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Minnesota rankings · Libraries

Towns with the most-used public libraries in Minnesota

Ranked by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. 18 towns with 2,500+ residents.

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Mapleton has fewer than 2,500 residents, the floor for MN lists.

#1
Ely12.7 per resident · Ely Public Library
#2
Two Harbors8.9 per resident · Two Harbors Public Library
#3
Bayport8.8 per resident · Bayport Public Library

All 18 towns

Visits per resident, highest first. Towns next door to Mapleton are tagged.

#TownVisits per residentLibraryVisits a year
1 Ely3,240 people 12.7 per resident Ely Public Library41,413
2 Two Harbors3,567 people 8.9 per resident Two Harbors Public Library32,877
3 Bayport3,905 people 8.8 per resident Bayport Public Library33,738
4 Stillwater19,355 people 6.9 per resident Stillwater Public Library133,160
5 Moose Lake2,863 people 6.6 per resident Moose Lake Public Library18,307
6 New Ulm14,056 people 6.2 per resident New Ulm Public Library87,342
7 International Falls5,642 people 5.5 per resident International Falls Public Library30,225
8 Cloquet12,537 people 5.1 per resident Cloquet Public Library64,487
9 East Grand Forks9,028 people 5.1 per resident East Grand Forks Campbell Library47,251
10 Virginia8,332 people 5.0 per resident Virginia Public Library41,613
11 Windom4,799 people 4.8 per resident Windom Public Library23,069
12 Columbia Heights22,155 people 4.2 per resident Columbia Heights Public Library90,594
13 St. Paul307,284 people 4.1 per resident Saint Paul Public Library1,271,015
14 Duluth87,093 people 3.8 per resident Duluth Public Library328,636
15 Chisholm4,712 people 3.5 per resident Chisholm Public Library16,204
16 Hibbing16,057 people 3.2 per resident Hibbing Public Library50,512
17 Mountain Iron2,860 people 2.9 per resident Mountain Iron Public Library8,279
18 Eveleth3,448 people 2.1 per resident Eveleth Public Library7,184
How it works

How this ranking works

The MN list, with the map →

We rank every town by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. The highest figure ranks #1. Each library reports its own yearly numbers to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (fiscal year 2024), and each town’s Library page shows how it compares with libraries of a similar size nationwide.

A town is ranked only when its library system serves that town alone, and the library’s own count of the people it serves is within 20% of the town’s population. Towns served by a county or regional system, or sharing a library with a neighbor, can’t be credited with the numbers, so they aren’t ranked. Libraries that didn’t respond to the survey aren’t ranked either. Vacation towns can rank high because summer residents and visitors use the library too.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Libraries: IMLS Public Libraries Survey. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

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