161,287 $53,516
51 Blue Earth 3,181 4.4% $153,167 $61,950
52 Ada 1,828 7.3% $146,767 $60,096
53 Coleraine 1,865 3.7% $187,390 $65,221
54 Mora 3,685 2.4% $215,914 $51,577
55 Canby 1,479 6.3% $164,997 $55,870
56 Breckenridge 3,390 7.5% $180,010 $57,094
57 Spring Grove 1,361 5.0% $218,416 $59,792
58 Long Prairie 3,661 5.2% $233,435 $60,313
59 Hoyt Lakes 2,095 16.3% $108,104 $70,583
60 Windom 4,770 5.3% $171,918 $54,603
61 Roseau 2,731 4.6% $226,364 $62,829
62 Jackson 3,301 3.0% $187,683 $65,531
63 Granite Falls 2,423 2.6% $134,438 $58,350
64 Clara City 1,599 3.9% $230,625 $58,477
65 Wheaton 1,341 3.5% $112,347 $49,727
66 Glenwood 2,628 0.4% $210,813 $50,767
67 Foley 2,695 4.6% $231,037 $71,576
68 Spring Valley 2,512 3.9% $233,401 $66,250
69 Lexington 2,448 5.7% $301,883 $76,047
70 Buhl 1,028 5.0% $111,122 $55,925
71 Melrose 3,606 2.3% $218,673 $54,951
72 Eden Valley 1,024 0.9% $274,219 $59,118
73 Warren 1,649 2.0% $179,680 $55,882
74 Pierz 1,613 2.1% $228,375 $58,750
75 Preston 1,222 4.4% $256,229 $56,354
76 Princeton 4,898 2.0% $343,758 $48,951
77 Madelia 2,352 3.4% $183,326 $74,625
78 Silver Bay 1,690 3.9% $153,321 $65,882
79 Hector 1,127 0.9% $180,054 $57,788
80 Le Center 2,502 5.5% $295,044 $63,944
81 Caledonia 2,832 1.4% $238,947 $61,842
82 Waterville 1,680 4.5% $294,442 $66,136
83 Wells 2,278 3.5% $118,080 $55,337
84 Sherburn 1,035 7.0% $158,864 $59,844
85 Wabasha 2,560 3.8% $255,674 $60,893
86 Newport 4,163 3.6% $320,702 $62,039
87 Gaylord 2,082 3.6% $217,692 $62,083
88 Dawson 1,369 4.6% $158,228 $67,540
89 Dassel 1,341 0.5% $245,751 $58,958
90 Blooming Prairie 2,110 2.3% $237,579 $61,458
91 Harmony 1,018 4.0% $239,127 $64,300
92 Kenyon 1,820 2.5% $286,849 $72,734
93 Truman 1,216 0.3% $162,544 $57,917
94 Two Harbors 3,620 1.6% $269,094 $63,565
95 Arlington 2,428 2.7% $249,782 $64,457
96 Benson 3,453 2.5% $154,379 $50,435
97 Le Sueur 4,210 0.3% $276,946 $68,750
98 Rushford 1,816 3.6% $212,597 $70,543
99 Glyndon 1,341 4.7% $320,329 $90,515
100 Plainview 3,477 4.3% $249,800 $63,194
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.

13 thoughts on “The 10 Worst Small Towns In Minnesota For 2024

  1. Lake Bronson is a mile away and connected with a paved walking trail, from a beautiful State Park and there is plenty to do there!

    1. I find the folks very friendly at Lake Bronson Beautiful Park, Beach, Fishing, Hiking Trails, Extremely nice County Museum just to name a few things. They also have Nice clean grocery store, Brand New Gas Bar, A Bar, A Legion, Good Auto mechanic shop, etc. Whomever wrote the article no doubt has never visited the area. The place is a very busy tourist stop each summer

  2. What are your “obvious’ reasons for not discussing Native American communties? Rice Lake and Ogema are Native American communities.

    1. I believe whomever wrote this has never visited many of these places, I found greet people and many things to do in most of these towns listed along the HWY 59 stretch

  3. You don’t even talk about the top 10 you list? Way to proof read….wow is all I can say. Not taking advice from someone like you.

  4. Should check your facts before you publish. Darfur does not have two post offices. There is a bank there And fertilizer plant and gas station. They also have a library.

  5. Get your facts straight before you publish about Darfur There are not two post Offices there. There is have a big fertilizer plant with a gas station. There is a library. There is a bank

  6. Pretty sad about some of these. I doubt that they really looked into this. I life by De Graff and work at the Walmart. Sad article.

  7. I think it’s interesting especially when you get to the bottom of the “article” and see the “Top 100” list and the top 3 are on a reservation but they decided to skip over them and go to the 3rd place on the list which is Brooks and go down from there, and that they don’t mention that Brooks is another retirement town that wouldn’t have tons of working people along with the low education levels is possibly due to the high average age of the community being from a time that a education wasn’t important.

  8. If there was high speed internet, so you could work from home, some of those low home prices would be great places to live.Jo

  9. Everyone knows that Bejou Rules! I think they actually need to visit the places before they put them on the Shit list. The list of towns mentioned doesn’t match match up with the list below.

  10. Maybe the person who wrote this article should actually go visit the people in the towns they are referring to. Clearly, they didn’t because the picture from the town of Boyd isn’t even a picture of the town!! Complete moron!

  11. Lol…one person’s opinion means nothing. What type of person would want to find fault where people call their home…sad.

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