Cities in Minnesota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Bemidji, MN had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 103 cities in 2021, at 24.9%. Otsego, MN had the lowest, at 0.9%. The median was 7% and the figure for Minnesota was 9.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest24.9Bemidji, MN
Lowest0.9Otsego, MN
Median7103 cities
Minnesota9.2History

Top 40 cities, 2021

Bemidji, MN: 24.9 %Bemidji, MN24.9Mankato, MN: 22.3 %Mankato, MN22.3St. Cloud, MN: 22 %St. Cloud, MN22Winona, MN: 19.2 %Winona, MN19.2Brainerd, MN: 18 %Brainerd, MN18Moorhead, MN: 17.9 %Moorhead, MN17.9St. Paul, MN: 17.6 %St. Paul, MN17.6Duluth, MN: 17.5 %Duluth, MN17.5Faribault, MN: 17.4 %Faribault, MN17.4Minneapolis, MN: 17 %Minneapolis, MN17Marshall, MN: 16.8 %Marshall, MN16.8Willmar, MN: 16.5 %Willmar, MN16.5St. Peter, MN: 16.4 %St. Peter, MN16.4Austin, MN: 15.6 %Austin, MN15.6Cloquet, MN: 15.5 %Cloquet, MN15.5Worthington, MN: 15 %Worthington, MN15Fairmont, MN: 14.5 %Fairmont, MN14.5Grand Rapids, MN: 14.1 %Grand Rapids, MN14.1Albert Lea, MN: 13.2 %Albert Lea, MN13.2Detroit Lakes, MN: 12.4 %Detroit Lakes, MN12.4Alexandria, MN: 12.4 %Alexandria, MN12.4Hibbing, MN: 12.2 %Hibbing, MN12.2Brooklyn Center, MN: 12.2 %Brooklyn Center, MN12.2West St. Paul, MN: 12.1 %West St. Paul, MN12.1Hopkins, MN: 11.8 %Hopkins, MN11.8Red Wing, MN: 11.5 %Red Wing, MN11.5Columbia Heights, MN: 11.1 %Columbia Heights, MN11.1Fridley, MN: 11 %Fridley, MN11Fergus Falls, MN: 11 %Fergus Falls, MN11Mounds View, MN: 10.9 %Mounds View, MN10.9New Brighton, MN: 10.6 %New Brighton, MN10.6South St. Paul, MN: 10.5 %South St. Paul, MN10.5Little Canada, MN: 10.4 %Little Canada, MN10.4Maplewood, MN: 10.3 %Maplewood, MN10.3Robbinsdale, MN: 10.2 %Robbinsdale, MN10.2North St. Paul, MN: 9.4 %North St. Paul, MN9.4Monticello, MN: 9.4 %Monticello, MN9.4Hutchinson, MN: 9.2 %Hutchinson, MN9.2North Branch, MN: 9.1 %North Branch, MN9.1New Hope, MN: 9 %New Hope, MN9Bemidji, MN: 24.9 %Bemidji, MN24.9Mankato, MN: 22.3 %Mankato, MN22.3St. Cloud, MN: 22 %St. Cloud, MN22Winona, MN: 19.2 %Winona, MN19.2Brainerd, MN: 18 %Brainerd, MN18Moorhead, MN: 17.9 %Moorhead, MN17.9St. Paul, MN: 17.6 %St. Paul, MN17.6Duluth, MN: 17.5 %Duluth, MN17.5Faribault, MN: 17.4 %Faribault, MN17.4Minneapolis, MN: 17 %Minneapolis, MN17Marshall, MN: 16.8 %Marshall, MN16.8Willmar, MN: 16.5 %Willmar, MN16.5St. Peter, MN: 16.4 %St. Peter, MN16.4Austin, MN: 15.6 %Austin, MN15.6Cloquet, MN: 15.5 %Cloquet, MN15.5Worthington, MN: 15 %Worthington, MN15Fairmont, MN: 14.5 %Fairmont, MN14.5Grand Rapids, MN: 14.1 %Grand Rapids, MN14.1Albert Lea, MN: 13.2 %Albert Lea, MN13.2Detroit Lakes, MN: 12.4 %Detroit Lakes, MN12.4Alexandria, MN: 12.4 %Alexandria, MN12.4Hibbing, MN: 12.2 %Hibbing, MN12.2Brooklyn Center, MN: 12.2 %Brooklyn Center, MN12.2West St. Paul, MN: 12.1 %West St. Paul, MN12.1Hopkins, MN: 11.8 %Hopkins, MN11.8Red Wing, MN: 11.5 %Red Wing, MN11.5Columbia Heights, MN: 11.1 %Columbia Heights, MN11.1Fridley, MN: 11 %Fridley, MN11Fergus Falls, MN: 11 %Fergus Falls, MN11Mounds View, MN: 10.9 %Mounds View, MN10.9New Brighton, MN: 10.6 %New Brighton, MN10.6South St. Paul, MN: 10.5 %South St. Paul, MN10.5Little Canada, MN: 10.4 %Little Canada, MN10.4Maplewood, MN: 10.3 %Maplewood, MN10.3Robbinsdale, MN: 10.2 %Robbinsdale, MN10.2North St. Paul, MN: 9.4 %North St. Paul, MN9.4Monticello, MN: 9.4 %Monticello, MN9.4Hutchinson, MN: 9.2 %Hutchinson, MN9.2North Branch, MN: 9.1 %North Branch, MN9.1New Hope, MN: 9 %New Hope, MN9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Bemidji, MN24.9
2Mankato, MN22.3
3St. Cloud, MN22
4Winona, MN19.2
5Brainerd, MN18
6Moorhead, MN17.9
7St. Paul, MN17.6
8Duluth, MN17.5
9Faribault, MN17.4
10Minneapolis, MN17
11Marshall, MN16.8
12Willmar, MN16.5
13St. Peter, MN16.4
14Austin, MN15.6
15Cloquet, MN15.5
16Worthington, MN15
17Fairmont, MN14.5
18Grand Rapids, MN14.1
19Albert Lea, MN13.2
20Detroit Lakes, MN12.4
21Alexandria, MN12.4
22Hibbing, MN12.2
23Brooklyn Center, MN12.2
24West St. Paul, MN12.1
25Hopkins, MN11.8
26Red Wing, MN11.5
27Columbia Heights, MN11.1
28Fridley, MN11
29Fergus Falls, MN11
30Mounds View, MN10.9
31New Brighton, MN10.6
32South St. Paul, MN10.5
33Little Canada, MN10.4
34Maplewood, MN10.3
35Robbinsdale, MN10.2
36North St. Paul, MN9.4
37Monticello, MN9.4
38Hutchinson, MN9.2
39North Branch, MN9.1
40New Hope, MN9
41Owatonna, MN8.8
42Brooklyn Park, MN8.7
42New Ulm, MN8.7
44Rochester, MN8.7
45Cambridge, MN8.4
46Anoka, MN8.4
47Northfield, MN8.3
48North Mankato, MN8.2
49Bloomington, MN8.1
50Sauk Rapids, MN7.9
51Richfield, MN7.3
52Roseville, MN7
53Burnsville, MN6.9
54Champlin, MN6.8
55Buffalo, MN6.7
56Crystal, MN6.5
56Vadnais Heights, MN6.5
58St. Louis Park, MN6.5
59Golden Valley, MN6.4
60Coon Rapids, MN6.2
61Oakdale, MN6.2
62Sartell, MN6
63White Bear Lake, MN5.9
64Eagan, MN5.8
65Savage, MN5.8
66Inver Grove Heights, MN5.7
67Blaine, MN5.6
68Hastings, MN5.5
69Shakopee, MN5.4
70Stillwater, MN5.4
71Eden Prairie, MN5
72Apple Valley, MN4.7
73Maple Grove, MN4.6
74Forest Lake, MN4.6
75Chaska, MN4.5
75Hermantown, MN4.5
75Minnetonka, MN4.5
78Edina, MN4.3
79Woodbury, MN4.2
80Shoreview, MN4.2
81Ramsey, MN4
82Elk River, MN4
83Lakeville, MN3.9
84Waconia, MN3.9
85Mendota Heights, MN3.9
86Plymouth, MN3.8
87Dayton, MN3.5
88Lake Elmo, MN3.4
89St. Michael, MN3.3
90Cottage Grove, MN3.1
91Chanhassen, MN3.1
92Farmington, MN3.1
93Andover, MN3
94Prior Lake, MN2.2
95Hugo, MN2.2
96Big Lake, MN2.1
97Ham Lake, MN2.1
98Victoria, MN2
99East Bethel, MN2
100Lino Lakes, MN1.9
101Rogers, MN1.9
102Rosemount, MN1.7
103Otsego, MN0.9

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Minnesota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Minnesota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/minnesota-cities?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Minnesota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/minnesota-cities?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Minnesota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/minnesota-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_minnesota_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Minnesota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/minnesota-cities?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Minnesota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/minnesota-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/minnesota-cities?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Rank Cities in Minnesota by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Bemidji, MN, with 24.9% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Otsego, MN, with 0.9% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in Minnesota: more rankings