Best Cities to Live in Minnesota – St. Cloud is in the Top 10

When thinking about Minnesota, and what would be the best city to live in, what cities first come to mind?

What I personally think of, is great restaurants, art and music scene, culture - as in theatre shows, parks, things for families to do together, and maybe look at the crime stats too.  When you put all of that together, what city would you think would be the best city to live in Minnesota?

There is a website named touropia.  They conducted a study to find the top 12 cities to live in Minnesota.  St. Cloud had a decent showing, coming in the top 10, but consider, there were only 12 cities on the list.

Coming in at number 12 is Minnetonka. I thought this one would have been higher, but it can be fairly pricey as far as home costs go.  But there is a ton to do, and the lake is gorgeous.

Number 11 is Woodbury.  Great location, considered a suburb.  Again, lots to do for families and young adults.

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Number 10 is Maple Grove.  I love Maple Grove.  It seems to be one of the more up and coming towns in Minnesota.  But here is the thing - super expensive homes.  When moving back to Minnesota, we looked there, and not exactly budget friendly.  Expensive homes that need lots of updating.  But the restaurants, shopping and parks are great, plus it's close to the twin cities, but far enough out where you don't feel like you are "in" the cities.

Number 9 is where St. Cloud comes in.  Here is what the website had to say about the great things about St. Cloud and why it is a nice place to live.

Although the smallish city has relatively few tourist attractions, its sizeable student body lends the place a lively yet laid back vibe.

Despite its small-town feel, St. Cloud has all the amenities and opportunities befitting a much larger city. A number of large manufacturing, finance and retail companies have offices here with the state university and its highly-rated health care system also providing people with employment.

Thanks to its numerous colleges, the city has thriving arts, culture and nightlife scenes, although some parts of town can get a bit rough and rowdy at night. The wild and scenic woods and waterways all around also offer a wealth of fantastic hiking, biking and kayaking.

Maybe I need to buy a kayak.

The number one city in Minnesota, according to this website is Eden Prairie.

The reasons for this city named as the best is because of employment opportunities, housing, Gorgeous landscape along the Minnesota river, great education and safe streets.  The city has been named as a great place to raise a family.

So, if you are looking to make a change in location, consider any of these cities.