Minnesota Cities Ranked as Best Places to Live in the United States

Living in Minnesota, we all know how the weather can turn on a dime.  We have experienced just that within the last week. We go from almost triple digits to feeling like it's early April, or even March the next week.  Now, we are heading back to the 80s by next weekend.

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It's weather whiplash.

There are many things that go into consideration when looking at what cities are the best places to live in the United States.  Some of the factors that come into play are housing costs, income levels, green areas, commute times, etc.

When all those things are considered, there are 10 cities in Minnesota that rank within the top 250 best places to live according to US News.

TOP CITIES TO LIVE IN MINNESOTA

The top rank that we had on this list came in at number 17.  Plymouth.

The median household income in Plymouth is $132,041, and the average commute time is about 20.49 minutes. The unemployment rate here is 1.8%.

Next up for Minnesota cities comes in at number 40 is Maple Grove.

The median household income in Maple Grove is $130,098, and the average commute time is about 20.64 minutes. The unemployment rate here is 3.44%.

If you want to buy a house in Maple Grove, the median home value is $391,713.

Personally, I think the Maple Grove housing market is rather pricey.  And most of the house need a lot of updating for that price.  That has just been my experience.  But maybe other people wouldn't be so picky.  It is really a lovely town with lots of great shopping and restaurants.

CITIES RANKED TOP WITHIN THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA

There are several other cities that are on the list coming in at number 46 - Eden Prairie, 54 is Woodbury, 116 is Eagan 188 is Blaine, 215 is Bloomington.  These are all part of the twin ciites metro area.  The suburbs.  There ae a couple of cities on this list that are outside of the Twin Cities area.

ARE THERE ANY CITIES OUTSIDE OF THE TWIN CITIES SUBURBS

Rochester comes in at number 72.  Much of that is due to "Mother Mayo".  But there ae some other factors.  I have lived in Rochester, and it's a great area with lots of parks, great restaurants and shopping.  Plus, the housing market has a wide variety of price points.

The national average home value is $370,489, while the median home value in Rochester is $291,249. Rochester offers a lower value of living compared to similarly sized cities

Plus, if you are single, this is the place to be.  Around 51% of the population is single. Those are pretty good odds.

Coming in at number 118 is Mankato.

Mankato is a great place for younger people to live.  The median age is just over 25.  AND the population is just under 50,000.  Great college town.

If you want to buy a house in Mankato, the median home value is $260,950.

And if you're a renter, you can expect the median rent here to be $856.

And finally, and this one surprises me, slightly.  Coming in at number 237 (out of 250) is Duluth.

CHALLENGES LIVING IN DULUTH

We all know the downfalls of Duluth.  The weather can REALLY be a crapshoot.  It's cold and windy a lot of the time.  You will also get some of the lake effect snowfall.  But if you love snow - you'll love Duluth.  There is so much history in the town, and that can be a real draw for some people.

Broadly, Duluth's cost of living compares favorably with Minneapolis or St. Paul, and even more so with coastal cities; if you love the lake and you can deal with the geographic distance from just about everything else, Duluth makes a highly appealing place to call home.

Where would you love to move within Minnesota?