WalletHub: Minnesota ranks eighth-safest state
A WalletHub study released Oct. 6, 2025 ranked Minnesota the eighth-safest state in America for 2025, citing 52 indicators across personal/residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety and emergency preparedness. The analysis puts Minnesota at No. 2 for road safety but flags lower performance in residential safety and emergency preparedness, with WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo quoted describing the methodology and factors.
Public Safety
Health
📌 Key Facts
- Minnesota ranked No. 8 overall in WalletHub's 2025 'safest states' study (study released Oct. 6, 2025).
- Subcategory rankings: No. 2 in road safety; No. 5 in financial safety; No. 6 in workplace safety; No. 23 in personal residential safety; No. 23 in emergency preparedness.
- WalletHub provided methodology (52 indicators across five categories) and included a quote from analyst Chip Lupo about factors that make states safer.
📚 Contextual Background
- Since 2025-09-29, the Minnesota Department of Health confirmed 10 new measles cases in the Twin Cities metro, bringing Minnesota's 2025 measles case total to 18.
- All 10 of the new measles cases confirmed since 2025-09-29 were among unvaccinated patients.
- As of the 2024-2025 school year, 86.53% of kindergarten students in Minnesota were vaccinated; only Wisconsin (84.8%), Alaska (81.2%), and Idaho (78.5%) had lower kindergarten vaccination rates.
- At that news conference, Minnesota doctors called for a statewide ban on assault-style weapons, a statewide ban on high-capacity magazines, a statewide requirement that firearms be stored locked and unloaded and separate from ammunition, and the removal of the current prohibition on local municipalities enacting firearm regulations stricter than the state.
- Minnesota House Republican leaders Speaker Lisa Demuth (R–Cold Spring) and House Floor Leader Representative Harry Niska (R–Ramsey) said their party would favorably consider, during a special legislative session, bills related to improving school and student safety, improving mental-health access and funding, and improving public safety, without proposing additional statewide gun restrictions.