Minnesota ranks #17 of 50 US states by overall crime rate (safest first), placing it in the safer half nationally. Its total crime rate is 2,549 per 100,000 residents — 8% below the national average. Safety varies widely by city; the safest reporting city is South Lake Minnetonka.

Minnesota Crime Rate — Is Minnesota Safe? 89 Cities Ranked

Quick answer

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Minnesota has a total crime rate of 2,549 per 100,000 residents — 8% below the national average — ranking #17 of 50 US states (safest first), in the safer half. Its safest reporting city is South Lake Minnetonka.

Minnesota Crime Overview

Minnesota reported a total crime rate of 2,549.3 per 100,000 residents — 8% below the national average of 2,785.9. This ranks Minnesota #17 out of 50 states (safest first).

Compared to the previous year, Minnesota's crime rate decreased by 3.7%.

Within the state, South Lake Minnetonka is the safest city (crime rate: 368), while Roseville has the highest rate (8,897) — a 24.2x difference that highlights how much safety can vary within a single state.

For residents, travelers, and those considering a move to Minnesota, these statistics provide a data-driven baseline. Browse the city-level table below to find specific communities, or see how Minnesota compares to its neighboring states. For the full list of safe and high-crime areas, visit safest cities in Minnesota or most dangerous cities in Minnesota.

Crime Breakdown

Crime Type	Incidents	Rate per 100K	National Avg
Violent Crime	11,561	342.5	478.2
Murder	151	4.5	6.3
Rape	1,537	45.5	43.8
Robbery	2,530	75.0	94.0
Aggravated Assault	7,325	217.0	333.5
Property Crime	74,489	2,206.8	2,307.7
Burglary	8,322	246.5	292.0
Larceny-Theft	55,306	1,638.5	1,657.7
Motor Vehicle Theft	10,861	321.8	358.0
Arson	0	0.0	0.0

Understanding Minnesota's Crime Profile

Of Minnesota's total crime rate, 13.4% is violent crime and 86.6% is property crime. Nationally, violent crime makes up 17.2% of all crime, meaning Minnesota has a lower-than-average share of violent offenses.

Minnesota's murder rate is 4.5 per 100K, which is 29% below the national rate of 6.3. Murder is the least common but most serious violent crime, and even small differences in rate can reflect meaningful differences in public safety.

These statistics are compiled from 89 cities across the state that report to the FBI's UCR program. Coverage varies by state — so these numbers represent the best available estimate, not a perfect census. For details, see our methodology page.

Property crime accounts for the bulk of Minnesota's total rate at 2,207 per 100K. This includes burglary, larceny-theft (the most common crime nationwide), motor vehicle theft, and arson. While property crime is less immediately dangerous than violent crime, high rates can affect quality of life, insurance costs, and economic investment in affected areas.

Cities in Minnesota by Crime Rate

Cities ranked from safest to most dangerous (10,000+ residents).

#	City	Coverage	Total Crime Rate	Violent Crime Rate	Safety Score
1	South Lake Minnetonka	11,961	367.9	33.4	97/100
2	Minnetrista Department	11,072	388.4	45.2	96/100
3	Farmington	23,995	412.6	79.2	95/100
4	Dayton	11,273	434.7	17.7	95/100
5	Big Lake	12,904	472.7	131.7	93/100
6	Buffalo	16,627	475.1	54.1	93/100
7	Orono	18,943	543.7	52.8	91/100
8	Rosemount	28,220	556.3	56.7	91/100
9	Ramsey	28,813	579.6	62.5	90/100
10	St. Peter	12,362	631.0	72.8	88/100
11	Lakeville	78,436	647.7	76.5	88/100
12	Lino Lakes	22,685	696.5	35.3	86/100
13	Cloquet	12,570	700.1	175.0	86/100
14	Chaska	29,431	720.3	84.9	85/100
15	Cottage Grove	43,131	721.1	39.4	85/100
16	Hibbing	15,915	728.9	62.8	84/100
17	Lakes Area	10,781	760.6	102.0	83/100
18	Savage	33,140	793.6	78.5	82/100
19	Centennial Lakes	12,219	793.9	65.5	82/100
20	Stillwater	19,185	948.7	83.4	77/100
21	Owatonna	26,573	970.9	150.5	76/100
22	Marshall	13,924	991.1	272.9	75/100
23	North Mankato	14,021	998.5	149.8	75/100
24	Golden Valley	20,806	1,052.6	67.3	73/100
25	Mendota Heights	11,501	1,069.5	191.3	72/100
26	Plymouth	76,577	1,074.7	50.9	72/100
27	New Ulm	13,858	1,089.6	72.2	71/100
28	Elk River	27,826	1,096.1	89.8	71/100
29	Hastings	22,112	1,112.5	113.1	70/100
30	Grand Rapids	11,333	1,120.6	88.2	70/100
31	Prior Lake	28,163	1,178.9	106.5	68/100
32	Worthington	13,523	1,205.4	281.0	67/100
33	Champlin	22,532	1,251.6	115.4	65/100
34	Mounds View	12,730	1,264.7	188.5	64/100
35	Shakopee	48,239	1,274.9	116.1	64/100
36	Woodbury	80,940	1,278.7	98.8	64/100
37	Sartell	19,845	1,310.2	65.5	63/100
38	Eden Prairie	61,511	1,352.6	73.2	62/100
39	Sauk Rapids	13,736	1,376.0	87.4	61/100
40	White Bear Lake	23,106	1,410.9	86.6	60/100
41	Hutchinson	14,730	1,412.1	217.2	60/100
42	Anoka	18,022	1,431.6	244.2	59/100
43	Faribault	24,708	1,436.8	307.6	59/100
44	Northfield	21,099	1,502.4	151.7	56/100
45	Blaine	74,913	1,503.1	92.1	56/100
46	Rochester	122,694	1,522.5	154.0	56/100
47	Inver Grove Heights Department	36,212	1,560.3	165.7	55/100
48	Edina	53,347	1,563.4	73.1	55/100
49	Hopkins	18,454	1,582.3	287.2	54/100
50	Forest Lake	20,680	1,595.7	120.9	53/100
51	Rogers	13,716	1,669.6	131.2	51/100
52	South St. Paul	20,648	1,670.9	348.7	51/100
53	Fairmont	10,173	1,690.8	294.9	50/100
54	Albert Lea	18,194	1,698.4	208.9	50/100
55	Willmar	21,437	1,730.7	438.5	49/100
56	Minnetonka	51,935	1,754.1	115.5	48/100
57	Cambridge	10,802	1,758.9	64.8	48/100
58	Austin	26,160	1,792.8	191.1	47/100
59	Alexandria	15,136	1,810.3	290.7	46/100
60	North St. Paul	12,762	1,841.4	188.1	46/100
61	Coon Rapids	63,308	1,852.9	213.2	45/100
62	Eagan	66,956	1,872.9	103.1	44/100
63	Maple Grove	71,622	1,876.5	113.1	44/100
64	Apple Valley	55,028	1,882.7	214.4	44/100
65	Oakdale	28,214	1,942.3	180.8	42/100
66	Moorhead	45,424	2,040.8	365.5	39/100
67	Burnsville	64,860	2,098.4	209.7	38/100
68	New Hope	20,319	2,145.8	187.0	37/100
69	Robbinsdale	13,771	2,156.7	384.9	37/100
70	Brainerd	14,615	2,210.1	431.1	35/100
71	Red Wing	16,819	2,354.5	202.2	32/100
72	Winona	26,045	2,484.2	188.1	29/100
73	Crystal	21,477	2,505.0	279.4	28/100
74	Columbia Heights	23,341	2,506.3	321.3	28/100
75	Fergus Falls	14,245	2,569.3	203.6	27/100
76	Hermantown	10,196	2,638.3	78.5	26/100
77	St. Anthony	12,658	2,686.1	118.5	25/100
78	Richfield	36,287	2,731.0	270.1	24/100
79	Maplewood	39,638	3,168.7	454.1	17/100
80	Duluth	88,003	3,174.9	220.5	17/100
81	St. Cloud	71,492	3,323.5	408.4	15/100
82	Fridley	30,355	3,327.3	247.1	15/100
83	Brooklyn Center	31,058	3,371.1	682.6	15/100
84	St. Paul	304,051	3,452.1	618.0	14/100
85	Bloomington	86,598	3,777.2	312.9	10/100
86	West St. Paul	22,128	4,464.9	162.7	6/100
87	Bemidji	15,853	5,399.6	813.7	3/100
88	Minneapolis	423,282	6,304.5	1,161.6	1/100
89	Roseville	35,507	8,896.8	399.9	1/100

Minnesota Crime Rate Trends

Year	Coverage	Total Crime Rate	Violent Crime Rate	Property Crime Rate
2024	3,375,491	2,549.3	342.5	2,206.8
2023	3,373,709	2,648.2	340.4	2,307.9
2022	3,331,694	3,050.9	380.1	2,670.8
2021	3,323,285	3,076.1	414.0	2,662.1
2020	3,297,592	3,091.3	370.4	2,720.9
2019	3,277,477	2,928.4	305.4	2,623.1

Minnesota Crime Trends: 6-Year Analysis

Over the 6-year period from 2019 to 2024, Minnesota's total crime rate decreased by 12.9%, moving from 2,928 to 2,549 per 100,000 residents. This long-term trajectory provides important context beyond any single year's snapshot.

In the most recent year-over-year comparison, Minnesota's crime rate decreased by 3.7%. Short-term changes don't always indicate a lasting trend, but consecutive years of movement in the same direction are worth noting.

Many factors can influence year-over-year changes, including shifts in policing strategies, economic conditions, population growth, and changes in how agencies report data to the FBI. For the most reliable picture, focus on the multi-year trend rather than any single year's change.

Minnesota vs Neighboring States

How does Minnesota's crime rate compare to its neighbors?

State	Total Crime Rate	Violent Crime Rate	Property Crime Rate	vs Minnesota
Minnesota	2,549.3	342.5	2,206.8	—
Wisconsin	2,077.7	430.5	1,647.2	-18.5%
Iowa	2,397.2	350.8	2,046.4	-6.0%
North Dakota	2,825.4	354.0	2,471.4	+10.8%
South Dakota	2,931.1	455.0	2,476.1	+15.0%

Among neighboring states, Wisconsin has the lowest crime rate (2,078 per 100K). South Dakota has the highest (2,931 per 100K).

Minnesota in Regional Context

Minnesota is safer than 2 of its 4 neighboring states based on total crime rate. Nationally, it ranks #17 out of 50 states (ranked safest first), placing it in the safer half of all US states.

Regional comparisons are valuable because neighboring states often share economic conditions, climate, and demographic patterns. If Minnesota differs significantly from its neighbors, it may point to state-specific factors such as policing policy, drug legislation, or economic programs. Visit individual state pages above for detailed comparisons.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Minnesota's crime rate?

Minnesota's total crime rate is 2,549.3 per 100,000 residents, which is 8% below the national average of 2,786. This includes both violent crime (342.5 per 100K) and property crime (2,206.8 per 100K).

How safe is Minnesota compared to other states?

Minnesota ranks #17 out of 50 states (safest first), placing it in the safer half nationally. Visit our all states page for the complete ranking.

What is the safest city in Minnesota?

The safest city in Minnesota is South Lake Minnetonka with a crime rate of 368 per 100,000 residents. View the full list at safest cities in Minnesota.

More Minnesota Crime Data

Dive deeper into Minnesota's crime statistics with our specialized ranking pages, or compare Minnesota cities against cities in other states using our comparison tool.

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Minnesota Crime Rate & Safety