Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Duluth's standout: it is more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C, 253rd among Minnesota's 271 graded towns. It has 173 miles of trail. Its weakest subject is safety: it reports more crime per resident than 83% of U.S. towns, including 203 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. 63% of working residents work locally in Duluth, above both Minnesota’s towns (9.7%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Aerial Lift Bridge and Duluth Union Depot. Only one of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare has a lower typical July afternoon high than Duluth.
Where Duluth beats most towns.
Its 44 National Register listings are more than in 99% of Minnesota towns with a listing.
Census counts: 80 in 1860, 86,697 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 5 maps from 1895 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Duluth is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Duluth, 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 Duluth.
Duluth draws workers from Superior and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns.
In Duluth, nearly a tenth of the land is protected. Hartley Park, at 692 acres with 7.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 70 parks and preserves cover 2,864 acres locally.
| Duluth | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.2 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 8.6% | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lester Park | 11.8 mi | 656 |
| 2. Hawk Ridge | 7.3 mi | 423 |
| 3. Hartley Park | 7.2 mi | 692 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Three of its 38 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. The public schools here belong to the Duluth Public School District. Public school enrollment locally: 2,824 students across 6 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordean East Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,037 | B+ |
| East High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,495 | A− |
| Lester Park ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 510 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
56,525 jobs are based in Duluth, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
In Duluth, the typical journey to work is 17 minutes. The top destinations are Superior (5%), Hermantown (5%) and Cloquet (2%). 13% of Duluth workers work from home.
| Duluth | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $91,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Property crime runs at 30.3 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Minnesota rate, most of it theft.
Only 9 of the 167 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher rate of thefts and burglaries than Duluth. Its violent crime rate is 2.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Duluth | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 30.3 per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
16.8% of residents live below the poverty line, against 9.3% across Minnesota, which weighs on its C+ for jobs and income.
Among adults 25 and older in Duluth, 44% hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Adults 18 to 34 are 32% of residents (22% statewide); children under 18 are 18% of residents (23% statewide). The age of the median resident for Duluth comes to 35.2 years.
| Duluth | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 44% | 33% | 29% |
| Median age | 35.2 years | 39.9 years | 40.5 years |
50.6% women, 49.4% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±0.7 points. Across Minnesota, 49.9% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.2, men 34.5.
| Duluth | MN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.2% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 18.4% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.4% | 13.5% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.3% | 12.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.1% | 10.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.2% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.2% | 6.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.3% | 23.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.1% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 11.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.1% | 25.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.9% | 13.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Duluth than in 72% of U.S. communities. 58 flood insurance claims have been paid locally since 1978. 85% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by lightning at 6%.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 76.4°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 4.6°.
For Duluth, the January low is 5°F. About 56 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 10,432 U.S. towns with household incomes like Duluth’s, it is healthier than 83%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income. Within Minnesota it is less healthy than 67% of the 271 graded towns: Minnesota sets a high bar.
For adults in Duluth, the share who have been diagnosed with depression is 26%. Of 32 CDC measures, Duluth beats the Minnesota average on 1 and trails it on 8. Among adults locally, 73% had a checkup this year and 34% feel lonely.
| Duluth | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 75% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 30% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Duluth | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 29.4% | 33.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.2% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Typical home values rose 4.6% in the year to September 2026. In Duluth, 59% of households are owner-occupiers. The rent at the middle of the market locally is $1,087 a month.
| Duluth | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 75% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 54% | 48% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,087 a month | $1,199 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 Duluth. Close and well known come first.
in town MuseumLake Superior Railroad Museum
in town Zoo & aquariumGreat Lakes Aquarium
in town MuseumDuluth Depotin town Zoo & aquariumLake Superior Zoo
4 mi MuseumFairlawn Mansion
in town MuseumLake Superior Maritime Visitor CenterLake Superior Railroad Museum: User resedabear on Flickr, CC BY 2.0 · Great Lakes Aquarium: Tmajewski, Public domain · Duluth Depot: Hikki Nagasaki, Public domain · Fairlawn Mansion: Nfarmakes, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of Duluth
College town 15 of every 100 Duluth residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
8.6% of the town is conserved land, across 70 parks and preserves.
44 places in Duluth on the National Register of Historic Places.
50 notable people were born in Duluth.
City in Minnesota, United States
Duluth ( də-LOOTH) is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population was 86,697 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's fifth-largest city. Duluth forms a metropolitan area with neighboring Superior, Wisconsin, called the Twin Ports. Duluth is south of the Iron Range and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It is named after Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, the area's first known European explorer. Duluth is on the north shore of Lake Superior at the westernmost point of the Great Lakes. It is the largest metropolitan area, the second-la…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Duluth.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C; Rice Lake (B−) is closest. Hermantown next door grades higher for schools (A to Duluth’s B−) and lower for cost of living (D to C).
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth | #253 | C | C | C− | B− | B+ |
| Hermantown | #190 | B | D | C | A | A |
| Rice Lake | #214 | B− | C− | — | B− | B+ |
| Midway Township | — | — | C+ | — | B+ | B+ |
| Proctor | #113 | A− | C+ | B+ | B+ | B+ |
| Lakewood Township | — | — | C | — | B− | A |
| Twin Lakes Township | — | — | B− | — | C+ | B |
| Canosia Township | — | — | C | — | A− | A− |
Midway Township, Lakewood Township, Twin Lakes Township and Canosia Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Rice Lake, Midway Township, Lakewood Township, Twin Lakes Township and Canosia Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Duluth with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Duluth grades C overall, better than 34% of U.S. towns and #253 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades B+ for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($71,769 across the Duluth, MN-WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
50 notable people were born here, including Bob Dylan and Bill Berry.
