Minnesota Compass contributes to Minnesota's shared well-being by:

  1. Providing credible, easy-to-access data

    Data on Minnesota Compass are from reliable sources such as the American Community Survey, an ongoing, year-round survey of households in the United States conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

  2. Tracking trends and measuring progress

    Our researchers analyze and interpret the data to show how Minnesota is doing on issues that impact our quality of life.

  3. Improving understanding to make data-informed decisions

    The data and analysis we provide help policymakers and nonprofit, business, and community leaders identify, understand, and act on issues that affect lives and communities.

First Minnesota Compass listening session

How we started

Minnesota Compass was developed when leaders from across Minnesota voiced a desire to have credible, easy-to-access data about their communities. Wilder Research worked with advisors representing business, government, nonprofit, and philanthropy to develop and implement Minnesota Compass as a statewide resource for reliable data. Advisor and community input is still a foundational part of our governance today.

Meet the advisors.
Group of people meeting

About the data

We take care to choose respected data sources, cite those sources, and be transparent about things such as the margin of error.

Key measures are chosen by advisory groups made up of experts in the field, and academic and business leaders. We have a strict set of criteria and guidelines that informs that process. 

Our data help Minnesota’s leaders learn where we are today, be inspired to act, make improvements that benefit us all, and track our progress over time.

Learn more about the data.