Independence makes Minnesota’s top 10 on 3 lists
Independence is ranked on 33 lists against the 275 Minnesota towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 3 and the top quarter on 8.
A podium finish, and more
Each list ranks every MN town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Independence marked.
More kids than 96% of Minnesota
Not better or worse, just Independence’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Independence lands in the top half on 10 of 19 lists
Each dot is Independence’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MN, the right end is last. Areas where Independence does best come first.
1 spot from the top 10 for college degrees
Lists where Independence sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Independence out-ranks 2 of its 4 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 Independence lands
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
People
Most educated#1 Deephaven · 83.5%
#11
C
Youngest#1 Collegeville · 21.7
#233
Oldest#1 Crosslake · 61.0
#43
Most residents 65+#1 Crosslake · 40.1%
#87
Most kids#1 Lonsdale · 36%
#11 Health
Healthiest#1 Deephaven · 100 / 100
#22
Lowest obesity#1 Edina · 23%
#15
Fewest smokers#1 Deephaven · 7%
#35
Most active#1 Deephaven · 14%
#19
Fewest uninsured#1 Deephaven · 4%
#8
Lowest depression#1 Crosslake · 20%
#199
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waconia · 0.1 mi
#157 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Crosslake · 57.2%
#115
Most new homes#1 Corcoran · 38.2 per 1,000
#78
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Crosslake · +76.3%
#65
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Brooklyn Center · 136.2 per home
#86 
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 International Falls · 8.6 min
#168 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Orrock · 63.1%
#204
Most trails#1 Two Harbors · 4.8 mi / sq mi
#181
Most walkable#1 Robbinsdale · 140 / sq mi
#242 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Eveleth · 1.1 yrs
#264
W
Cheapest rent#1 White · $509/mo
#255
Lowest property tax#1 Eveleth · $690/yr
#266
N
Rent easiest to afford#1 North Mankato · 30.1%
Climate
Snowiest#1 Hermantown · 90 in
#149
L
Least snow#1 Lake City · 34 in
#110
Mildest winters#1 La Crescent · 8.7°
#158
Hottest summers#1 Marshall · 83.6°
#114
Coolest summers#1 Two Harbors · 75.4°
#171
Longest growing season#1 Winona · 180 days
#114
Wettest#1 Caledonia · 37 in
#157 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 Independence’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.