Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Belle Plaine ranks 129th of 271 in Minnesota, with an A− overall. It comes out better than 78% of U.S. towns. Where it does best is safety: it reports less crime per resident than 83% of U.S. towns. The catch is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $350K, 3.5 years of the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income. The town has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration and Hooper-Bowler-Hillstrom House. 29% of residents are under 18 in the town, above both Minnesota’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (22%). Only 10 of the 167 Minnesota towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Belle Plaine. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for schools, B− for walkability and B− for hazard risk.
Figures: FBI crime data, 2025 · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Belle Plaine beats most towns.
6,661 counted in 2010 and 7,395 in 2020; an estimated 7,632 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Belle Plaine is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 497 in 1870, 7,395 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Belle Plaine, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Belle Plaine.
Belle Plaine has seen reported crime fall by about half and gets more snow than most of the country, though not than most of Minnesota; it also has many renters stretched by housing costs.
Reported crimes fell from 64 to 18 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 0 reported in 2025, 0 per 1,000 residents.
In Belle Plaine, the level of property crime is 2.4 per 1,000 residents. This Minnesota town recorded no violent offenses.
| Belle Plaine | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 8.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The public schools here belong to the Belle Plaine Public School District. The largest public high school is Belle Plaine Senior High, with 475 students. Two of the 10 schools are below, and why each made the list.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Crest ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 432 | B+ |
| Belle Plaine Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 475 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
There are 3.2 miles of trail across 13 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Belle Plaine: 13, covering 339 acres. The trail network density in the town is 0.5 miles per square mile.
| Belle Plaine | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.1% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area - Lawrence Unit | 2 mi | 290 |
| 2. Heritage Park (Purple Park) | 0.9 mi | 12 |
| 3. Union Square Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the Minnesota average, Belle Plaine comes out ahead on 3 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1. Just over a fifth of Belle Plaine adults binge drink. Among adults in the town, 72% had a checkup this year and 29% sleep under 7 hours.
| Belle Plaine | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 75% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.9% | 10% | 12% |
| What stands out | Belle Plaine | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5% | 5.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 72.7% | 76.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
For Belle Plaine, the median household income is $99,000. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in the town rose by 421, to 2,437. Among residents in the town, 2.7% live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Shakopee (10%), Eden Prairie (5%) and Chaska (5%).
| Belle Plaine | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.7% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 9.7% | 8% |
| Median household income | $99,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Jordan 1ssw weather station, 7 miles away, records that 40 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 85% of Minnesota places with climate records. January nights average 6.2°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 84% of Minnesota places with climate records; July afternoons average 82.6°.
The January low is 6°F.
| Belle Plaine | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 6°F | 6°F | 22°F |
| July high | 83°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The age of the median resident for Belle Plaine comes to 35.7 years. This Minnesota town is growing: up 3.4% since 2020, to 7,632 residents (2025 estimate). For residents in the town, the share who are 65 or older is 13%. Here, a third of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 39% in Minnesota as a whole.
| Belle Plaine | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 29% | 23% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 18% | 18% |
| Median age | 35.7 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 67% are men (MN 43%).
| Belle Plaine | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.1% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.8% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.1% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.8% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.8% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.1% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.5% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.8% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.8% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.5% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.2% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Belle Plaine’s FEMA hazard score is 54 of 100. FEMA puts 42% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 19% to strong winds. One claim on flood insurance has been paid out in the town since 2001.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
80.9% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.1% across Minnesota.
The typical home value in Belle Plaine is about $350,000, up 0.9% in a year, close to the Minnesota typical home. In Belle Plaine, 84% of households live in a home they own. Its typical rent comes in at $1,342 a month.
| Belle Plaine | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,342 a month | $1,192 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Belle Plaine. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaU.S. Bank Stadium
20 mi Theme parkValleyfair
35 mi Stadium & arenaTarget Field
36 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Stadium
40 mi Stadium & arenaGrand Casino Arena
24 mi LakeLake MinnetonkaU.S. Bank Stadium: Darb02, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Valleyfair: https://www.flickr.com/photos/clumpinglitter/, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Target Field: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Huntington Bank Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Grand Casino Arena: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Minnetonka: Dan, CC BY 2.0
None within 15 miles of Belle Plaine; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Belle Plaine residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
Where Belle Plaine’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Belle Plaine on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Minnesota, United States
Belle Plaine ( BEL PLAYN) is a city in Scott County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 7,395 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Belle Plaine.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Plaine · Belle Plaine Township | #129 | A− | C+ | A− | B | A− |
| Faxon Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Blakeley Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| San Francisco Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| St. Lawrence Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Faxon Township, Blakeley Township, San Francisco Township and St. Lawrence Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Belle Plaine Township and Belle Plaine are one community, graded once. Compare Belle Plaine with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Belle Plaine grades A− overall, better than 78% of U.S. towns and #129 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades A− for health, A− for safety and B for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
2 notable people were born here, including Beth Riesgraf and Patrick J. Hessian.
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