With most media coverage focused on the big cities and dangerous places in Minnesota, we wanted to learn more about the smaller towns and cities in the state, and take some time to acknowledge the best cities in Minnesota when it comes to public safety. Whether you’re considering a move or want another reason to be proud of your hometown, it never hurts to know the safest places to live in Minnesota, which is why we checked out info on the safest cities in Minnesota on the FBI Uniform Crime Reports. So without further ado, here are the most peaceful places to live in Minnesota.

15. Plymouth
Plymouth, MN, USA
Facebook/City of Plymouth, MN - Local Government
Plymouth reported low rates of robbery and assault, and via FBI crime stats, comes in 15th for safest cities in Minnesota. Per the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the hard-working firefighters of Plymouth extinguished 166 fires in 2014 alone. This photo was taken at Plymouth Fire Station II when they were recognized by Canine Companions for Independence.
14. Isanti
Isanti, MN 55040, USA
Facebook/Isanti Events & Community Center
With low property theft rates, Isanti scores the 14th spot. With all the recreation opportunities, it's also a wonder that, per the Minnesota Department of Health's Injury Data, the entire county reported low levels of injuries (fewer than 700 for the entire county in the 1st quarter of 2015).
13. New Ulm
New Ulm, MN 56073, USA
Facebook/New Ulm, Minnesota... Having fun since 1854.
New Ulm has a low assault rate, and is one of the most fun towns in Minnesota, bringing in huge crowds to celebrate various holidays in traditional German fashion.
12. Crookston
Crookston, MN 56716, USA
Facebook/Crookston Chamber and Visitor's Bureau
Crookston reports low violent and property crimes. Their fire department also worked to extinguish 31 fires in 2014. This photo was taken at their annual water wars event - which you should absolutely attend!
11. Northfield
Northfield, MN 55057, USA
Facebook/Northfield Historical Society via City of Northfield, Minnesota
The Defeat of Jesse James Days commemorate a major event in Northfield history, protecting the town from an attempted robbery from the notorious gang, and since then, Northfield has been keeping true to their crime-stopping roots and reports some of the lowest violent crime rates in the state.
10. Baxter
Baxter, MN, USA
City of Baxter
Baxter of the Brainerd Lakes area is a great tourist destination and has extremely low vehicle theft rates.
9. Thief River Falls
Thief River Falls, MN 56701, USA
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
Thief River Falls has very low violent crime rates, and in 2014, the town's firefighters put out 40 fires, keeping loss to a mere $255,000. (Yes, it's a big number. But it's proportional to the number of fires, making it quite impressive.)

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8. Litchfield
Litchfield, MN 55355, USA
City of Litchfield
Litchfield reported low assault and vehicle theft rates, and in 2014 their fire department put out 26 fires.
7. Waseca
Waseca, MN 56093, USA
Facebook/City of Waseca
Waseca is a supportive community, reporting violent crimes harming less than 0.2% of its population. It nabs the 7th spot for safest in Minnesota.
6. Wyoming
Wyoming, MN, USA
Wyoming, MN Police Department/Facebook
With all these future firefighters and policemen, it's no wonder Wyoming has low property and violent crime rates. They had 31 fires in 2014, with the very low loss of $92,450.
5. Jordan
Jordan, MN 55352, USA
Facebook/Jordan (MN) Police Department
Jordan has time to educate future generations about public safety with some of the lowest vehicle theft and violent crime rates.
4. Belle Plaine
Belle Plaine, MN, USA
City of Belle Plaine, MN/Facebook
Belle Plaine has low rates of violent crime (less than 0.4% of the population were victims of violent crime in 2013). The police department also provides some amazing public safety tips and resources through their Facebook Page, so be sure to check it out.
3. Glencoe
Glencoe, MN 55336, USA
Greg Gjerdingen/Flickr
Glencoe has some of the lowest violent crime rates in the state, in fact the FBI only reported one case of violent crime in 2013.
2. Kasson
Kasson, MN, USA
Facebook/Kasson Police Department
Per the FBI, Kasson reported only nine cases of burglary in 2013 and their violent crime rate was similarly low (with only 2 crimes reported).
1. Hibbing
Hibbing, MN, USA
Facebook/Hibbing Fire Department
Scoring 4th safest in the entire nation, Hibbing had amazing low rates of violent and property crime with only 4 cases of violent crime and 6 cases of property crime. Their fire department is also extremely hardworking, putting out 66 fires in 2014. This photo was taken during their fire department's recent Ice Rescue training.

The safest cities in Minnesota aren’t limited to the towns mentioned above. Runner ups included Little Falls, Lake City, Hutchinson, New Prague, Albert Lea, Marshall, Fairmont, Eagan, Buffalo, and Big Lake. To see where your town scored, see your town’s count of individual crime types here.

With towns scoring 4th (Hibbing) and 17th (Kasson) overall in the entire nation, Minnesota definitely is a wonderful place to make your home. We should all be proud to live in a state where every small town works tirelessly to promote this great level of safety. Now that you’ve seen the safest towns in Minnesota, take a look at the most dangerous places in Minnesota.

So, what do you think? Are these the best cities in Minnesota? Did we miss your hometown? Tell us!

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More to Explore

Most Peaceful Places To Live In Minnesota

Daniella DiRienzo | November 15, 2021

What are the best cities in Minnesota?

When it comes to the best cities in Minnesota, there are lots of contenders, including Eden Prairie. Though located just 30 minutes southwest of the bustling Minneapolis, Eden Prairie boasts an undeniable small town feel, which is easily one of its biggest draws. The city’s perks haven’t gone unnoticed, either. Eden Prairie has been recognized as a great place to work and raise a family and has even been ranked one of the best places to live in the United States by Money magazine.

What are the most dangerous places in Minnesota?

Just like any other state, there are some dangerous places in Minnesota. One of the most notoriously dangerous places in Minnesota is Bemidji. The town is probably known most for being the home of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox as well as the setting for the TV show Fargo; however, it also has a reputation for some of the state’s highest crime rates. To put the things into perspective, in 2019, folks in Bemidji had a 1 in 13 chance of being the victim of a property crime.

Aside from the places mentioned above, what are the most peaceful places to live in Minnesota?

As far as the most peaceful places to live in Minnesota go, Ely definitely fits the bill. The small town is home to about 3,500 residents, a whole lot of natural beauty, and a wealth of recreational opportunities. Among Ely’s biggest perks is that it’s the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a 4,400-square-meter wilderness area, which is one of the most visited in the nation and is renowned as one of the world’s top canoeing destinations.

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