Jackson makes Minnesota’s top 10 on 3 lists
Jackson 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 7.
The lists Jackson does best on
Each list ranks every MN town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Jackson marked.
Jackson lands in the top half on 8 of 20 lists
Each dot is Jackson’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MN, the right end is last. Areas where Jackson does best come first.
More year-round than 94% of Minnesota
Not better or worse, just Jackson’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
2 spots from the top 3 for graduation rate
Lists where Jackson sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Jackson out-ranks 0 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.
Where Jackson lands in every MN ranking
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Eveleth · 1.1 yrs
#8
W
Cheapest rent#1 White · $509/mo
#16
Lowest property tax#1 Eveleth · $690/yr
#8
N
Rent easiest to afford#1 North Mankato · 30.1%
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 International Falls · 8.6 min
#29 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Crosslake · 57.2%
#258
Most new homes#1 Corcoran · 38.2 per 1,000
#58
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Crosslake · +76.3%
#133
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Brooklyn Center · 136.2 per home
Health
Healthiest#1 Deephaven · 100 / 100
#168
Lowest obesity#1 Edina · 23%
#138
Fewest smokers#1 Deephaven · 7%
#117
Most active#1 Deephaven · 14%
#181
Fewest uninsured#1 Deephaven · 4%
#148
Lowest depression#1 Crosslake · 20%
#50
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waconia · 0.1 mi
#238 
People
Most educated#1 Deephaven · 83.5%
#158
C
Youngest#1 Collegeville · 21.7
#194
Oldest#1 Crosslake · 61.0
#83
Most residents 65+#1 Crosslake · 40.1%
#71
Most kids#1 Lonsdale · 36%
#147 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Orrock · 63.1%
#231
Most trails#1 Two Harbors · 4.8 mi / sq mi
Most walkable#1 Robbinsdale · 140 / sq mi
#158 
Climate
Snowiest#1 Hermantown · 90 in
#126
L
Least snow#1 Lake City · 34 in
#147
Mildest winters#1 La Crescent · 8.7°
#78
Hottest summers#1 Marshall · 83.6°
#95
Coolest summers#1 Two Harbors · 75.4°
#196
Longest growing season#1 Winona · 180 days
#91
Wettest#1 Caledonia · 37 in
#163 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 Jackson’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.