#1Barnesville
Clay County · 2,767 peopleCivic life grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall A+ · #2 of 271 in MN
Barnesville, #1 on this list · Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Minnesota rankings · Civic life
Towns with the most civic life in Minnesota
Barnesville ranks first on civic life among Minnesota’s 271 towns of 2,500+; 62 of the 271 grade A− or better on civic life nationally.
The Civic life grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): library visits per resident (IMLS), community nonprofits (IRS) and volunteering groups. How grades work
#1A+
#2Two Harbors
Lake County · 3,443 peopleCivic life grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall A− · #137 of 271 in MN
#3Litchfield
Meeker County · 6,528 peopleCivic life grade, better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #176 of 271 in MN
All 271 towns
Civic life grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.
271 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.
#TownGradeOverall
16International FallsKoochiching County · 5,481 peopleAbetter than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #207 of 271
42Corinna TownshipWright County · 2,596 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #134 of 271
49Detroit LakesBecker County · 10,019 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #243 of 271
50Norwood Young AmericaCarver County · 3,777 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #120 of 271
52Northern TownshipBeltrami County · 3,701 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #248 of 271
54Pokegama TownshipPine County · 2,884 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #263 of 271
63North MankatoNicollet County · 14,165 peopleB+better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #98 of 271
68Mendota HeightsDakota County · 11,475 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #109 of 271
70RobbinsdaleHennepin County · 14,030 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #241 of 271
82Redwood FallsRedwood County · 5,040 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #216 of 271
84Mountain IronSt. Louis County · 2,835 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #99 of 271
93Forest LakeWashington County · 20,952 peopleBbetter than 63% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #168 of 271
97Fergus FallsOtter Tail County · 14,246 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #208 of 271
100Blue Hill TownshipSherburne County · 2,625 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #159 of 271
103St. Louis ParkHennepin County · 50,027 peopleBbetter than 61% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #180 of 271
109Bemidji TownshipBeltrami County · 4,031 peopleBbetter than 60% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #229 of 271
115Granite FallsYellow Medicine County · 2,691 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #193 of 271
118West St. PaulDakota County · 21,950 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #217 of 271
120White TownshipSt. Louis County · 3,088 peopleBbetter than 57% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #219 of 271
125Breezy PointCrow Wing County · 2,771 peopleBbetter than 56% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #132 of 271
128May TownshipWashington County · 2,638 peopleB−better than 55% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #149 of 271
131Thomson TownshipCarlton County · 5,624 peopleB−better than 53% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #81 of 271
132New London TownshipKandiyohi County · 2,965 peopleB−better than 53% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #34 of 271
135Sylvan TownshipCass County · 3,030 peopleB−better than 52% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #136 of 271
139White Bear LakeRamsey County · 23,392 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #122 of 271
143Chisago CityChisago County · 5,955 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #140 of 271
144Vadnais HeightsRamsey County · 13,052 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #94 of 271
145Orrock TownshipSherburne County · 3,698 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #141 of 271
146BloomingtonHennepin County · 89,034 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #225 of 271
151Chisago Lake TownshipChisago County · 4,958 peopleB−better than 47% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #103 of 271
153Oak Park HeightsWashington County · 4,625 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #165 of 271
154North BranchChisago County · 12,398 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #146 of 271
159St. Paul ParkWashington County · 5,396 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #77 of 271
160Brockway TownshipStearns County · 3,016 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #123 of 271
161Big Lake TownshipSherburne County · 8,283 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #106 of 271
164West Lakeland TownshipWashington County · 3,931 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #60 of 271
170White Bear TownshipRamsey County · 10,399 peopleC+better than 40% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #68 of 271
173Golden ValleyHennepin County · 21,325 peopleC+better than 40% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #155 of 271
174Watab TownshipBenton County · 3,478 peopleC+better than 40% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #172 of 271
175Columbia HeightsAnoka County · 22,482 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #260 of 271
176East Grand ForksPolk County · 8,906 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #148 of 271
177Livonia TownshipSherburne County · 6,436 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #65 of 271
181Palmer TownshipSherburne County · 2,633 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #222 of 271
183Silver Creek TownshipWright County · 2,620 peopleC+better than 36% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #85 of 271
189Maple GroveHennepin County · 73,893 peopleCbetter than 35% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #161 of 271
190South St. PaulDakota County · 20,532 peopleCbetter than 34% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #206 of 271
191Thief River FallsPennington County · 8,799 peopleCbetter than 34% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #182 of 271
195Pelican RapidsOtter Tail County · 2,608 peopleCbetter than 33% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #126 of 271
197Monticello TownshipWright County · 3,374 peopleCbetter than 33% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #52 of 271
207Collegeville TownshipStearns County · 3,262 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #257 of 271
211Cedar Lake TownshipScott County · 3,080 peopleCbetter than 27% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #115 of 271
215Inver Grove HeightsDakota County · 36,873 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #89 of 271
216Rockford TownshipWright County · 3,474 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #107 of 271
218Grand Lake TownshipSt. Louis County · 2,705 peopleC−better than 25% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #247 of 271
219Bradford TownshipIsanti County · 3,549 peopleC−better than 25% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #215 of 271
220Eagle LakeBlue Earth County · 3,357 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #167 of 271
222Cambridge TownshipIsanti County · 2,592 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #200 of 271
224Linwood TownshipAnoka County · 5,403 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #170 of 271
225Cottage GroveWashington County · 43,604 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #50 of 271
227Harris TownshipItasca County · 3,364 peopleC−better than 21% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #226 of 271
230New Market TownshipScott County · 3,574 peopleC−better than 20% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #164 of 271
231Lake ElmoWashington County · 14,376 peopleC−better than 20% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #117 of 271
233HermantownSt. Louis County · 10,110 peopleC−better than 19% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #190 of 271
236Wakefield TownshipStearns County · 2,829 peopleC−better than 19% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #194 of 271
240Cascade TownshipOlmsted County · 2,810 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #183 of 271
244Brooklyn ParkHennepin County · 83,543 peopleC−better than 17% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #199 of 271
250Brooklyn CenterHennepin County · 31,846 peopleDbetter than 15% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #261 of 271
256Marion TownshipOlmsted County · 4,111 peopleDbetter than 13% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #157 of 271
264Franklin TownshipWright County · 2,939 peopleDbetter than 10% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #130 of 271
266North St. PaulRamsey County · 12,780 peopleDbetter than 8% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #227 of 271
267Spring Lake TownshipScott County · 3,498 peopleDbetter than 8% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #154 of 271
270La Grand TownshipDouglas County · 4,309 peopleDbetter than 7% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #131 of 271
271Alexandria TownshipDouglas County · 3,114 peopleDbetter than 5% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #87 of 271
Not ranked
3 towns without a civic life grade
Towns of 2,500+ that don’t have the figures this grade needs. Each town’s page says which ones are missing.
- Baldwin · 7,231 people
- Credit River · 5,644 people
- Empire · 3,063 people
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which Minnesota town has the most civic life?
Barnesville (Clay County) ranks first on civic life among 271 towns, with an A+; Two Harbors and Litchfield follow.
How are these towns ranked?
The Civic life grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): library visits per resident (IMLS), community nonprofits (IRS) and volunteering groups. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a civic life grade (271 in Minnesota). 3 towns of 2,500+ lack the figures and are listed above. Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Minnesota page.
Go deeper
All Minnesota rankings →More Minnesota lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
Best places to live271 towns · #1 ChatfieldBest small towns167 towns · #1 ChatfieldMost affordable towns273 towns · #1 White TownshipSafest towns166 towns · #1 Caledonia and Chatfield and MontevideoTowns with the best schools274 towns · #1 Plymouth and WayzataHealthiest towns271 towns · #1 DeephavenBest towns for jobs & income273 towns · #1 IndependenceMost walkable towns273 towns · #1 MinneapolisTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk274 towns · #1 ElyBest towns for the outdoors274 towns · #1 VictoriaMost historic towns273 towns · #1 St. PaulTowns with the least snow271 towns · #1 Lake CityDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns271 towns · #1 Grand Lake TownshipDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters270 towns · #1 La CrescentDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers270 towns · #1 MarshallDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers270 towns · #1 Two HarborsDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes273 towns · #1 North OaksDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes271 towns · #1 EvelethDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns270 towns · #1 DaytonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries18 towns · #1 ElyDescribed, no letters
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