Thomson makes Minnesota’s top 10 on 3 lists
Thomson is ranked on 35 lists against the 275 Minnesota towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 3 and the top quarter on 9.
Shorter growing season than 99% of Minnesota
Not better or worse, just Thomson’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
The lists Thomson does best on
Each list ranks every MN town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Thomson marked.
Thomson lands in the top half on 12 of 21 lists
Each dot is Thomson’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in MN, the right end is last. Areas where Thomson does best come first.
2 spots from the top 3 for graduation rate
Lists where Thomson sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Thomson out-ranks every neighbor it can be compared with
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 Thomson lands
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Health
Healthiest#1 Deephaven · 100 / 100
#74
Lowest obesity#1 Edina · 23%
#138
Fewest smokers#1 Deephaven · 7%
#54
Most active#1 Deephaven · 14%
#56
Fewest uninsured#1 Deephaven · 4%
#8
Lowest depression#1 Crosslake · 20%
#199
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waconia · 0.1 mi
#167 People
Most educated#1 Deephaven · 83.5%
#55
C
Youngest#1 Collegeville · 21.7
#196
Oldest#1 Crosslake · 61.0
#81
Most residents 65+#1 Crosslake · 40.1%
#172
Most kids#1 Lonsdale · 36%
#124 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 International Falls · 8.6 min
#56 
Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Crosslake · 57.2%
#128
Most new homes#1 Corcoran · 38.2 per 1,000
#76
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Crosslake · +76.3%
#5
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Brooklyn Center · 136.2 per home
#74 
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Orrock · 63.1%
#61
Most trails#1 Two Harbors · 4.8 mi / sq mi
#126
Most walkable#1 Robbinsdale · 140 / sq mi
#240 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Eveleth · 1.1 yrs
#154
W
Cheapest rent#1 White · $509/mo
#132
Lowest property tax#1 Eveleth · $690/yr
#172
N
Rent easiest to afford#1 North Mankato · 30.1%
Climate
Snowiest#1 Hermantown · 90 in
#6
L
Least snow#1 Lake City · 34 in
#266
Mildest winters#1 La Crescent · 8.7°
#231
Hottest summers#1 Marshall · 83.6°
#261
Coolest summers#1 Two Harbors · 75.4°
#12
Longest growing season#1 Winona · 180 days
#270
Wettest#1 Caledonia · 37 in
#185 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 Thomson’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.