State rankings

Best Counties to Live in Minnesota

Compare counties in Minnesota by overall score, affordability, economy, schools, safety, taxes, and peace & quiet. Rankings are public-data estimates for comparison and research.

#1 in MN

Stevens County

81.9

Overall score

Open county report

#2 in MN

Lac qui Parle County

79.9

Overall score

Open county report

#3 in MN

Scott County

79.1

Overall score

Open county report

#4 in MN

Waseca County

78.8

Overall score

Open county report

#5 in MN

Rock County

78.5

Overall score

Open county report

Category highlights

Quick entry points for common county search priorities.

National rankings

Best overall

Stevens County

Overall score 81.9

Most affordable

Cottonwood County

Affordability 87

Best schools

Carver County

Schools 99

Safest

Hennepin County

Safety 99.9

Lowest taxes

Clearwater County

Taxes 72.5

Best peace & quiet

Stevens County

Peace & Quiet 98

All Minnesota counties

Showing 87 counties ranked by the default generated overall score.

Rank	County	Overall	Economy	Afford.	Schools	Safety	Taxes	Peace & Quiet	Typical home	Income
1	Stevens County FIPS 27149	81.9	77.3	71.9	97.3	95.1	59.7	98	$209,675	$75,733
2	Lac qui Parle County FIPS 27073	79.9	71.5	73.8	88.7	96.4	66.8	93.3	$215,844	$74,432
3	Scott County FIPS 27139	79.1	89	59.4	98.4	99.7	43.2	61.7	$441,654	$119,314
4	Waseca County FIPS 27161	78.8	77.2	72.4	93.2	94.7	40	91.4	$249,600	$76,261
5	Rock County FIPS 27133	78.5	79.3	63	95.1	82.6	67.8	95.3	$265,356	$71,295
6	Redwood County FIPS 27127	78.4	75	78.9	78.3	94.4	53.8	94.1	$178,762	$67,866
7	Traverse County FIPS 27155	78.3	75.4	78.8	90.8	73.6	62.6	86.3	$147,483	$62,989
8	Wabasha County FIPS 27157	77.8	77.9	62.1	96.9	96.1	46.5	87.6	$307,048	$82,007
9	Murray County FIPS 27101	77.6	63.7	66.7	95	97.8	68.9	88.9	$243,556	$74,033
10	Faribault County FIPS 27043	77.5	68.7	83.3	78.6	89.4	57.8	91.8	$158,994	$66,815
11	Wright County FIPS 27171	77.5	83.9	62.7	98.3	85.9	47.1	72.4	$388,429	$107,209
12	Roseau County FIPS 27135	77.4	62.1	75.2	92.6	94.5	56.7	94.4	$218,852	$74,474
13	Big Stone County FIPS 27011	77.2	66.3	71.4	90	95.9	60.8	85.9	$193,279	$70,400
14	Lincoln County FIPS 27081	77.2	63.5	74.3	94.8	90.4	58.4	87.5	$198,583	$69,694
15	Fillmore County FIPS 27045	76.9	70.8	66.2	91.6	94	58.5	88.1	$280,107	$77,512
16	Carver County FIPS 27019	76.7	85.8	55	99	91.8	44.4	69.8	$483,656	$125,946
17	Olmsted County FIPS 27109	76.5	84.1	58.6	93.4	95	39.7	79.1	$347,633	$95,406
18	Kittson County FIPS 27069	76.3	56	83.7	95.1	-	64.3	89.8	$166,136	$76,100
19	Dakota County FIPS 27037	76	84	58.1	96.5	99.7	43.7	36.9	$395,252	$106,318
20	Houston County FIPS 27055	76	78.1	59.9	88.7	96	48	90.2	$317,202	$79,825
21	Sherburne County FIPS 27141	76	79.3	62.5	93.3	91.5	45.6	71.6	$383,718	$105,466
22	Dodge County FIPS 27039	75.9	76	67.9	87.8	90.9	42.9	88.7	$322,431	$95,739
23	Cottonwood County FIPS 27033	75.8	56.4	87	82.7	96	42.4	96.3	$160,480	$72,941
24	Washington County FIPS 27163	75.8	84.8	56.9	98.6	95.2	43.5	41.3	$440,692	$115,345
25	Jackson County FIPS 27063	75.6	68.4	74.2	74.5	91.4	66.6	94.2	$221,300	$75,743
26	Brown County FIPS 27015	75.4	66	66.8	87.7	96.5	53.9	96.3	$241,191	$69,378
27	Lyon County FIPS 27083	75.4	66.9	72.8	83.3	96.3	45.8	95.2	$214,038	$75,303
28	Nicollet County FIPS 27103	75.2	72.6	57.4	98.6	94.7	40.6	93.9	$310,840	$79,756
29	Chisago County FIPS 27025	75.1	76.4	60.3	94.4	95	39.8	77.1	$378,343	$99,400
30	Yellow Medicine County FIPS 27173	75.1	66.4	86.7	65.4	92.7	51.6	92.8	$169,366	$74,000
31	McLeod County FIPS 27085	75	68.4	64	94.7	94.8	42.5	89	$291,893	$80,084
32	Pipestone County FIPS 27117	74.7	73.5	78.1	57.7	89.7	69.4	96.4	$193,590	$69,628
33	Anoka County FIPS 27003	74.6	77.9	62.5	94.5	95.2	48.5	29.1	$367,949	$101,869
34	Chippewa County FIPS 27023	74.4	60.1	69.6	82.5	98.8	58.5	95.4	$220,853	$71,458
35	Red Lake County FIPS 27125	74.3	62.5	77.9	78.1	86.9	60.6	89.4	$211,300	$77,188
36	Goodhue County FIPS 27049	74	71.1	60.4	92	92.6	44.4	88.3	$322,013	$84,171
37	Pennington County FIPS 27113	73.9	56.5	83.2	86.8	91.7	29.7	96.8	$190,508	$77,325
38	Swift County FIPS 27151	73.8	64	70.4	76.3	94.5	61	92.6	$188,707	$60,412
39	Freeborn County FIPS 27047	73.6	66.5	79.3	69.3	93.5	46.4	91.9	$191,496	$71,023
40	Isanti County FIPS 27059	73.6	67.8	62.4	94.2	90.9	45.1	81	$334,413	$87,440
41	Meeker County FIPS 27093	73.5	64.7	59.6	93.2	93.6	54.8	86.2	$286,407	$75,446
42	Renville County FIPS 27129	73.4	62	77.9	75.4	89.9	53.1	91.3	$189,697	$70,625
43	Douglas County FIPS 27041	73.3	74.2	48.7	98.7	89.7	52	84	$337,107	$79,043
44	Grant County FIPS 27051	73.3	58.6	67.6	85.5	97.1	58.3	86	$229,859	$73,917
45	Norman County FIPS 27107	73.3	56.6	81	87.2	-	60.2	88.4	$172,481	$72,260
46	Clay County FIPS 27027	72.9	72.1	60.1	84	96.9	39.2	92.3	$294,253	$81,172
47	Marshall County FIPS 27089	72.9	45.8	76.1	87.4	90.8	68.4	89.6	$207,228	$72,543
48	Steele County FIPS 27147	72.8	69.4	67	81.2	92.5	40.7	90.9	$292,374	$84,196
49	Wilkin County FIPS 27167	72.5	60.3	72.6	68.8	95.4	66.1	91.8	$216,759	$71,410
50	Blue Earth County FIPS 27013	72.4	69.3	51.7	93.3	94.6	47.8	91.1	$300,117	$74,477
51	Carlton County FIPS 27017	72.3	63.2	62.5	92.9	90.6	42.3	89.4	$292,856	$80,573
52	Pope County FIPS 27121	72.3	66.8	50.1	96.3	86.6	65.7	85	$328,244	$76,220
53	Stearns County FIPS 27145	72.1	71	53.5	87	97.4	47	85.3	$312,502	$77,066
54	Koochiching County FIPS 27071	71.4	50.4	83.5	66.3	91.2	63.6	91.7	$154,275	$66,940
55	Winona County FIPS 27169	71.2	67.1	58.5	76.1	97.5	53.4	91.6	$273,188	$70,744
56	Sibley County FIPS 27143	71.1	73.3	63.5	64.6	98.9	47.4	87.4	$282,130	$77,634
57	Rice County FIPS 27131	70.9	73.9	54.4	79.9	94.6	44.6	84.3	$344,690	$83,181
58	Lake County FIPS 27075	70.7	60.5	58.3	79.5	97.5	64.8	79.2	$272,294	$75,541
59	Martin County FIPS 27091	70.6	63	62.9	69.8	99.1	55.8	95	$214,071	$59,507
60	Otter Tail County FIPS 27111	69.5	65.5	43.8	91.9	90.7	61.6	81.5	$323,150	$72,255
61	St. Louis County FIPS 27137	69.3	59.4	60.9	81.2	92.5	46.3	89	$244,298	$70,069
62	Benton County FIPS 27009	68.9	60.8	53.8	88.3	90.3	47.2	86.8	$303,855	$74,410
63	Mower County FIPS 27099	68.6	69	78.7	39.6	95.7	48.6	90.7	$199,052	$73,074
64	Polk County FIPS 27119	68.6	58.6	63.4	84.1	79.2	47.9	91.4	$244,862	$73,107
65	Kandiyohi County FIPS 27067	68.2	70	61.1	63.9	89	47.5	90.5	$275,544	$76,592
66	Le Sueur County FIPS 27079	68.2	65.8	60.5	67.4	97.1	43.2	85.7	$351,273	$94,968
67	Hennepin County FIPS 27053	68.1	78.5	50.3	84.8	99.9	27.9	23.3	$387,852	$97,653
68	Crow Wing County FIPS 27035	67.9	64.1	35.4	94.8	93.8	61	77.1	$362,465	$72,589
69	Wadena County FIPS 27159	67.8	53.9	62.5	74.6	93	53.9	89.7	$223,829	$61,467
70	Becker County FIPS 27005	66	63.6	38.2	85.9	84.9	65.3	82.6	$347,852	$71,388
71	Watonwan County FIPS 27165	65.8	60.7	82.3	38.6	87.3	48.4	88.3	$171,372	$71,699
72	Lake of the Woods County FIPS 27077	65.3	59.8	68.1	50.1	80.9	68.8	85	$227,172	$77,546
73	Morrison County FIPS 27097	64.8	53.4	53.2	73.3	91.1	56.6	84	$303,389	$69,446
74	Kanabec County FIPS 27065	64.5	42.9	62.7	88.2	82	42.2	78.3	$265,306	$71,460
75	Itasca County FIPS 27061	63.9	44.7	63.1	76.2	81.1	54.6	81.6	$241,942	$68,603
76	Nobles County FIPS 27105	63.1	70	64	26.9	95.6	52.5	93	$235,209	$66,101
77	Todd County FIPS 27153	59.7	61.1	60.2	43.8	72.6	56	82.6	$259,272	$67,662
78	Beltrami County FIPS 27007	58.7	56.3	57.4	50.6	72.8	47.8	89.1	$261,029	$68,975
79	Mille Lacs County FIPS 27095	58.2	54.5	52.3	63.8	68.3	45.9	77.8	$306,036	$72,729
80	Hubbard County FIPS 27057	57.8	48.3	46.8	61.9	80.4	57.5	77.5	$312,005	$71,995
81	Ramsey County FIPS 27123	56.8	69.8	50.1	45.8	93.2	25.2	23.7	$336,494	$81,568
82	Aitkin County FIPS 27001	56.3	44.4	48.1	58.5	70.5	70.7	75.8	$268,116	$60,833
83	Clearwater County FIPS 27029	53.2	35.7	56.7	31.6	82.9	72.5	82	$246,480	$64,475
84	Cook County FIPS 27031	52.5	60.4	20.8	51	74.9	64.9	84.6	$423,366	$72,638
85	Mahnomen County FIPS 27087	52.2	49.2	68.8	9.8	73	54.6	85.8	$179,668	$59,441
86	Pine County FIPS 27115	51.9	46.2	61.2	49	41	53.6	74.8	$253,269	$71,146
87	Cass County FIPS 27021	48.5	50.9	39.1	28.6	61.2	72.5	77.3	$334,055	$68,874