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.

minnesota age group drivers

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.

minnesota car insurance rates

QuoteWizard.com LLC has made every effort to ensure that the information on this site is correct, but we cannot guarantee that it is free of inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. All content and services provided on or through this site are provided "as is" and "as available" for use. QuoteWizard.com LLC makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of this site or to the information, content, materials, or products included on this site. You expressly agree that your use of this site is at your sole risk.