Safest Cities in Minnesota (2026 Rankings)

Updated October 2026 · Based on 2024 FBI UCR data

Detroit Lakes is the safest city in Minnesota with a crime rate of 18.7 per 1,000 residents, earning a B safety grade. Cambridge (19.1/1K) and Dayton (19.3/1K) round out the top three. Rankings based on 103 cities with 2024 FBI Uniform Crime Report data.

Avg Crime Rate

23.0per 1K

Below National Avg

40of 103 cities

Above National Avg

63of 103 cities

All 103 Cities Ranked by Safety

#	City	Grade	Crime/1K	Risk Level	Violent	Property
1	Detroit Lakes	B	18.7	Below Average Risk	310	1563
2	Cambridge	B	19.1	Below Average Risk	315	1594
3	Dayton	B-	19.3	Moderate	331	1604
4	Farmington	B-	19.8	Moderate	387	1595
5	Cloquet	B-	19.8	Moderate	325	1654
6	Sauk Rapids	B-	20	Moderate	440	1564
7	Prior Lake	B-	20.1	Moderate	336	1679
8	Shoreview	B-	20.2	Moderate	394	1628
9	White Bear Lake	B-	20.2	Moderate	343	1677
10	New Hope	B-	20.2	Moderate	414	1604
11	North Mankato	B-	20.2	Moderate	310	1710
12	Monticello	B-	20.3	Moderate	400	1635
13	Elk River	B-	20.4	Moderate	346	1696
14	Brainerd	B-	20.4	Moderate	354	1687
15	Brooklyn Center	B-	20.5	Moderate	436	1610
16	Forest Lake	B-	20.5	Moderate	424	1624
17	Stillwater	B-	20.5	Moderate	394	1658
18	Vadnais Heights	B-	20.5	Moderate	392	1659
19	Austin	B-	20.6	Moderate	431	1630
20	Rosemount	B-	20.7	Moderate	357	1708
21	Albert Lea	B-	20.7	Moderate	443	1624
22	Big Lake	B-	20.7	Moderate	413	1661
23	Bloomington	B-	20.9	Moderate	382	1707
24	Moorhead	B-	20.9	Moderate	407	1678
25	Owatonna	B-	21.1	Moderate	389	1724
26	Hugo	B-	21.1	Moderate	323	1783
27	Red Wing	B-	21.1	Moderate	332	1782
28	Alexandria	B-	21.1	Moderate	353	1759
29	Duluth	B-	21.2	Moderate	371	1751
30	Burnsville	B-	21.2	Moderate	428	1697
31	Fridley	B-	21.2	Moderate	327	1794
32	Minnetonka	B-	21.3	Moderate	454	1676
33	Columbia Heights	B-	21.3	Moderate	352	1780
34	Rogers	B-	21.4	Moderate	426	1710
35	Plymouth	B-	21.5	Moderate	455	1692
36	Inver Grove Heights	B-	21.6	Moderate	405	1759
37	Fairmont	B-	21.6	Moderate	346	1810
38	Chanhassen	B-	21.9	Moderate	339	1852
39	West St. Paul	B-	21.9	Moderate	315	1875
40	Fergus Falls	B-	21.9	Moderate	381	1808
41	Crystal	B-	22	Moderate	403	1793
42	East Bethel	B-	22	Moderate	391	1814
43	Victoria	B-	22	Moderate	304	1896
44	Waconia	B-	22.1	Moderate	367	1844
45	Worthington	B-	22.1	Moderate	404	1806
46	Woodbury	B-	22.2	Moderate	418	1798
47	Hutchinson	B-	22.4	Moderate	381	1863
48	Blaine	B-	22.6	Moderate	385	1878
49	Andover	B-	22.7	Moderate	358	1911
50	New Brighton	B-	22.8	Moderate	366	1909
51	Willmar	B-	22.8	Moderate	345	1937
52	North St. Paul	B-	22.8	Moderate	386	1891
53	Brooklyn Park	B-	22.9	Moderate	407	1883
54	Chaska	B-	22.9	Moderate	353	1933
55	Hastings	B-	22.9	Moderate	432	1854
56	Oakdale	B-	23	Moderate	310	1985
57	Edina	C+	23.1	Moderate	378	1934
58	Hibbing	C+	23.1	Moderate	327	1987
59	Marshall	C+	23.1	Moderate	405	1903
60	Grand Rapids	C+	23.2	Moderate	307	2011
61	Champlin	C+	23.3	Moderate	309	2023
62	Buffalo	C+	23.3	Moderate	355	1978
63	Mendota Heights	C+	23.3	Moderate	327	2004
64	Apple Valley	C+	23.4	Moderate	429	1912
65	Faribault	C+	23.4	Moderate	432	1903
66	North Branch	C+	23.4	Moderate	432	1911
67	Mankato	C+	23.5	Moderate	341	2006
68	Lake Elmo	C+	23.5	Moderate	393	1960
69	Robbinsdale	C+	23.5	Moderate	388	1960
70	Hermantown	C+	23.6	Moderate	402	1957
71	Maple Grove	C+	23.7	Moderate	453	1915
72	Sartell	C+	23.7	Moderate	438	1928
73	Roseville	C+	23.9	Moderate	323	2067
74	Winona	C+	24	Moderate	359	2037
75	Otsego	C+	24	Moderate	426	1971
76	Northfield	C+	24	Moderate	329	2069
77	Ham Lake	C+	24	Moderate	420	1982
78	St. Peter	C+	24.3	Moderate	380	2054
79	St. Louis Park	C+	24.4	Moderate	435	2005
80	Shakopee	C+	24.4	Moderate	329	2113
81	New Ulm	C+	24.4	Moderate	379	2065
82	Mounds View	C+	24.5	Moderate	402	2050
83	Coon Rapids	C+	24.6	Moderate	346	2116
84	Bemidji	C+	24.8	Moderate	426	2055
85	Eden Prairie	C+	25	Moderate	458	2043
86	Golden Valley	C+	25	Moderate	344	2155
87	St. Cloud	C+	25.1	Moderate	330	2176
88	South St. Paul	C+	25.2	Moderate	428	2095
89	Little Canada	C+	25.2	Moderate	386	2139
90	Richfield	C+	25.3	Moderate	341	2192
91	Savage	C+	25.3	Moderate	399	2132
92	Ramsey	C+	25.3	Moderate	401	2128
93	St. Michael	C+	25.4	Moderate	354	2190
94	Hopkins	C+	25.8	Moderate	395	2181
95	Eagan	C+	25.9	Moderate	465	2126
96	Anoka	C+	25.9	Moderate	434	2155
97	Rochester	C+	26.2	Moderate	344	2277
98	Lino Lakes	C+	26.2	Moderate	439	2182
99	Maplewood	C+	26.6	Moderate	448	2212
100	Cottage Grove	C+	26.7	Moderate	458	2208
101	Lakeville	C+	26.8	Moderate	421	2256
102	St. Paul	C	27.5	Elevated	417	2337
103	Minneapolis	F	50.5	Very High Risk	850	4200

Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. 2024 FBI Uniform Crime Report data.

Most Dangerous Cities in Minnesota

The highest crime rates among tracked cities in Minnesota. These cities have the most crime per capita based on FBI data.

Minneapolis50.5/1K · Very High Risk · Violent: 850/100K

St. Paul27.5/1K · Elevated · Violent: 417/100K

C+

Lakeville26.8/1K · Moderate · Violent: 421/100K

C+

Cottage Grove26.7/1K · Moderate · Violent: 458/100K

C+

Maplewood26.6/1K · Moderate · Violent: 448/100K

Frequently Asked Questions About Safety in Minnesota

What is the safest city in Minnesota?

As of 2026, Detroit Lakes is the safest city in Minnesota with a crime rate of 18.7 per 1,000 residents and a B safety grade. It ranks above 61% of all US cities.

What are the top 10 safest cities in Minnesota?

Based on 2026 FBI Uniform Crime Report data, the top 10 safest cities in Minnesota based on crime rate are: Detroit Lakes, Cambridge, Dayton, Farmington, Cloquet, Sauk Rapids, Prior Lake, Shoreview, White Bear Lake, New Hope.

What is the most dangerous city in Minnesota?

Minneapolis has the highest crime rate in Minnesota at 50.5 per 1,000 residents, earning a F safety grade.

What is the average crime rate in Minnesota?

The average crime rate across 103 tracked cities in Minnesota is 23.0 per 1,000 residents. The average violent crime rate is 387 per 100K and property crime averages 1912 per 100K.

Is Minnesota safe to live in?

Minnesota has a higher-than-average violent crime rate at 387 per 100K (national: 363.8). However, safety varies widely by city. Detroit Lakes earns a B while Minneapolis gets a F. 40 of 103 cities have crime rates at or below the national average.

How many cities are ranked in Minnesota?

103 cities in Minnesota are ranked using FBI Uniform Crime Report data. 40 have crime rates at or below the national average.

See 2027 rankings for Minnesota →View all Minnesota city safety grades Safety index for all 50 states

2024 FBI Uniform Crime Report data and Census Bureau population estimates. Safety grades calculated using national and state-level crime rate distributions. Not a substitute for local law enforcement guidance.

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