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MNMinnesota rankings

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.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

Ely 1 Ely 12.7 per resident Ely Public Library Two Harbors 2 Two Harbors 8.9 per resident Two Harbors Public Library Map of Bayport 3 Bayport 8.8 per resident Bayport Public Library
#TownVisits per residentLibraryVisits a year
1 Ely Ely3,240 people 12.7 per resident Ely Public Library 41,413
2 Two Harbors Two Harbors3,567 people 8.9 per resident Two Harbors Public Library 32,877
3 Map of Bayport Bayport3,905 people 8.8 per resident Bayport Public Library 33,738
4 Stillwater Stillwater19,355 people 6.9 per resident Stillwater Public Library 133,160
5 Moose Lake Moose Lake2,863 people 6.6 per resident Moose Lake Public Library 18,307
6 New Ulm New Ulm14,056 people 6.2 per resident New Ulm Public Library 87,342
7 Map of International Falls International Falls5,642 people 5.5 per resident International Falls Public Library 30,225
8 Map of Cloquet Cloquet12,537 people 5.1 per resident Cloquet Public Library 64,487
9 East Grand Forks East Grand Forks9,028 people 5.1 per resident East Grand Forks Campbell Library 47,251
10 Virginia Virginia8,332 people 5.0 per resident Virginia Public Library 41,613
11 Windom Windom4,799 people 4.8 per resident Windom Public Library 23,069
12 Columbia Heights Columbia Heights22,155 people 4.2 per resident Columbia Heights Public Library 90,594
13 St. Paul St. Paul307,284 people 4.1 per resident Saint Paul Public Library 1,271,015
14 Duluth Duluth87,093 people 3.8 per resident Duluth Public Library 328,636
15 Chisholm Chisholm4,712 people 3.5 per resident Chisholm Public Library 16,204
16 Hibbing Hibbing16,057 people 3.2 per resident Hibbing Public Library 50,512
17 Map of Mountain Iron Mountain Iron2,860 people 2.9 per resident Mountain Iron Public Library 8,279
18 Eveleth Eveleth3,448 people 2.1 per resident Eveleth Public Library 7,184

How this ranking works

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.

Same ranking in other states

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