Best Counties for Retirement in Minnesota 2026

87 counties ranked by health care, safety, tax burden, and affordability.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in Minnesota

1Lake of the Woods County

All 87 Retirement-Ranked Counties in Minnesota

Rank	County	Persona Score	Overall Score
1	Lake of the Woods County, MN	79	74.3
2	Jackson County, MN	78	72.5
3	Lincoln County, MN	77	69.3
4	Red Lake County, MN	76	73.1
5	Marshall County, MN	76	69.1
6	Lac qui Parle County, MN	75	72.5
7	Murray County, MN	75	72.7
8	Rock County, MN	75	70.7
9	Stevens County, MN	73	65.6
10	Traverse County, MN	72	68.1
11	Kittson County, MN	72	69.5
12	Pipestone County, MN	72	67
13	Grant County, MN	71	66.1
14	Lake County, MN	71	65.5
15	Norman County, MN	71	68.8
16	Wabasha County, MN	71	64.4
17	Brown County, MN	71	60.3
18	Faribault County, MN	70	61.9
19	Wadena County, MN	70	62.5
20	Yellow Medicine County, MN	70	66.5
21	Lyon County, MN	70	64.5
22	Swift County, MN	69	65.2
23	Houston County, MN	69	59.8
24	Pope County, MN	69	65.4
25	Clearwater County, MN	69	65.2
26	Fillmore County, MN	68	65.1
27	Big Stone County, MN	68	68.8
28	Sibley County, MN	68	57.3
29	Chippewa County, MN	67	59.5
30	Martin County, MN	66	59.2
31	Dodge County, MN	66	58.4
32	Wilkin County, MN	66	65.3
33	Wright County, MN	66	56.5
34	Douglas County, MN	65	56.4
35	Redwood County, MN	65	62.9
36	Carver County, MN	64	56
37	Itasca County, MN	64	56.5
38	Roseau County, MN	64	56.2
39	Cass County, MN	63	57.2
40	Meeker County, MN	63	57.7
41	Otter Tail County, MN	62	51.7
42	Stearns County, MN	62	50.3
43	Sherburne County, MN	61	55.7
44	Le Sueur County, MN	61	56.3
45	Nicollet County, MN	61	54.4
46	Todd County, MN	61	55.4
47	Cottonwood County, MN	60	63.2
48	Koochiching County, MN	60	59.9
49	Cook County, MN	60	61.6
50	Becker County, MN	59	52.7
51	McLeod County, MN	59	50.1
52	Polk County, MN	58	50.9
53	Morrison County, MN	58	50.8
54	Aitkin County, MN	58	53.3
55	Waseca County, MN	58	52.5
56	Kanabec County, MN	58	52.6
57	Crow Wing County, MN	57	49.3
58	Rice County, MN	57	49.3
59	Hubbard County, MN	57	50.3
60	Watonwan County, MN	56	53.6
61	Steele County, MN	56	49.6
62	Chisago County, MN	56	46.2
63	Winona County, MN	55	48
64	Renville County, MN	55	57.4
65	Nobles County, MN	55	50.4
66	Scott County, MN	55	45.8
67	Carlton County, MN	54	49.8
68	Washington County, MN	53	47.6
69	Kandiyohi County, MN	53	46.2
70	Pine County, MN	52	46.9
71	Goodhue County, MN	51	47.8
72	Olmsted County, MN	51	43.7
73	Anoka County, MN	50	43.7
74	Pennington County, MN	50	43.9
75	Dakota County, MN	50	43
76	Isanti County, MN	48	43.6
77	Freeborn County, MN	48	47.5
78	Mower County, MN	47	44.7
79	Blue Earth County, MN	46	41.7
80	Clay County, MN	45	41.8
81	St. Louis County, MN	44	40.7
82	Benton County, MN	42	41
83	Hennepin County, MN	40	36
84	Mahnomen County, MN	39	47
85	Mille Lacs County, MN	38	42.6
86	Beltrami County, MN	34	36
87	Ramsey County, MN	33	32.6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in Minnesota?

Based on our analysis of health care access, safety, property taxes, and cost of living, Lake of the Woods County ranks as the top retirement county in Minnesota with a retirement score of 79.

How many counties in Minnesota are ranked for retirement?

We rank 87 counties in Minnesota for retirement suitability, scoring each on health care access (35%), safety (30%), property tax (20%), and cost of living (15%).

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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.