countyscore

Best Counties for Families in Minnesota 2026

87 counties ranked with the Family lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Family Counties in Minnesota

1Lac qui Parle County
79.4
baseline 74.8
2Lake of the Woods County
78.4
baseline 74.9
3Jackson County
76.9
baseline 70.9
4Red Lake County
76.7
baseline 73.3
5Norman County
76
baseline 68.8

All 87 Family-Ranked Counties in Minnesota

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Lac qui Parle County, MN79.474.8+4.6
2Lake of the Woods County, MN78.474.9+3.5
3Jackson County, MN76.970.9+6
4Red Lake County, MN76.773.3+3.4
5Norman County, MN7668.8+7.2
6Murray County, MN7571.3+3.7
7Rock County, MN72.471.2+1.2
8Kittson County, MN7269.5+2.5
9Marshall County, MN7269.9+2.1
10Yellow Medicine County, MN7266.7+5.3
11Grant County, MN71.565.8+5.7
12Big Stone County, MN70.668.3+2.3
13Traverse County, MN69.966.7+3.2
14Wabasha County, MN69.164.1+5
15Lincoln County, MN68.969-0.1
16Fillmore County, MN68.864.4+4.4
17Pope County, MN68.865.3+3.5
18Cottonwood County, MN68.763.1+5.6
19Lake County, MN68.365.1+3.2
20Pipestone County, MN67.167+0.1
21Lyon County, MN6763.6+3.4
22Cook County, MN66.263.2+3
23Swift County, MN65.864.3+1.5
24Stevens County, MN64.864.1+0.7
25Wilkin County, MN64.264.7-0.5
26Faribault County, MN64.163.9+0.2
27Redwood County, MN63.962.2+1.7
28Clearwater County, MN63.565.8-2.3
29Dodge County, MN62.558.2+4.3
30Meeker County, MN62.558.2+4.3
31Wright County, MN62.456.5+5.9
32Sibley County, MN62.157.4+4.7
33Brown County, MN6260.7+1.3
34Carver County, MN6256+6
35Houston County, MN61.659.9+1.7
36Sherburne County, MN61.255.8+5.4
37Wadena County, MN61.262.1-0.9
38Roseau County, MN60.856.2+4.6
39Chippewa County, MN60.658.5+2.1
40Douglas County, MN60.356.4+3.9
41Koochiching County, MN59.762.2-2.5
42Nicollet County, MN59.553.8+5.7
43Le Sueur County, MN58.955.5+3.4
44Renville County, MN58.856+2.8
45Itasca County, MN57.356+1.3
46Martin County, MN5757.6-0.6
47Cass County, MN55.358.8-3.5
48Todd County, MN55.255.4-0.2
49Kanabec County, MN54.752.5+2.2
50Carlton County, MN53.649.4+4.2
51Polk County, MN53.350.9+2.4
52Becker County, MN53.252.9+0.3
53Watonwan County, MN53.153.8-0.7
54Steele County, MN52.849.2+3.6
55Aitkin County, MN52.655-2.4
56Waseca County, MN52.251.3+0.9
57McLeod County, MN51.949.8+2.1
58Rice County, MN51.649.1+2.5
59Stearns County, MN51.650.1+1.5
60Washington County, MN51.647.5+4.1
61Morrison County, MN50.651.2-0.6
62Goodhue County, MN50.247.5+2.7
63Otter Tail County, MN5050.5-0.5
64Scott County, MN49.546.1+3.4
65Nobles County, MN49.248.7+0.5
66Chisago County, MN48.746.1+2.6
67Crow Wing County, MN48.749.9-1.2
68Freeborn County, MN48.646.6+2
69Hubbard County, MN47.951-3.1
70Pine County, MN46.847-0.2
71Winona County, MN46.347.5-1.2
72Kandiyohi County, MN45.844.4+1.4
73Dakota County, MN45.642.9+2.7
74Pennington County, MN45.344.7+0.6
75Anoka County, MN44.943.5+1.4
76Olmsted County, MN44.943.5+1.4
77Clay County, MN44.741.6+3.1
78Mahnomen County, MN44.747.5-2.8
79Mower County, MN44.443.6+0.8
80Mille Lacs County, MN4442.6+1.4
81Isanti County, MN43.743.70
82Blue Earth County, MN42.941.5+1.4
83St. Louis County, MN40.540.1+0.4
84Benton County, MN40.240.8-0.6
85Hennepin County, MN37.535.8+1.7
86Beltrami County, MN35.336-0.7
87Ramsey County, MN34.132.5+1.6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for families in Minnesota?

Based on the Family lens, Lac qui Parle County ranks as the top family county in Minnesota with a County Fit Score of 79.4. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in Minnesota are ranked for families?

We rank 87 counties in Minnesota with the Family lens, using independent importance values for schools, safety, affordability, health, income, taxes, and disaster risk.

Also Browse Minnesota Counties For

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Family Rankings by State

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Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.