81fit
#1Fulton
$2K median rent
50th & France on the Edina line and the lowest violent rate in this set. Quiet streets, high incomes, a bus ride from downtown.
Family streetsWalk 6Safety 100
Minneapolis/Guides
Best Minneapolis neighborhoods for families
The Minneapolis list for people who will actually look at a school rating. Official neighborhoods only. Bars barely count.
School rating nearby gets the biggest say. Safety and rent still count; walk and nightlife barely do. That is why a pretty strip can lose to a quieter block with a weaker cafe count. The rating is not your assigned campus, and a number here does not travel to another city.
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Data vintage. ACS 2024 5-year · MPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Sep 2026 · updated Sep 2026
The ranking
Ten official areas. Same order for every reader. Fit is a Minneapolis number only.
| # | Neighborhood | Fit | Rent | Schools | Safety | Walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulton | 81 | $2,312 | 100 | 100 | 6 |
| 2 | Linden Hills | 77 | $1,743 | 93 | 95 | 6 |
| 3 | Cedar-Isles-Dean | 75 | $1,871 | 86 | 89 | 12 |
| 4 | King Field | 72 | $1,343 | 79 | 84 | 19 |
| 5 | Lowry Hill | 66 | $1,275 | 71 | 74 | 11 |
| 6 | East Bde Maka Ska | 65 | $1,726 | 71 | 79 | 0 |
| 7 | Prospect Park | 59 | $1,407 | 54 | 68 | 16 |
| 8 | South Uptown | 57 | $1,337 | 50 | 63 | 19 |
| 9 | Loring Park | 56 | $1,187 | 29 | 53 | 54 |
| 10 | Marcy-Holmes | 52 | $1,288 | 36 | 58 | 22 |
Stuck between these two? Fulton vs Linden Hills
77fit
#2Linden Hills
$2K median rent
A village commercial node between Harriet and Bde Maka Ska. The southwest family read of the city.
Family streetsWaterfrontWalk 6Safety 95
Stuck between these two? Linden Hills vs Cedar-Isles-Dean
75fit
#3Cedar-Isles-Dean
$2K median rent
Between Cedar Lake and the Isles. Quiet streets, a trail system, and a name that is three neighborhoods glued together.
WaterfrontFamily streetsWalk 12Safety 89
Stuck between these two? Cedar-Isles-Dean vs King Field
72fit
#4King Field
$1K median rent
Bungalows, a commercial strip, and a south-side family default between Whittier and Minnehaha Creek.
Family streetsWalk 19Safety 84
Stuck between these two? King Field vs Lowry Hill
66fit
#5Lowry Hill
$1K median rent
Mansions on the hill above the Walker. Quieter than the Wedge, still inner, still a walk to the lakes.
Family streetsWalk 11Safety 74
Stuck between these two? Lowry Hill vs East Bde Maka Ska
65fit
#6East Bde Maka Ska
$2K median rent
The lake used to be Calhoun; the official name is East Bde Maka Ska. Beach, trail, and the west edge of Uptown.
WaterfrontFamily streetsWalk 0Safety 79
Stuck between these two? East Bde Maka Ska vs Prospect Park
59fit
#7Prospect Park
$1K median rent
The Witch's Hat tower and a pocket of houses east of campus. Official name is Prospect Park - East River Road.
Family streetsWalk 16Safety 68
Stuck between these two? Prospect Park vs South Uptown
57fit
#8South Uptown
$1K median rent
Formerly CARAG. The south half of the Uptown bar shed, with more houses than Lowry Hill East.
NightlifeWalk 19Safety 63
Stuck between these two? South Uptown vs Loring Park
56fit
#9Loring Park
$1K median rent
The park is the living room; downtown is a walk. Apartment density without the warehouse look of the North Loop.
WaterfrontWalk 54Safety 53
Stuck between these two? Loring Park vs Marcy-Holmes
Common questions
Same list, said in questions. The numbers are in the table.
What does this Minneapolis ranking actually measure?
Official Minneapolis neighborhoods ranked as if a nearby school rating and a calmer block matter more than bars. The rating is not your assigned campus. This is not the best place in the country to raise a child.
Why is Fulton #1?
Fulton and Linden Hills are nearly tied (81 vs 77). The order is a weight choice, not a personality contest. Open both.
How is this different from the walkable list?
The walkable list cares about the shop and the bus. This one cares about the school rating first. A dense strip can win walkable and lose here. That is the point.
Why isn't North Loop on this list?
North Loop is in the Minneapolis set and still sits outside the top 10. Schools 18, safety 32. It has more of the night, and this list barely pays for the night. Not a judgment of who lives there.
Can I compare a Minneapolis score to another city?
No. Hyde Park in Austin is not Hyde Park in Chicago. A 72 here is a rank inside this city’s official neighborhoods, not a grade you can carry across a state line.
What does rent mean on this list?
ACS median gross rent among these 10 areas runs $1,187 to $2,312. Five-year survey, studios through large apartments mixed together — not a listing you can message tonight.
Everyone sees this order so the list is arguable. Set your own weights · Method.