Key findings:
- Minnesota 6th worst driving state.
- 15% of Minnesota roads in poor conditions costing drivers $542 annually.
- 20th most distracted drivers in the country.
- Anoka, Kragnes and Shakopee are the worst drivers in Minnesota.
- Columbia Heights, Little Canada and Eden Prairie are the best drivers in Minnesota.
Do you ever find yourself on the road thinking, “these drivers are the absolute worst?” In the state of Minnesota you would be close to right. In our annual driver reports Minnesota has always rated among the worst driving states. All the factors we evaluated for the Minnesota driver grade came from over 100,000 insurance quotes from users of QuoteWizard.com. Along with data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to score Minnesota drivers. Factors in the driver report are based on the following:
- Driver quality in cities
- Distracted drivers
- Driver quality by age group
- Road infrastructure
- Car insurance increases
Minnesota driver grade: C-. The C- grade feels a little generous given Minnesota overall was rated one of the worst driving states. There are a number of saving graces keeping Minnesota with the average C - grade. Minneapolis did rate as the 30th best driving cities in the country. Infrastructure and decent distracted driving scores were also another bright spot on Minnesota’s driving scores.
Best and worst drivers in Minnesota
To determine overall driver quality in Minnesota, we analyzed driver quality in the states 50 largest cities who used QuoteWizard.com to compare quotes. We then ranked the worst 10 and best 10 cities by the highest rate of incidents. Incidents include accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs and moving citations from that data. Cities with the highest rate of incidents were listed as the worst driving cities.
Worst driving cities in Minnesota
| Rank (worst) | City |
|---|---|
| 1 | Anoka |
| 2 | Kragnes |
| 3 | Shakopee |
| 4 | Buffalo |
| 5 | Farmington |
| 6 | Hastings |
| 7 | Prior Lake |
| 8 | Grand Rapids |
| 9 | Big Lake |
| 10 | Moorhead |
Best driving cities in Minnesota
| Rank (best) | City |
|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia Heights |
| 2 | Little Canada |
| 3 | Eden Prairie |
| 4 | Inver Grove |
| 5 | Saint Cloud |
| 6 | Brooklyn Center |
| 7 | Bemidji |
| 8 | Saint Augusta |
| 9 | Faribault |
| 10 | Edina |
Minnesota infrastructure rating
QuoteWizard conducted a study on America’s infrastructure and which states had the best and worst roads. We analyzed FHA data to rank states on road and bridge quality and found Minnesota to be the 17th best for overall infrastructure. Rankings were a composite score of the following factors:
- Roads in poor condition (%): Minnesota 15%
- Cost per motorist (due to roads in need of repair): Minnesota $542
- Bridges structurally deficient (%): Minnesota 5%
Minnesota ranked fairly well overall for infrastructure with solid scores across the board. 15% of roads in poor conditions is near the national average. The cost per motorist of $542 is also right near the national average. The real positive for Minnesota is the 31% of highway spending on road repairs. Well above the national average.
Best and worst drivers by age group
It’s likely no surprise that the 20 year old age group has the highest rate of incidents. Insurance companies know this as a fact among younger drivers. Insurance rates for you drivers typically remain higher until drivers turn 25. We look at the age group trends in other states and find a ‘U’ shaped curve where younger and older age groups tend to have the highest rate of incidents.
Most popular vehicles by age group
Millennials (23-38)
Average MSRP $25,106
| Most popular | Model | MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camry | $24,295 |
| 2 | Fusion | $23,170 |
| 3 | F-150 | $28,495 |
| 4 | Impala | $31,620 |
| 5 | Focus | $17,950 |
Gen X (39-54)
Average MSRP $25,007
| Most popular | Model | MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F-150 | $28,495 |
| 2 | Equinox | $23,800 |
| 3 | Fusion | $23,170 |
| 4 | Impala | $31,620 |
| 5 | Focus | $17,950 |
Baby boomers (55-75)
Average MSRP $26,589
| Most popular | Model | MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F-150 | $28,495 |
| 2 | Caravan | $27,040 |
| 3 | Impala | $31,620 |
| 4 | Soul | $17,490 |
| 5 | Silverado | $28,300 |
Car insurance getting more expensive in Minnesota
No matter if you live in Minnesota or not, car insurance is getting more expensive all the time. Minnesota drivers experienced a 12% increase in car insurance from 2012 to 2016. The 12% can mean hundreds of dollars a year for some drivers. Luckily, the 12% increase was below the national average of increase.
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