Excelsior makes Minnesota’s top 10 on 4 lists
Excelsior is ranked on 33 lists against the 275 Minnesota towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 4 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 Excelsior marked.
Fewer kids than 96% of Minnesota
Not better or worse, just Excelsior’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Excelsior lands in the top half on 15 of 20 lists
Each dot is Excelsior’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MN, the right end is last. Areas where Excelsior does best come first.
2 spots from the top 3 for public schools
Lists where Excelsior sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Excelsior out-ranks 0 of its 1 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 Excelsior 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
#19
Lowest obesity#1 Edina · 23%
#15
Fewest smokers#1 Deephaven · 7%
#8
Most active#1 Deephaven · 14%
#31
Fewest uninsured#1 Deephaven · 4%
#35
Lowest depression#1 Crosslake · 20%
#118
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waconia · 0.1 mi
#153 People
Most educated#1 Deephaven · 83.5%
#28
C
Youngest#1 Collegeville · 21.7
#255
Oldest#1 Crosslake · 61.0
#21
Most residents 65+#1 Crosslake · 40.1%
#113
Most kids#1 Lonsdale · 36%
#265 
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Orrock · 63.1%
#124
Most trails#1 Two Harbors · 4.8 mi / sq mi
Most walkable#1 Robbinsdale · 140 / sq mi
#8 
Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Crosslake · 57.2%
#16
Most new homes#1 Corcoran · 38.2 per 1,000
#121
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Crosslake · +76.3%
#121
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Brooklyn Center · 136.2 per home
Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Eveleth · 1.1 yrs
#272
W
Cheapest rent#1 White · $509/mo
#119
Lowest property tax#1 Eveleth · $690/yr
#275
N
Rent easiest to afford#1 North Mankato · 30.1%
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 International Falls · 8.6 min
#209 Climate
Snowiest#1 Hermantown · 90 in
#31
L
Least snow#1 Lake City · 34 in
#235
Mildest winters#1 La Crescent · 8.7°
#79
Hottest summers#1 Marshall · 83.6°
#100
Coolest summers#1 Two Harbors · 75.4°
#201
Longest growing season#1 Winona · 180 days
#106
Wettest#1 Caledonia · 37 in
#103 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 Excelsior’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.