Minnesota became the 32nd state admitted to the Union on May 11th, 1858 -- and according to the 2020 census is now the 22nd largest state population with 5,706,400 residents.

Before we take a look at the smallest towns in the state according to the latest census, these eleven cities are the largest in Minnesota:

  1. Minneapolis (439,012)
  2. Saint Paul (310,368)
  3. Rochester (122,711)
  4. Duluth (85,142)
  5. Bloomington (83,881)
  6. Plymouth (80,614)
  7. Brooklyn Park (80,119)
  8. Woodbury (76,022)
  9. Maple Grove (74,444)
  10. Lakeville (70,395)
  11. Saint Cloud (69,024)

Saint Cloud's population has grown 4.71% since the 2010 census, when the city recorded a population of 65,919.

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WorldPopulationReview.com has digested and sorted the census data to rank Minnesota's cities & towns by size -- so enough of the big cities. Let's take a look at Minnesota's 25 smallest towns according to the 2020 census.

  • Graceville (560)
  • Sabin (552)
  • Good Thunder (551)
  • Ironton (548)
  • Foreston (545)
  • Lyle (544)
  • Hokah (543)
  • Sunfish Lake (542)
  • Claremont (541)
  • Ranier (540)
  • Halstad (540)
  • Gem Lake (536)
  • Deerwood (536)
  • Geneva (535)
  • Stewart (531)
  • Ulen (530)
  • Clearbrook (525)
  • Ivanhoe (523)
  • Pennock (519)
  • Floodwood (518)
  • Browns Valley (514)
  • Eagle Bend (511)
  • Bethel (511)
  • Audubon (508)
  • Brownsville (507)

To be sure, there are smaller dots on the map across the state, but these represent the 500 Minnesota  locations that were reported in the census.

More interesting Minnesota 2020 census stats according to WorldPopulationReview.com include:

The median age in Minnesota is approximately 37.8 years of age. The gender ratio is split at 50.3% females and 49.3% males in the state. When it comes to religious preferences, the Minnesota population comes in at 74% Christian based faiths, 5% non-Christian based faiths, and 20% not affiliated with any religion.

If you're interested in seeing where Minnesota's state population ranks among our neighboring states:

  • Wisconsin (5,852,490)
  • Minnesota (5,706,400)
  • Iowa (3,167,970)
  • South Dakota (896,581)
  • North Dakota (770, 026)

Crazy to think that neither of the Dakotas have even a million people in total population.

The 25 Best Places to Live in Minnesota

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Minnesota using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

The 100 Best Places to Live in the Midwest

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