Top five reasons to live, work, and play in the Twin Cities
Writer: Pablo Marquez
February 2025 — The Twin Cities are a great place to live, work, and play. The Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area has a strong economic climate, gives easy walkability and bikeability, provides access to nature, offers a diverse culinary scene, and is characterized by bustling entertainment. Invest: dives into the top five reasons that makes the capital of the ‘Land of 1,000 Lakes’ an ideal location from both a business and personal perspective.
Strong Economic Climate
Minneapolis-St. Paul is home to 18 Fortune 500 companies, with notable names such as 3M, Target, Cargill, Best Buy, Ecolab, UnitedHealth Group, and General Mills having their headquarters in the Twin Cities. The Twin Cities have a strong economic climate, with a highly skilled and educated labor force and also amongst the lowest unemployment rates in the United States.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Minnesota ranked as the No. 4 overall best state in the United States, only surpassed by Utah (No. 1), New Hampshire (No. 2), and Nebraska (No. 3). The source also placed Minnesota as the No. 26 best economy in the United States, ranking at No. 21 for business environment, No. 19 for employment, and No. 36 for growth.
Walkability & Bikeability
The Twin Cities metropolitan area is consistently ranked amongst the most walkable and bikeable cities in the United States. Minneapolis and St. Paul both have an enclosed, temperature-controlled and interconnected skyway system, thus making the area walkable even during the coldest months of Minnesota’s rough winters.
According to Condé Nast Traveler, Minneapolis-St. Paul ranked at No. 11 of the top 20 most walkable cities in the country. Simultaneously, PODS ranked Minneapolis at No. 8 out of the top 12 most walkable cities in the nation, giving it a total 71 walkability score and 55 transit score out of 100. Meanwhile, Redfin’s Walk Score ranked Minneapolis as the most bikeable city in the United States, with nearly 100 miles of bike lanes and plenty of flat landscape, granting it a total bike score of 84 out of a 100. People For Bikes ranked the Twin Cities amongst the top places to bike in 2024; Minneapolis ranked at No. 1 and St. Paul ranked at No. 4 in the large cities category.
Access to Nature
The Twin Cities are active with plenty of year-round outdoor activities. There are miles of trails, chains of lakes, and acres of parks for residents and tourists to enjoy. In fact, nine of Minneapolis’ trails are wheelchair accessible. The close proximity to the outdoors offers access to a number of land and water sports, such as hiking, biking, skating, skiing, snowshoeing, icefishing, golf, and kayaking. The Twin Cities are surrounded in close proximity by a good amount of wildlife and nature centers, with some notable parks such as Theodore Wirth Regional Park, Fort Snelling State Park, Eden Prairie Outdoor Center, Richardson Nature Center, Wood Lake Nature Center, Westwood Hills Nature Center, Dodge Nature Center, Tamarack Nature Center, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
Culinary Scene
The Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area has one of the most dynamic and diverse culinary scenes in the United States. The Twin Cities offer varied culinary experiences, from high-end national and international restaurants to food trucks and dive bars. There is a wide variety of food and drink options available that make the capital of Minnesota a nationally-recognized food scene. The local food and beverage industry counts with an extended array of international restaurants, breweries, bakeries, coffee shops, pizza spots, waterfront dining, and patio dining options.
Bustling Entertainment
Minnesota has a long history of valuing the arts as part of a thriving cultural community. The Twin Cities has an abundance of theaters, music venues, museums, galleries, and festivals. From public murals and independent movie theaters to fairs and performing arts, the metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul has a bustling entertainment scene with a lot to offer. For those who are interested in live theater and the performing arts, the Twin Cities count more than 20 theaters and a total of 400-plus stages every night. Some of the most important venues located in the metropolitan area include Guthrie Theater, Minnesota Orchestra, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. In fact, the Twin Cities attract plenty of touring play spectacles directly from Broadway and are only second to NYC when it comes to total number of theater ticket sales. It is worth noting that in 2024, Minnesota spent $9.62 per capita on public funding for the arts, making us the No. 1 state when it comes to public arts spending.
