Dayton tops the list at just 17.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents — roughly two incidents across its 11,273 residents in the reporting year — anchoring our ranking of the safest cities in Minnesota for 2026. The top 10 spans cities as different as Cottage Grove (43,131 people) and Minnetrista (11,072), and every figure below comes from FBI crime data, not surveys or reputation.
TL;DR: Dayton is Minnesota’s safest city in 2026 at 17.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, per FBI Uniform Crime Report data compiled by CrimeByCity. South Lake Minnetonka (33.4) and Lino Lakes (35.3) round out the top three. Only cities with at least 10,000 residents qualified — and SafeWise’s independent 2026 rankings, built from the same FBI data, agree on the top names and their order.
How the safest cities in Minnesota were ranked
This ranking starts with CrimeByCity’s table of Minnesota cities, which expresses FBI Uniform Crime Report figures as violent crimes per 100,000 residents for cities with 10,000 or more people, then sorts from lowest to highest rate. SafeWise’s 2026 rankings — built from FBI data across 139 qualifying Minnesota cities — provide an independent cross-check: Dayton (0.2 per 1,000), South Lake Minnetonka (0.3), and Minnetrista (0.4) land in the same relative order, with magnitudes consistent with CrimeByCity’s per-100,000 figures.
Two strict cutoffs shape this list. Cities under 10,000 residents are out even when their rates are extraordinary — that’s why Corcoran (SafeWise 2026: 0.1 per 1,000, roughly 10 per 100,000) and Medina (0.1 per 1,000) don’t appear despite qualifying on crime alone. And cities without a complete FBI crime report can’t be ranked: Victoria has no verifiable number in either source, so it’s excluded, and Rogers does report complete data but sits at 131.2 per 100,000 — roughly the 51st slot statewide, nowhere near the top 10.
Minnesota’s 10 safest cities for 2026
1. Dayton — 17.7
Dayton’s 17.7 violent crimes per 100,000 (population 11,273) is the lowest published rate in the state — roughly two incidents in the reporting year — and it holds the top spot on SafeWise’s independent ranking too.
2. South Lake Minnetonka — 33.4
At 33.4 per 100,000 (population 11,961), this lake-area municipality takes the same No. 2 position on SafeWise’s 2026 list, which puts it at 0.3 per 1,000.
3. Lino Lakes — 35.3
Lino Lakes reports 35.3 violent crimes per 100,000 across 22,685 residents — the first city on the list above 20,000 residents.
4. Cottage Grove — 39.4
Cottage Grove’s 39.4 per 100,000 (population 43,131) makes it the largest city in the top 10.
5. Minnetrista — 45.2
Minnetrista (population 11,072) reports 45.2 per 100,000, consistent with SafeWise’s 0.4 per 1,000 figure in both value and position on the list.
6. Plymouth — 50.9
Plymouth’s 50.9 per 100,000 across 76,577 residents makes it the biggest city in the top 10 — the safest large city in Minnesota by reported violent crime rate.
7. Orono — 52.8
Orono (population 18,943) reports 52.8 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, landing seventh statewide.
8. Buffalo — 54.1
Buffalo’s 54.1 per 100,000 (population 16,627) lands it eighth — one of the top-10 cities outside the major metro core.
9. Rosemount — 56.7
Rosemount (population 28,220) reports 56.7 violent crimes per 100,000, ninth on the list.
10. Ramsey — 62.5
Ramsey rounds out the top 10 at 62.5 per 100,000 (population 28,813). The next-closest city is Lakeville at 76.5 per 100,000 with 78,436 residents — it misses the cutoff but earns the honorable mention.
What these rates do — and don’t — tell you
A citywide violent crime rate is a blunt instrument: it doesn’t describe every neighborhood — every city varies block by block. It also reflects reported crime — reporting practices differ by department, so this is a ranking of the data on the books, not a verdict on any place’s character.
For a similar data-driven list from a neighboring state, see Michigan’s 10 Safest Cities in 2026, Backed by FBI Data, and for another statewide ranking, North Carolina’s safest cities for 2026.
Frequently asked questions about the safest cities in Minnesota
What is the safest city in Minnesota in 2026?
Dayton, at 17.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, per CrimeByCity’s FBI Uniform Crime Report table. SafeWise’s 2026 rankings independently agree, placing Dayton first at 0.2 per 1,000.
How were the safest cities in Minnesota ranked?
Cities with 10,000+ residents were sorted by violent crimes per 100,000, using FBI UCR figures compiled by CrimeByCity and cross-checked against SafeWise’s 2026 rankings.
Why isn’t Corcoran on the list if its crime rate is so low?
Population cutoff. Corcoran’s SafeWise 2026 rate is 0.1 per 1,000 (about 10 per 100,000), but its 8,276 residents fall below the 10,000 threshold — same for Medina at 7,104.
What about Victoria and Rogers?
Victoria has no complete FBI crime report in either source, so its number couldn’t be verified. Rogers (population 13,716) is fully verified but at 131.2 per 100,000 — roughly 51st statewide, far outside the top 10.
How does SafeWise’s 2026 ranking compare?
It’s an independent calculation from the same FBI data and puts the same cities in the same relative order, with consistent magnitudes — a strong cross-check on the CrimeByCity table.
Which city just missed the top 10?
Lakeville: 76.5 violent crimes per 100,000 with 78,436 residents — 11th statewide and the honorable mention.
Are these figures final FBI data?
They come from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report via CrimeByCity’s compiled table, reflecting reported crimes in the latest published reporting year. Figures are reported incidents, not estimates.
Is Minneapolis safe?
Minneapolis does not appear in this top 10. Citywide rates also vary sharply by neighborhood, so check your local precinct’s crime map rather than relying on any citywide average.
