Otsego ranks #4 in Minnesota for growth
Otsego is ranked on 35 lists against the 275 Minnesota towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 1 and the top quarter on 8.
Less snow than 99% of Minnesota
Not better or worse, just Otsego’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
The lists Otsego does best on
Each list ranks every MN town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Otsego marked.
Otsego lands in the top half on 13 of 21 lists
Each dot is Otsego’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MN, the right end is last. Areas where Otsego does best come first.
1 spot from the top 3 for growth
Lists where Otsego sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Otsego out-ranks 3 of its 7 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 Otsego 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.
Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Crosslake · 57.2%
#103
Most new homes#1 Corcoran · 38.2 per 1,000
#19
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Crosslake · +76.3%
#139
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Brooklyn Center · 136.2 per home
#61 Health
Healthiest#1 Deephaven · 100 / 100
#44
Lowest obesity#1 Edina · 23%
#105
Fewest smokers#1 Deephaven · 7%
#54
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
#147 
People
Most educated#1 Deephaven · 83.5%
#90
C
Youngest#1 Collegeville · 21.7
#36
Oldest#1 Crosslake · 61.0
#240
Most residents 65+#1 Crosslake · 40.1%
#262
Most kids#1 Lonsdale · 36%
#23 
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Orrock · 63.1%
#198
Most trails#1 Two Harbors · 4.8 mi / sq mi
#189
Most walkable#1 Robbinsdale · 140 / sq mi
#187 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Eveleth · 1.1 yrs
#207
W
Cheapest rent#1 White · $509/mo
#222
Lowest property tax#1 Eveleth · $690/yr
#190
N
Rent easiest to afford#1 North Mankato · 30.1%
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 International Falls · 8.6 min
#239 Climate
Snowiest#1 Hermantown · 90 in
#268
L
Least snow#1 Lake City · 34 in
#3
Mildest winters#1 La Crescent · 8.7°
#166
Hottest summers#1 Marshall · 83.6°
#162
Coolest summers#1 Two Harbors · 75.4°
#106
Longest growing season#1 Winona · 180 days
#150
Wettest#1 Caledonia · 37 in
#174 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 Otsego’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.