21 cities
| City | Rank | 2026 Pop. ↓ | 2020 Pop. | Annual Change | Density | Area (mi²) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Paul | 1 | 305,634 | 311,127 | -0.3% | 5,881 | 52 | City |
| Lakeville | 2 | 81,941 | 70,030 | 2.48% | 2,220 | 37 | City |
| Eagan | 3 | 66,487 | 68,745 | -0.56% | 2,132 | 31 | City |
| Burnsville | 4 | 65,036 | 64,519 | 0.13% | 2,608 | 25 | City |
| Apple Valley | 5 | 54,771 | 56,273 | -0.45% | 3,246 | 17 | City |
| Inver Grove Heights | 6 | 36,426 | 35,826 | 0.28% | 1,308 | 28 | City |
| Rosemount | 7 | 32,979 | 25,785 | 3.77% | 992 | 33 | City |
| Farmington | 8 | 24,868 | 23,656 | 0.82% | 1,573 | 16 | City |
| Hastings | 9 | 22,675 | 22,156 | 0.39% | 2,190 | 10 | City |
| West St. Paul | 10 | 22,601 | 20,558 | 1.53% | 4,605 | 5 | City |
| South St. Paul | 11 | 20,528 | 20,714 | -0.15% | 3,649 | 6 | City |
| Mendota Heights | 12 | 11,435 | 11,756 | -0.46% | 1,260 | 9 | City |
| Lilydale | 13 | 766 | 805 | -0.78% | 1,385 | 1 | City |
| Hampton | 14 | 700 | 741 | -0.99% | 569 | 1 | City |
| Sunfish Lake | 15 | 520 | 525 | -0.19% | 347 | 1 | City |
| Randolph | 16 | 455 | 464 | -0.22% | 477 | 1 | City |
| Vermillion | 17 | 421 | 445 | -0.94% | 427 | 1 | City |
| Mendota | 18 | 184 | 187 | 0% | 694 | 0 | City |
| Coates | 19 | 132 | 143 | -1.49% | 88 | 1 | City |
| Miesville | 20 | 130 | 136 | -0.76% | 74 | 2 | City |
| New Trier | 21 | 78 | 83 | -1.27% | 415 | 0 | City |
St. Paul is the largest city in Dakota County, with a population of 305,634.
New Trier is the smallest city in Dakota County, with a population of 78.
There are 21 cities in Dakota County, Minnesota.