Cover of Compass Points 2026 brochure

Our annual dashboard provides you with a snapshot of quality of life in our state across a range of topics.

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Minnesota's population at a glance

  2020 2024
Overall population 5.7 million 5.8 million
     Twin Cities 3.2 million 3.2 million
     Greater Minnesota 2.5 million 2.6 million
Children and youth (age 0-17) 1.3 million 1.3 million
     Twin Cities 743,000 720,000
     Greater Minnesota 590,000 579,000
Working-age residents (age 18-64) 3.5 million 3.4 million
     Twin Cities 2.0 million 1.9 million
     Greater Minnesota 1.5 million 1.5 million
Older adults (age 65+) 925,000 1.1 million
     Twin Cities 455,000 530,000
     Greater Minnesota 470,000 528,000
Foreign-born residents 472,000* 524,000
     Twin Cities 373,000* 408,000
     Greater Minnesota 99,000* 115,000
People of color 1.2 million 1.4 million
     Twin Cities 920,000 1.0 million
     Greater Minnesota 318,000 375,000

* 2019 numbers
Numbers may not add up to totals due to rounding.

 

Quality of life indicators

Arts & Culture

57%

Adults age 18+ who attended a cultural event in the past year

Recent Trend
Same
National Rank
8
40%

Adults age 18+ who created or performed art in the past year

Recent Trend
Same
National Rank
17
13%

Students participating in artistic activities at least once a week

Children & Youth

65%

Students who are connected to a caring adult

Recent Trend
Better
57%

Students participating in enrichment activities 3x/wk

30%

Students reporting depression or anxiety symptoms

Recent Trend
Better

Civic Engagement

76%

Voted in 2024 election (voting-eligible)

Recent Trend
Worse
National Rank
2
42%

Residents age 16+ who volunteer

Recent Trend
Same
National Rank
3
64%

Adult neighbors who help neighbors

Recent Trend
Same
National Rank
6

Early Childhood

66%

Children screened before age 5

Recent Trend
Worse
8%

Low-weight births

Recent Trend
Worse
National Rank
13

Economy

$109,900

GDP per working-age adult

Recent Trend
Better
National Rank
14
3.0 million

Number of available jobs

Recent Trend
Better
National Rank
19
$87,100

Median household income (2024 dollars)

Recent Trend
Worse
National Rank
14
9%

Poverty rate

Recent Trend
Same
National Rank
6

Education

46%

3rd graders who are proficient in reading

Recent Trend
Worse
42%

8th graders who are proficient in math

Recent Trend
Worse
85%

Students who graduate high school on time

Recent Trend
Better
National Rank
35

Environment

57%

Days air quality was rated "good" (Twin Cities)

Recent Trend
Same
National Rank
5
20.0

Tons of greenhouse gas emissions per person

Recent Trend
Better

Health

6%

Residents under age 65 who are uninsured

Recent Trend
Same
National Rank
7
85%

Adults reporting good general health

Recent Trend
Worse
National Rank
5
14%

Adults experiencing frequent mental distress

Recent Trend
Worse
National Rank
10
21%

People delaying or postponing a healthcare visit

Recent Trend
Same

Housing

10,522

People experiencing homelessness

Recent Trend
Worse
28%

Households who pay 30% or more of income for housing

Recent Trend
Worse
National Rank
17
29 ppt

Homeownership gap (white, of color)

Recent Trend
Same
National Rank
45

Public Safety

1,896

Serious crimes committed per 100,000 residents

Recent Trend
Better
90%

Students who feel safe at school

Recent Trend
Better
85%

Adults who feel safe in their community

Recent Trend
Same
57

Premature preventable deaths due to external causes per 100,000 residents

Recent Trend
Better
National Rank
7

Transportation

418

Traffic injuries and fatalities per 100,000 residents

Recent Trend
Better
National Rank
6
1%

Highway miles rated in poor condition

Recent Trend
Same
19%

Household income spent on transportation

Recent Trend
Better
National Rank
12
73

Annual hours of delay per auto commuter (Twin Cities)

Recent Trend
Worse
National Rank
11
15,700

Average number of jobs reachable within a 30-minute commute by foot or transit (Twin Cities)

Recent Trend
Worse
National Rank
10

Workforce

79%

Proportion of adults working

Recent Trend
Same
National Rank
3
40%

Adults age 25+ with a bachelor’s degree

Recent Trend
Better
National Rank
11
69%

Graduation rate at 4-year institutions (within 6 years)

Recent Trend
Better
National Rank
9
59%

Graduation + transfer rate at 2-year institutions (within 3 years)

Recent Trend
Better
National Rank
8