Afton is #1 in Minnesota for health insurance
Afton is ranked on 33 lists against the 275 Minnesota towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 2 and the top quarter on 10.
A podium finish, and more
Each list ranks every MN town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Afton marked.
Longer growing season than 99% of Minnesota
Not better or worse, just Afton’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Afton lands in the top half on 13 of 20 lists
Each dot is Afton’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MN, the right end is last. Areas where Afton does best come first.
1 spot from the top 25 for college degrees
Lists where Afton sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Afton out-ranks 2 of its 3 ranked neighbors
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Every MN list, and where Afton lands
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Health
Healthiest#1 Deephaven · 100 / 100
#38
Lowest obesity#1 Edina · 23%
#48
Fewest smokers#1 Deephaven · 7%
#20
Most active#1 Deephaven · 14%
#31
Fewest uninsured#1 Deephaven · 4%
#1
Lowest depression#1 Crosslake · 20%
#6
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waconia · 0.1 mi
#91 
People
Most educated#1 Deephaven · 83.5%
#26
C
Youngest#1 Collegeville · 21.7
#269
Oldest#1 Crosslake · 61.0
#7
Most residents 65+#1 Crosslake · 40.1%
#21
Most kids#1 Lonsdale · 36%
#209 
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Orrock · 63.1%
#81
Most trails#1 Two Harbors · 4.8 mi / sq mi
#62
Most walkable#1 Robbinsdale · 140 / sq mi
#252 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Crosslake · 57.2%
#130
Most new homes#1 Corcoran · 38.2 per 1,000
#130
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Crosslake · +76.3%
#145
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Brooklyn Center · 136.2 per home
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 International Falls · 8.6 min
#219 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Eveleth · 1.1 yrs
#265
W
Cheapest rent#1 White · $509/mo
#253
Lowest property tax#1 Eveleth · $690/yr
#265
N
Rent easiest to afford#1 North Mankato · 30.1%
Climate
Snowiest#1 Hermantown · 90 in
#207
L
Least snow#1 Lake City · 34 in
#37
Mildest winters#1 La Crescent · 8.7°
#44
Hottest summers#1 Marshall · 83.6°
#99
Coolest summers#1 Two Harbors · 75.4°
#200
Longest growing season#1 Winona · 180 days
#3
Wettest#1 Caledonia · 37 in
#30 Libraries
Most-used libraries#1 Ely · 12.7 per resident
Most library borrowing#1 Stillwater · 22.8 per resident
Best libraries for kids#1 Ely · 65.1 per child
Safety
Safest#1 Montevideo · 0.0
The number on the right is Afton’s spot. All of Minnesota’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every MN list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.