The Twin Cities region
A great place to live, work, raise a family and do business
The Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area is a thriving community of nearly 3 million people, in 7 counties and 182 communities, encompassing nearly 3,000 square miles.
A strong, diversified economy, excellent education system, and a high quality of life attract people to the region and keep them here. It’s a great place to live, work, raise a family, and do business.
What contributes to our high quality of life?
Our region is home to 19 "Fortune 500" corporations and boasts a highly educated workforce. Our average household income is among the highest in the nation, and our unemployment rate among the lowest.
Thriving arts, music and theatre communities, and several professional sports teams, help make our region a magnet for creative young professionals.
Our renowned regional parks and trails system includes 52 parks, 8 special recreation features, and 340 miles of interconnected trails. Popular with residents and visitors alike, regional parks boast more than 47 million visits a year — more than the Mall of America!
Clean air, abundant clean water, a growing transit system, housing options, and educational and career opportunities. What’s not to love?
The Met Council’s role: support our thriving region
Shared planning and coordinated services help support our economic vitality. For more than 50 years the Met Council has played a key role in coordinating regional growth and planning, providing essential services such as transportation and wastewater treatment, and convening partners to achieve ambitious goals unrealistic for a single community but possible as a region. Thinking ahead — and working together — helps us achieve economies of scale, high quality regional services, and a competitive edge envied by other metro areas.
More about the Met Council
More about our region