#1White Township
St. Louis County · 3,088 peopleCost of living grade, homes cost 1.7 years of area income·Overall B− · #219 of 271 in MN
White Township, #1 on this list · Height of Land Portage · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0Minnesota rankings · Cost of living
Most affordable towns in Minnesota
White Township ranks first on cost of living among Minnesota’s 273 towns of 2,500+; 41 of the 273 grade A− or better on cost of living nationally.
The Cost of living grade: home values, rent and property-tax bills against the income of the town’s metro area or county, and the share of households paying 30%+ of income for housing (Census ACS). How grades work
#1A+
#2International Falls
Koochiching County · 5,481 peopleCost of living grade, homes cost 2.4 years of area income·Overall B · #207 of 271 in MN
#3Jackson
Jackson County · 3,305 peopleCost of living grade, homes cost 2.8 years of area income·Overall A · #76 of 271 in MN
All 273 towns
Cost of living grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.
273 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.
#TownGradeHome price · overall
2International FallsKoochiching County · 5,481 peopleA+2.4 years of area income·Overall B · #207 of 271
18Granite FallsYellow Medicine County · 2,691 peopleA2.1 years of area income·Overall B · #193 of 271
28Blue Hill TownshipSherburne County · 2,625 peopleA−3.7 years of area income·Overall B+ · #159 of 271
33Thief River FallsPennington County · 8,799 peopleA−2.4 years of area income·Overall B · #182 of 271
45New London TownshipKandiyohi County · 2,965 peopleB+4.6 years of area income·Overall A+ · #34 of 271
93Norwood Young AmericaCarver County · 3,777 peopleB3.5 years of area income·Overall A− · #120 of 271
105Silver Creek TownshipWright County · 2,620 peopleB4.5 years of area income·Overall A · #85 of 271
111Bemidji TownshipBeltrami County · 4,031 peopleB−3.6 years of area income·Overall B− · #229 of 271
118Alexandria TownshipDouglas County · 3,114 peopleB−5.0 years of area income·Overall A · #87 of 271
141La Grand TownshipDouglas County · 4,309 peopleB−4.9 years of area income·Overall A− · #131 of 271
147Chisago Lake TownshipChisago County · 4,958 peopleB−4.4 years of area income·Overall A− · #103 of 271
148Orrock TownshipSherburne County · 3,698 peopleB−4.1 years of area income·Overall A− · #141 of 271
160Big Lake TownshipSherburne County · 8,283 peopleC+4.1 years of area income·Overall A− · #106 of 271
161Inver Grove HeightsDakota County · 36,873 peopleC+3.7 years of area income·Overall A · #89 of 271
180White Bear TownshipRamsey County · 10,399 peopleC+3.9 years of area income·Overall A · #68 of 271
206West Lakeland TownshipWashington County · 3,931 peopleC7.1 years of area income·Overall A · #60 of 271
226Oak Park HeightsWashington County · 4,625 peopleC3.5 years of area income·Overall B+ · #165 of 271
229Northern TownshipBeltrami County · 3,701 peopleC4.6 years of area income·Overall C+ · #248 of 271
252Grand Lake TownshipSt. Louis County · 2,705 peopleC−4.6 years of area income·Overall C+ · #247 of 271
259Spring Lake TownshipScott County · 3,498 peopleC−6.3 years of area income·Overall B+ · #154 of 271
270Collegeville TownshipStearns County · 3,262 peopleD6.1 years of area income·Overall C · #257 of 271
Not ranked
1 town without a cost of living 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
Quick answers
Questions people ask
What is the most affordable town in Minnesota?
White Township (St. Louis County) ranks first on cost of living among 273 towns, with an A+; International Falls and Jackson follow.
How are these towns ranked?
The Cost of living grade: home values, rent and property-tax bills against the income of the town’s metro area or county, and the share of households paying 30%+ of income for housing (Census ACS). 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 cost of living grade (273 in Minnesota). 1 town of 2,500+ lack the figures and is 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.
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