The 14 Quietest Small Towns in Minnesota
Ranked on The Town Files lifestyle rankings among 165 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in Minnesota. #1 is Columbus, MN.
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14Blue Hill, Minnesota
Quieter than 60% of Minnesota towns
2,507 people · Sherburne County · median home $373,300 · income $108,113 · Jan low 4°F · 49 in snow
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13Palmer, Minnesota
Quieter than 60% of Minnesota towns
2,517 people · Sherburne County · median home $382,700 · income $120,625 · Jan low 3°F · 48 in snow
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12Zumbrota, Minnesota
Quieter than 63% of Minnesota towns
3,726 people · Goodhue County · median home $249,300 · income $78,156 · Jan low 4°F · 44 in snow
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11Brockway, Minnesota
Quieter than 66% of Minnesota towns
2,895 people · Stearns County · median home $363,000 · income $116,250 · Jan low 0°F · 51 in snow
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10White, Minnesota
Quieter than 67% of Minnesota towns
3,136 people · St. Louis County · median home $123,600 · income $55,293 · Jan low -7°F · 76 in snow
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9Linwood, Minnesota
Quieter than 67% of Minnesota towns
5,334 people · Anoka County · median home $380,100 · income $115,972 · Jan low 3°F · 52 in snow
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8Cohasset, Minnesota
Quieter than 75% of Minnesota towns
2,689 people · Itasca County · median home $330,500 · income $92,692 · Jan low -3°F · 60 in snow
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7Pokegama, Minnesota
Quieter than 75% of Minnesota towns
2,825 people · Pine County · median home $316,000 · income $77,888 · Jan low -1°F · 45 in snow
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6Harris, Minnesota
Quieter than 76% of Minnesota towns
3,276 people · Itasca County · median home $301,800 · income $79,243 · Jan low -1°F · 60 in snow
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5Mountain Iron, Minnesota
Quieter than 82% of Minnesota towns
2,878 people · St. Louis County · median home $192,800 · income $83,293 · Jan low -1°F · 69 in snow
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4Watab, Minnesota
Quieter than 82% of Minnesota towns
3,402 people · Benton County · median home $318,200 · income $99,018 · Jan low 0°F · 52 in snow
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3Afton, Minnesota
Quieter than 85% of Minnesota towns
2,955 people · Washington County · median home $679,300 · income $133,305 · Jan low 6°F · 47 in snow
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2Thomson, Minnesota
Quieter than 86% of Minnesota towns
5,465 people · Carlton County · median home $339,000 · income $119,338 · Jan low 2°F · 71 in snow
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1Columbus, Minnesota
Quieter than 90% of Minnesota towns
4,159 people · Anoka County · median home $460,200 · income $123,194 · Jan low 2°F · 44 in snow
Price vs ranking
More Minnesota rankings
- The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Minnesota
- The 25 Most Affordable Small Towns in Minnesota
- The 25 Best Small Towns for Families in Minnesota
- 25 Small Towns in Minnesota With the Cheapest Homes
- 25 Small Towns in Minnesota With the Mildest Winters
- The 25 Most Walkable Small Towns in Minnesota
- 25 Small Towns in Minnesota With the Fewest Tornadoes Since 1950
- The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Minnesota
- The 15 Best Affordable Small Towns to Retire in Minnesota With Mild Winters
- The 24 Best Affordable Small Towns for Remote Workers in Minnesota
Same ranking, other places
- The 50 Quietest Small Towns in America
- The 25 Quietest Small Towns in Pennsylvania
- The 25 Quietest Small Towns in New York
- The 25 Quietest Small Towns in Michigan
- The 25 Quietest Small Towns in Texas
- The 25 Quietest Small Towns in California
- The 25 Quietest Small Towns in New Jersey
- The 25 Quietest Small Towns in Florida
- The 25 Quietest Small Towns in Wisconsin
- The 25 Quietest Small Towns in Ohio
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)