81fit
#1Fulton
$2K ACS 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.
- Walk index
- 6
- Safety index
- 100
- Published fit
- 81
Family streets
Home→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 period. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · MPD Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 · OSM Sep 2026. ACS and MPD retrieved 2026-09-01; OSM retrieved 2026-09-01. Editorial copy last revised Sep 2026.
The ranking
Top 10 of 20 official neighborhoods. Same order for every reader. Fit is a number inside Minneapolis 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 ACS median rent
A village commercial node between Harriet and Bde Maka Ska. The southwest family read of the city.
- Walk index
- 6
- Safety index
- 95
- Published fit
- 77
Family streetsWaterfront
Stuck between these two? Linden Hills vs Cedar-Isles-Dean
75fit
#3Cedar-Isles-Dean
$2K ACS median rent
Between Cedar Lake and the Isles. Quiet streets, a trail system, and a name that is three neighborhoods glued together.
- Walk index
- 12
- Safety index
- 89
- Published fit
- 75
WaterfrontFamily streets
Stuck between these two? Cedar-Isles-Dean vs King Field
72fit
#4King Field
$1K ACS median rent
Bungalows, a commercial strip, and a south-side family default between Whittier and Minnehaha Creek.
- Walk index
- 19
- Safety index
- 84
- Published fit
- 72
Family streets
Stuck between these two? King Field vs Lowry Hill
66fit
#5Lowry Hill
$1K ACS median rent
Mansions on the hill above the Walker. Quieter than the Wedge, still inner, still a walk to the lakes.
- Walk index
- 11
- Safety index
- 74
- Published fit
- 66
Family streets
Stuck between these two? Lowry Hill vs East Bde Maka Ska
65fit
#6East Bde Maka Ska
$2K ACS median rent
The lake used to be Calhoun; the official name is East Bde Maka Ska. Beach, trail, and the west edge of Uptown.
- Walk index
- 0
- Safety index
- 79
- Published fit
- 65
WaterfrontFamily streets
Stuck between these two? East Bde Maka Ska vs Prospect Park
59fit
#7Prospect Park
$1K ACS median rent
The Witch's Hat tower and a pocket of houses east of campus. Official name is Prospect Park - East River Road.
- Walk index
- 16
- Safety index
- 68
- Published fit
- 59
Family streets
Stuck between these two? Prospect Park vs South Uptown
57fit
#8South Uptown
$1K ACS median rent
Formerly CARAG. The south half of the Uptown bar shed, with more houses than Lowry Hill East.
- Walk index
- 19
- Safety index
- 63
- Published fit
- 57
Nightlife
Stuck between these two? South Uptown vs Loring Park
56fit
#9Loring Park
$1K ACS median rent
The park is the living room; downtown is a walk. Apartment density without the warehouse look of the North Loop.
- Walk index
- 54
- Safety index
- 53
- Published fit
- 56
Waterfront
Stuck between these two? Loring Park vs Marcy-Holmes
52fit
#10Marcy-Holmes
$1K ACS median rent
Dinkytown is the search term; Marcy Holmes is the official neighborhood. Students, the river, and a short walk to campus.
- Walk index
- 22
- Safety index
- 58
- Published fit
- 52
NightlifePlanned
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.