Biggest Retail Cities in Minnesota: Top 25 Towns Ranked
Minnesota has 46,452 independent retail places spread across 557 towns. Minneapolis leads with 4,924 — 10.6% of the state. The top 25 towns, and the eight most common store types, by count.
Published September 15, 2026 · Useful Economy Research
Minnesota by the numbers
Where the stores are
Minnesota has 46,452 independent retail places — 809.6 per 100,000 residents, 1.12× the national average of 724.8 and 12th of the 50 states and D.C. on retail density.
Minneapolis holds 4,924 of them (10.6% of the state total). Saint Paul is second with 2,938 (6.3%). The 25 towns below account for 44.3% of Minnesota's retail; 557 towns in the state have at least five places.
The most common store type is the construction supplies store (5,675, 12.2% of the state's retail), followed by miscellaneous stores (3,129).
Top 25 retail towns in Minnesota
Independent retail places per city or town, with each town's share of Minnesota's 46,452 total. Only towns with at least five places are counted.
| # | City / town | Retail places | Share of state |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis | 4,924 | 10.6% |
| 2 | Saint Paul | 2,938 | 6.3% |
| 3 | Rochester | 1,218 | 2.6% |
| 4 | Duluth | 1,032 | 2.2% |
| 5 | Bloomington | 967 | 2.1% |
| 6 | Saint Cloud | 793 | 1.7% |
| 7 | Burnsville | 760 | 1.6% |
| 8 | Eden Prairie | 641 | 1.4% |
| 9 | Mankato | 591 | 1.3% |
| 10 | Maple Grove | 556 | 1.2% |
| 11 | Edina | 547 | 1.2% |
| 12 | Minnetonka | 544 | 1.2% |
| 13 | Eagan | 488 | 1.1% |
| 14 | Roseville | 484 | 1.0% |
| 15 | Bemidji | 440 | 0.9% |
| 16 | Alexandria | 437 | 0.9% |
| 17 | Woodbury | 416 | 0.9% |
| 18 | Blaine | 396 | 0.9% |
| 19 | Plymouth | 374 | 0.8% |
| 20 | Brainerd | 363 | 0.8% |
| 21 | Shakopee | 362 | 0.8% |
| 22 | Stillwater | 351 | 0.8% |
| 23 | Lakeville | 319 | 0.7% |
| 24 | Willmar | 310 | 0.7% |
| 25 | Elk River | 306 | 0.7% |
Counts use the city/town label on each place, so boroughs, villages and unincorporated areas appear separately from their parent city.
Most common store types in Minnesota
The eight largest independent-retail categories in Minnesota, with each one's share of the state's 46,452 places.
| # | Store type | Places | Share of state retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Supplies Store | 5,675 | 12.2% |
| 2 | Miscellaneous Store | 3,129 | 6.7% |
| 3 | Furniture and Home Store | 2,442 | 5.3% |
| 4 | Clothing Store | 2,341 | 5.0% |
| 5 | Hardware Store | 2,036 | 4.4% |
| 6 | Print Store | 1,968 | 4.2% |
| 7 | Electronics Store | 1,572 | 3.4% |
| 8 | Gift Store | 1,491 | 3.2% |
Each place is counted once under its primary retail category. Grocery, pharmacy, fuel, liquor, cannabis, automotive and mall categories are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city in Minnesota has the most retail stores?
- Minneapolis, with 4,924 independent retail places — 10.6% of Minnesota's 46,452 total. Saint Paul is next with 2,938.
- How many independent retail stores are in Minnesota?
- 46,452 shoppable independent retail places, or 809.6 per 100,000 residents (1.12× the U.S. average of 724.8). That ranks Minnesota 12th of 51 for retail density.
- What is the most common type of store in Minnesota?
- The construction supplies store: 5,675 places, or 12.2% of Minnesota's retail. Miscellaneous Stores are second at 3,129.
Related reports
Store types where Minnesota ranks in the top 10
- Garden Centers by State: Every State RankedMinnesota ranks #7 per capita (19.9 per 100k)
- Hardware Stores by State: Every State RankedMinnesota ranks #10 per capita (35.5 per 100k)
- Sporting Goods Stores by State: Every State RankedMinnesota ranks #10 per capita (23 per 100k)
National retail reports
More states
- Biggest Retail Cities in Maryland: Top 25 Towns Ranked37,895 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Massachusetts: Top 25 Towns Ranked54,068 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Michigan: Top 25 Towns Ranked74,342 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Mississippi: Top 25 Towns Ranked21,328 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Missouri: Top 25 Towns Ranked48,327 retail places
- Biggest Retail Cities in Montana: Top 25 Towns Ranked10,398 retail places
Data & method
- Source: Foursquare Open Source Places (U.S. slice, Apache-2.0), counted by Useful Economy. Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2023 estimates (July 1, 2023).
- What counts as retail: an open place carrying a Retail category label. Grocery and other food retail, pharmacies, convenience stores and fuel, liquor, cannabis, tobacco and vape, automotive, gun and hunting, adult, betting, fireworks, markets and shopping malls are excluded, so the counts describe shoppable independent storefronts rather than all commerce.
- Counting rule: each place is counted once, under its primary retail category and the city/town label on its address. Town tables include only towns with at least five places. Per-100k figures divide by state population; city populations are not used.
- Generated: September 15, 2026. Figures refresh when the source data is re-counted.
Find independent stores near you
Useful Economy indexes products from independent local retailers across the country. Search by what you want, or browse by city.
Start browsing →