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Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Minnesota where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Victoria, MN
- Minnetrista, MN
- Medina, MN
- Rogers, MN
- Lake Elmo, MN
- Shorewood, MN
- Waconia, MN
- Orono, MN
- Lino Lakes, MN
- Byron, MN
These are the happiest places in Minnesota. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Minnesota?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 147 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Victoria
Population: 9,032
Earners Over $75k: 75.5%
Average Commute: 27
Marriage Rate: 42.0%
Victoria is the happiest city in all of Minnesota. What makes Victoria residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Victoria resident only drives 27.3 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Victoria residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Minnetrista
Population: 7,408
Earners Over $75k: 81.9%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 45.0%
In 2nd place we have Minnetrista. Residents of Minnetrista are highly educated, with an impressive 61.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Minnetrista have plenty of them.
3. Medina
Population: 6,191
Earners Over $75k: 70.3%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 36.0%
Medina is the third happiest city in Minnesota. Why so happy? 36.0% of Medina residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Rogers
Population: 12,777
Earners Over $75k: 74.0%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 42.0%
Folks in Rogers have a lot to smile about. An impressive 74.0% of Rogers households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Rogers can afford peace of mind.
5. Lake Elmo
Population: 8,794
Earners Over $75k: 65.6%
Average Commute: 24
Marriage Rate: 39.0%
Lake Elmo is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Lake Elmo residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Minnesota city is only $413,100), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Shorewood
Population: 7,752
Earners Over $75k: 75.0%
Average Commute: 27
Marriage Rate: 37.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Shorewood a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 75.0% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Shorewood home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Waconia
Population: 11,981
Earners Over $75k: 61.1%
Average Commute: 26
Marriage Rate: 41.0%
Waconia is the 7th happiest city. Waconia residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 26.9 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Orono
Population: 8,015
Earners Over $75k: 71.8%
Average Commute: 27
Marriage Rate: 39.0%
Orono residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Lino Lakes
Population: 21,150
Earners Over $75k: 72.7%
Average Commute: 27
Marriage Rate: 42.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Minnesota is Lino Lakes. The average commute in Lino Lakes is only 27.0 minutes. That means they are only 27.0 minutes away from the loving spouse 42.0% of them have.
10. Byron
Population: 5,366
Earners Over $75k: 56.9%
Average Commute: 18
Marriage Rate: 40.0%
In 10th place is Byron, Minnesota. What makes Byron so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Minnesota
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victoria | 75.5% |
| 2 | Minnetrista | 81.9% |
| 3 | Medina | 70.3% |
| 4 | Rogers | 74.0% |
| 5 | Lake Elmo | 65.6% |
| 6 | Shorewood | 75.0% |
| 7 | Waconia | 61.1% |
| 8 | Orono | 71.8% |
| 9 | Lino Lakes | 72.7% |
| 10 | Byron | 56.9% |
| 11 | Chanhassen | 69.3% |
| 12 | Mendota Heights | 68.5% |
| 13 | Lakeville | 70.3% |
| 14 | Savage | 70.0% |
| 15 | Woodbury | 67.5% |
| 16 | St. Michael | 72.2% |
| 17 | Andover | 70.4% |
| 18 | Mahtomedi | 59.6% |
| 19 | Corcoran | 70.1% |
| 20 | North Oaks | 76.1% |
| 21 | Edina | 59.6% |
| 22 | Dayton | 58.3% |
| 23 | Rosemount | 64.0% |
| 24 | Eden Prairie | 66.0% |
| 25 | Maple Grove | 65.5% |
| 26 | Otsego | 70.4% |
| 27 | Sartell | 49.4% |
| 28 | Prior Lake | 61.7% |
| 29 | Ham Lake | 64.3% |
| 30 | Plymouth | 62.7% |
| 31 | Arden Hills | 58.1% |
| 32 | Hugo | 62.5% |
| 33 | Delano | 51.8% |
| 34 | Cottage Grove | 62.9% |
| 35 | Stillwater | 57.4% |
| 36 | Chaska | 57.4% |
| 37 | Farmington | 61.9% |
| 38 | Champlin | 58.8% |
| 39 | Albertville | 57.1% |
| 40 | Eagan | 58.0% |
| 41 | Shakopee | 55.8% |
| 42 | Vadnais Heights | 54.9% |
| 43 | Ramsey | 67.0% |
| 44 | Minnetonka | 57.5% |
| 45 | Shoreview | 58.6% |
| 46 | Oak Grove | 64.1% |
| 47 | Apple Valley | 58.8% |
| 48 | Baxter | 41.7% |
| 49 | Falcon Heights | 48.0% |
| 50 | Golden Valley | 56.9% |
| 51 | North Mankato | 39.7% |
| 52 | Blaine | 56.5% |
| 53 | Belle Plaine | 54.4% |
| 54 | New Brighton | 46.6% |
| 55 | Forest Lake | 53.7% |
| 56 | Hermantown | 45.4% |
| 57 | Stewartville | 42.3% |
| 58 | New Prague | 51.4% |
| 59 | Inver Grove Heights | 49.9% |
| 60 | East Bethel | 62.1% |
| 61 | Rochester | 47.3% |
| 62 | Elk River | 56.7% |
| 63 | Big Lake | 53.5% |
| 64 | Kasson | 46.2% |
| 65 | St. Anthony | 46.8% |
| 66 | Mound | 56.9% |
| 67 | Wyoming | 59.0% |
| 68 | Buffalo | 48.4% |
| 69 | St. Louis Park | 50.4% |
| 70 | Bloomington | 48.0% |
| 71 | St. Francis | 57.5% |
| 72 | Chisago City | 55.1% |
| 73 | Roseville | 45.4% |
| 74 | White Bear Lake | 46.3% |
| 75 | Burnsville | 46.8% |
| 76 | Owatonna | 41.9% |
| 77 | St. Joseph | 36.2% |
| 78 | Northfield | 42.2% |
| 79 | Jordan | 41.4% |
| 80 | Oakdale | 47.8% |
| 81 | Hastings | 45.6% |
| 82 | North Branch | 51.9% |
| 83 | Sauk Rapids | 32.6% |
| 84 | New Ulm | 35.6% |
| 85 | Brooklyn Park | 46.4% |
| 86 | Moorhead | 38.6% |
| 87 | Marshall | 34.0% |
| 88 | South St. Paul | 37.8% |
| 89 | Mounds View | 42.7% |
| 90 | Monticello | 41.3% |
| 91 | Zimmerman | 47.0% |
| 92 | Richfield | 41.7% |
| 93 | La Crescent | 35.8% |
| 94 | Robbinsdale | 44.9% |
| 95 | New Hope | 38.7% |
| 96 | East Grand Forks | 39.2% |
| 97 | Cloquet | 31.5% |
| 98 | St. Paul | 36.1% |
| 99 | Minneapolis | 40.1% |
| 100 | St. Paul Park | 47.6% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
