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Minnesota is known by several nicknames, including the North Star State, Gopher State and Land of 10,000 Lakes. One of the state’s most well-known attractions is the Mall of America, which has the largest floor space of any mall in the U.S. There are also dozens of museums, like the Charles Lindberg House and Museum and the Science Museum of Minnesota. If you like the outdoors, there are plenty of parks to visit, along with its famous lakes – Lake Superior, Lake of the Woods, and over 11,000 others.

Minnesota’s economy is relatively large, coming in at the 17th largest state economy by GDP. The state’s job market is going strong, too, with only 3.1% unemployment compared to 3.9% for the whole U.S. And parents can feel assured that their children will get good schooling in Minnesota. The state ranks 7th on WalletHub’s study of the best state school systems.

A wide range of attractions, strong economy and good school system combine to make Minnesota an attractive place to live for families. But certain spots within the state are better than others. WalletHub compared more than 90 cities across 21 metrics in order to determine most family-friendly cities. Our data set ranges from number of attractions to median family income to the quality of the school system. Read on for the results, insight from a panel of experts and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/51444/geochart-Minnesota-families.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2lTkFXO>

 

Best Places to Live in Minnesota

Overall Rank (1=Best)	City	Total Score	‘Family Life & Fun’ Rank	‘Education, Health & Safety’ Rank	‘Affordability’ Rank	‘Socio-economics’ Rank
1	Woodbury, MN	69.38	22	19	4	9
2	Lakeville, MN	69.32	27	8	18	6
3	Rogers, MN	68.97	51	14	1	12
4	Waconia, MN	68.76	19	34	7	2
5	Sartell, MN	68.40	9	5	11	36
6	New Ulm, MN	67.93	31	2	6	43
7	Eden Prairie, MN	66.29	40	18	15	17
8	Farmington, MN	66.24	28	16	23	15
9	Prior Lake, MN	65.96	55	27	8	16
10	Rochester, MN	65.68	2	61	2	38
11	Cottage Grove, MN	65.05	30	33	17	19
12	Savage, MN	65.04	44	50	5	10
13	Chanhassen, MN	64.92	37	76	9	3
14	Rosemount, MN	64.87	47	12	12	29
15	Chaska, MN	63.74	41	10	32	28
16	Owatonna, MN	63.49	20	31	20	42
17	Lino Lakes, MN	63.44	65	11	16	13
18	Stillwater, MN	62.58	18	30	25	41
19	Champlin, MN	61.93	59	21	22	25
20	Maple Grove, MN	61.91	56	43	13	18
21	Eagan, MN	61.84	54	23	21	27
22	Otsego, MN	61.75	32	71	36	1
23	Shakopee, MN	61.20	17	55	29	26
24	North Mankato, MN	61.19	25	1	58	65
25	Hugo, MN	61.08	49	51	27	30
26	St. Michael, MN	60.49	67	24	35	8
27	Andover, MN	60.47	71	53	31	4
28	Marshall, MN	60.34	3	41	10	84
29	Ramsey, MN	59.97	92	15	34	7
30	Mendota Heights, MN	59.90	98	20	3	20
31	Edina, MN	59.84	42	29	40	34
32	St. Peter, MN	59.24	21	4	50	71
33	Moorhead, MN	59.03	15	58	41	37
34	Arden Hills, MN	58.87	91	3	54	11
35	Winona, MN	58.44	34	49	26	51
36	Apple Valley, MN	58.16	77	48	19	24
37	Shoreview, MN	57.85	80	7	56	21
38	Hutchinson, MN	57.42	79	22	37	46
39	Minnetonka, MN	57.40	85	28	39	31
40	Fairmont, MN	57.32	10	39	45	68
41	Vadnais Heights, MN	56.71	94	6	47	33
42	Austin, MN	56.52	5	78	14	72
43	Plymouth, MN	56.35	74	42	42	22
44	Mankato, MN	56.06	4	59	46	64
45	Elk River, MN	55.50	70	35	57	32
46	Alexandria, MN	55.47	13	40	71	55
47	Fergus Falls, MN	55.36	48	68	28	52
48	Monticello, MN	55.02	26	36	61	60
49	Big Lake, MN	54.73	39	17	75	59
50	Blaine, MN	54.13	66	64	53	23
51	Buffalo, MN	53.77	38	44	63	61
52	Ham Lake, MN	53.40	93	37	49	14
53	Golden Valley, MN	53.16	68	46	38	47
54	Northfield, MN	52.62	58	32	69	57
55	East Bethel, MN	52.59	96	81	24	5
56	Forest Lake, MN	52.57	61	75	33	40
57	Hastings, MN	52.51	62	47	51	58
58	Inver Grove Heights, MN	52.02	72	63	48	50
59	Hibbing, MN	51.69	35	13	72	89
60	St. Louis Park, MN	51.58	60	65	52	53
61	Oakdale, MN	51.33	88	67	30	49
62	North Branch, MN	51.26	63	45	60	63
63	Worthington, MN	50.83	8	54	66	87
64	Albert Lea, MN	50.32	81	26	44	90
65	Red Wing, MN	49.88	52	66	55	69
66	Sauk Rapids, MN	49.36	16	25	87	88
67	White Bear Lake, MN	49.23	78	60	76	35
68	Duluth, MN	48.84	6	79	77	73
69	Richfield, MN	48.38	11	87	80	56
70	Faribault, MN	48.38	14	84	59	83
71	New Brighton, MN	47.73	50	52	82	62
72	Bloomington, MN	47.56	82	82	67	39
73	Burnsville, MN	47.47	69	77	73	44
74	Coon Rapids, MN	47.30	89	73	64	54
75	New Hope, MN	46.30	36	70	79	77
76	Crystal, MN	46.13	83	57	65	70
77	Willmar, MN	45.83	7	62	74	96
78	Cloquet, MN	45.34	29	83	78	76
79	Brooklyn Park, MN	43.98	53	93	62	66
80	Robbinsdale, MN	42.82	76	89	43	82
81	St. Cloud, MN	42.81	45	90	81	74
82	Grand Rapids, MN	42.62	24	38	98	85
83	Hopkins, MN	41.84	43	74	89	80
84	Roseville, MN	41.65	86	85	88	45
85	Maplewood, MN	41.05	87	86	85	48
86	South St. Paul, MN	40.52	57	92	70	78
87	North St. Paul, MN	39.09	95	56	92	67
88	Mounds View, MN	38.83	73	69	93	75
89	West St. Paul, MN	38.78	64	95	68	86
90	Fridley, MN	37.30	84	88	84	81
91	Minneapolis, MN	37.27	23	98	83	92
92	Brainerd, MN	37.26	1	91	95	95
93	Little Canada, MN	37.01	97	9	96	79
94	Anoka, MN	36.74	90	80	86	91
95	St. Paul, MN	35.65	12	96	94	93
96	Columbia Heights, MN	34.89	75	72	90	97
97	Brooklyn Center, MN	33.44	46	94	91	94
98	Bemidji, MN	27.65	33	97	97	98

Ask the Experts

Deciding where to settle down as a family can be difficult. There are so many factors to balance. With that in mind, we asked a panel of experts in fields such as family studies and public health to share their insight on how to evaluate Minnesota’s cities. Click on the experts’ profiles below to read their bios and their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are some tips for young families looking for quality public schools and affordable housing in Minnesota?
2. How can local officials in Minnesota make their cities more attractive to young families?
3. Looking just within Minnesota, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city in which they live?

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• Erin Gillett & Layna Cole Ph.D., Professor, School of Teaching and Learning, Minnesota State University Moorhead
• Amy Susman-Stillman Research Associate, Center for Early Education and Development, University of Minnesota

Erin Gillett & Layna Cole Ph.D., Professor, School of Teaching and Learning, Minnesota State University Moorhead

What are some tips for young families looking for quality public schools and affordable housing in Minnesota?

Public schools in Minnesota are not well equipped to support young families until their children are in kindergarten. In addition to looking at the quality of the schools, it is important to look at the community’s options for early childhood care and education. Are their high quality childcare centers? Is there public support for parks, services and programs for young children? Where do babies, toddlers, and preschoolers spend most of their time when not at home with a parent?

Looking just within Minnesota, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in?

A family’s quality of life is greatly influenced by how much a community invests in young children. The most critical development of a child’s life happens before they are three years old. Making sure that moms and dads can provide what a baby needs is critically important. Can the family earn a living wage in order to secure safe and stable housing and healthy food? Is there access to medical care? Is the community a safe place? Are their programs and services to support parents with young children? If these resources are not available in a community, parents will have a much more difficult time providing their children what is needed for healthy development.

If both parents need to work outside of the home, it is important that the community has affordable, high quality childcare. When families are able to access quality childcare they can afford, the children experience engaging, appropriate play-based care and education from well-prepared early childhood teachers. These teachers consider children’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical, language, and early literacy development and provide opportunities to support children’s growth across all developmental domains. When children are loved and cared for by well-prepared early childhood teachers, families feel confident in and satisfied with this care, which certainly contributes to the quality of life of these families.

How can local officials in Minnesota make their cities more attractive to young families?

Local officials in Minnesota can make their cities more attractive to young families by investing in programs and services that specifically support young children and parents. Also, communities should encourage collaboration among the school system and community partners that are serving young children and their families. They should find ways to make it easier for all the different programs serving children to work together to ensure community needs are met, and community resources are leveraged to maximize child outcomes. Embracing a blended delivery of childcare (working with both public and private providers) to ensure quality pre-K programs is important. These might include employer-provided programs, university lab schools, and the many private childcare and preschool programs in a community such as stand-alone childcare centers and faith-based programs. Having an active relationship with all community partners providing childcare ensures the local officials are aware of the options for families, the costs of those options, and the necessity of providing financial support in order to keep costs affordable as they look to recruit young families.

Amy Susman-Stillman Research Associate, Center for Early Education and Development, University of Minnesota

Looking just within Minnesota, to what degree is child development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the city they live in?

Communities can absolutely affect a family's quality of life and children's development. In Minnesota, more than 80% of mothers are engaged in the labor force. These high rates of parental employment mean that young families are balancing work and use of child care while also parenting young children and participating in family and community. It is a busy time, one that short on free time and resources and that takes up lots of parental energy. Families with young children are looking for ways to make the most of the time they have for fun and be as efficient as possible with household responsibilities. Communities that make resources easily available to young families can ease the challenges that parents face today. For example, having easy access to quality recreational activities (e.g., parks, playgrounds, walking and biking paths, pools, ice rinks) and low-cost equipment (or opportunities to acquire low-cost equipment) and libraries can help families have fun together and support healthy child development and learning. Communities that have easy access to grocery stores and pharmacies, etc... Make the quality of life easier for families.

Communities that also foster a sense of community and strong relationships amongst neighbors and community members can also positively affect children's development and a family's quality of life. For the last 25 years, children in St. Louis Park, Minnesota has benefited from the children's first initiative (http://www.children-first.org/) which has worked to build developmental assets for children through the community. A strong community can support families, create opportunities for children, and provide supports to whomever needs them. The children first initiative is an example of how it takes a village to support children and families.

Close ties between communities and public schools are another desirable indicator for families seeking to live in and contribute to a supportive community. The caring for kids initiative in Wayzata, Minnesota (https://www.iocp.org/outreach-services/education-youth/caring-for-kids/) is an example of how that west suburban community is working in conjunction with the Wayzata school district to support the child care needs of low-income families.

Methodology

To help families find the best Minnesota cities in which to put down roots, WalletHub compared a sample of 98 cities in the state across four key dimensions: 1) Family Life & Fun, 2) Education, Health & Safety, 3) Affordability and 4) Socio-economics. Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

We evaluated the four dimensions using 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most suitable conditions for family life.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Family Life & Fun – Total Points: 25

• Playgrounds per Capita: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
• Number of Attractions: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)Note: “Attractions” includes, for instance, museums, theaters and zoos.
• Share of Families with Children Aged 0 to 17: Double Weight (~8.33 Points)
• Weather: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)Note: Based on WalletHub’s Cities with the Best & Worst Weather ranking.
• Average Commute Time: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Education, Health & Safety – Total Points: 25

• Quality of School System: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• High School Graduation Rate: Half Weight (~1.47 Points)
• Air Quality: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Pediatricians per Capita: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
• Share of Uninsured Children: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)Note: “Children” include the population aged 0 to 17.
• Violent-Crime Rate per Capita: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)
• Property-Crime Rate per Capita: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)

Affordability – Total Points: 25

• Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Housing Costs (accounts for both rental and sale prices) / Median Annual Family Income.
• General Affordability: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Median Annual Family Income / Cost-of-Living Index.

Socio-economics – Total Points: 25

• Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Two-Parent Families: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Families Living in Poverty: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Households Receiving Food Stamps: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Wealth Gap: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, County Health Rankings, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Renwood RealtyTrac, SchoolDigger.com, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Areavibes and WalletHub research.

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