City Score: Balaton, MN

One number for Balaton, MN: the condition of the city from public data and how the church is moving, updated weekly, every indicator footnoted to its source. Back to Balaton, MN. In Minnesota.

The score

Balaton, MN scores 41 out of 100 on the Joy Project City Score, status Liberty since Oct 2026. Condition 57 (the city from public data, 60%) and Movement 16 (how the church is moving, 40%). How the score is built.

Condition: Minnesota state-wide

Read state-wide: Minnesota

State-wide for every index: the numbers for Violent crime, Property crime, Drug overdose deaths, Legal gambling, Given to local needs in Joy, Needs met in Joy, Volunteers mobilized in Joy, New believers in Joy, Searches for a church in Joy, Foster and adoptive families in the churches, Christian colleges and universities, Divorces, Marriages, Religious Liberty in the States score, Safeguards fully in law, State Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Anti-Christian hate crimes, School choice, Protections for the unborn, Homeschool freedom, and Tone of news coverage of Christianity are published for Minnesota as a whole, not by city, so every Minnesota city carries Minnesota's numbers.

Minnesota scores 46 out of 100, Liberty since Oct 2026 (Condition 53 · Movement 35).

These numbers change at the state. A petition started from any Minnesota city reaches Minnesota's officials, and Minnesota's own score moves with them.

Start a petition for Minnesota in the Joy app.

What's moving it

  • 2 ways to serve (Service, listed from church websites)
  • 2 gatherings (Gathering, listed from church websites)
  • 6 churches listed (Unity, listed from church websites)
  • 1 Bible study (Discipleship, listed from church websites)

The condition of Balaton, MN

  • What Balaton is up against: 38 out of 100 — Better than 74% of cities (Minnesota state-wide)
  • Where grace is growing: 39 out of 100 — Better than 77% of cities (Minnesota state-wide)
  • Marriage & family: 77 out of 100 — Better than 87% of cities, down 4 points (Minnesota state-wide)
  • Christian liberty: 49 out of 100 — Better than 43% of cities, down 7 points (Minnesota state-wide)

Christianity on the Move in Balaton, MN

A non-biased rating of Christian values across the cultural areas of impact, from public data: 1 to 100, higher is more favourable. Balaton, MN rates 48 out of 100: Stirring across 7 of 8 areas. The rating is public data only; how the church is moving in each area this week is shown beside it and never blended in. How it is built.

The Church: 56 out of 100, Stirring

Faith institutions, spiritual leadership and worship spaces. Key measure: Church adherents (688.5 adherents per 1,000 residents, Murray County, MN). Minnesota (20 counties summed) state-wide. The church's movement in it this week: 42 out of 100 (2 ways to serve, 2 gatherings, and 6 churches listed).

Every measure behind The Church (6)
  • Church adherents: 688.5 adherents per 1,000 residents, scores 87 out of 100 · 2020, Murray County, MN · 2020 U.S. Religion Census
  • Congregations: 28.1 congregations per 10,000 residents, scores 68 out of 100 · 2020, Murray County, MN · 2020 U.S. Religion Census
  • Needs met in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, scores 0 out of 100 · 2026-10, Minnesota (20 counties summed) · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger)
  • Volunteers mobilized in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, scores 0 out of 100 · 2026-10, Minnesota (20 counties summed) · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger)
  • New believers in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, scores 0 out of 100 · 2026-10, Minnesota (20 counties summed) · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger)
  • Searches for a church in Joy: 0 per 100,000 residents, trailing 12 months, scores 0 out of 100 · 2026-10, Minnesota (20 counties summed) · Verified in Joy (the impact ledger)

The Family: 77 out of 100, Steadfast

The core social unit: marriages, children and household structures. Key measure: Children with married parents (77.3 % of own children under 18 in married-couple families, Murray County, MN). Minnesota state-wide. The church's movement in it this week: 30 out of 100 (1 Bible study).

Every measure behind The Family (8)

Education: 43 out of 100, Searching

Schools, universities and systems of learning. Key measure: School choice (0 0-2, Minnesota). Minnesota state-wide. The church's movement in it this week: 30 out of 100 (1 Bible study).

Every measure behind Education (3)

Government: 56 out of 100, Unsettled

Public policy, law, safety and civic governance. Key measure: Religious Liberty in the States score (39.8 % of the edition's safeguards in state law, Minnesota). Minnesota state-wide. The church's movement in it this week: 25 out of 100.

Every measure behind Government (6)

Media: 37 out of 100, Scornful

News, journalism and digital communication. Key measure: Tone of news coverage of Christianity (-1.3 tone (-10 hostile to +10 favourable), Minnesota). Minnesota state-wide. The church's movement in it this week: 44 out of 100.

Every measure behind Media (1)

Arts & Entertainment: 48 out of 100, Mixed

Film, music, sports and cultural storytelling. From Balaton, MN's other areas. The church's movement in it this week: 44 out of 100.

Every measure behind Arts & Entertainment (2)

Business: 13 out of 100, Greedy

Commerce, generosity and the marketplace. Key measure: Charitable giving (0.5 itemized charitable deductions as % of adjusted gross income, Murray County, MN). Minnesota (20 counties summed) state-wide. The church's movement in it this week: 13 out of 100.

Every measure behind Business (3)

Compassion: 53 out of 100, Stirring

Mercy toward people in trouble: addiction, recovery, children in care and neighbors serving. Key measure: Drug overdose deaths (20.8 deaths per 100,000, Minnesota (14 counties summed)). Minnesota (14 counties summed) state-wide. The church's movement in it this week: 26 out of 100 (2 ways to serve).

Every measure behind Compassion (3)

What takes Balaton, MN to Revival

  • City Pulse: City Pulse 2 → 40
  • Unity: Unity 12 → 45
  • Prayer: Prayer 0 → 45
  • Discipleship: Discipleship 0 → 45

What affected it

  • This week: Service up 6 — 2 ways to serve
  • This week: Discipleship up 5 — 1 Bible study
  • This quarter: Cohabiting households down 36 percentile points (Marriage & family)
  • This quarter: Property crime up 14 percentile points (What Balaton is up against)
  • This quarter: Drug overdose deaths down 14 percentile points (What Balaton is up against)

Balaton, MN over time

  • — Entered Liberty

Sources

  1. Violent crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Minnesota · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  2. Property crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Minnesota · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  3. Sexually transmitted infections: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  4. Drug overdose deaths: CDC NCHS, provisional county drug overdose deaths (VSRR) · 2025 · Minnesota (14 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  5. Legal gambling: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Minnesota · fetched Nov 4, 2026
  6. Adult entertainment outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 31, 2026
  7. Gambling outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 31, 2026
  8. Cannabis outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 31, 2026
  9. Liquor outlets and bars: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 31, 2026
  10. Predatory lenders: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 31, 2026
  11. Abortion facilities (mapped): OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 31, 2026
  12. Church adherents: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Murray County, MN · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  13. Congregations: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Murray County, MN · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  14. Charitable giving: IRS Statistics of Income, county data · 2023 · Murray County, MN · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  15. Given to local needs in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-10 · Minnesota (20 counties summed) · fetched Nov 9, 2026 · verified in Joy
  16. Needs met in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-10 · Minnesota (20 counties summed) · fetched Nov 9, 2026 · verified in Joy
  17. Volunteers mobilized in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-10 · Minnesota (20 counties summed) · fetched Nov 9, 2026 · verified in Joy
  18. New believers in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-10 · Minnesota (20 counties summed) · fetched Nov 9, 2026 · verified in Joy
  19. Searches for a church in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-10 · Minnesota (20 counties summed) · fetched Nov 9, 2026 · verified in Joy
  20. Foster and adoptive families in the churches: Church workspace entries (church-attested) · 2026-11 · Minnesota (20 counties summed) · fetched Nov 4, 2026 · verified in Joy
  21. Christian colleges and universities: NCES IPEDS via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (religious affiliation of colleges) · 2024 · Minnesota · fetched Nov 10, 2026
  22. Children with married parents: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Murray County, MN · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  23. Adults 25-44 married: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Murray County, MN · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  24. Cohabiting households: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Murray County, MN · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  25. Divorces: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Minnesota · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  26. Marriages: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Minnesota · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  27. Births to unmarried mothers: CDC WONDER · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  28. Religious Liberty in the States score: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Minnesota · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  29. Safeguards fully in law: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Minnesota · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  30. State Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Minnesota · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  31. Anti-Christian hate crimes: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Minnesota · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  32. School choice: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Minnesota · fetched Nov 4, 2026
  33. Protections for the unborn: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Minnesota · fetched Nov 4, 2026
  34. Homeschool freedom: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Minnesota · fetched Nov 4, 2026
  35. Tone of news coverage of Christianity: GDELT Project, DOC 2.0 API (tone of U.S. news coverage naming Christianity) · 2026-11 · Minnesota · fetched Nov 10, 2026

City Score over time

The last 6 weeks, Balaton, MN, Minnesota, and United States side by side. The Condition moves by the quarter; the week-to-week line is how the church is moving.

WeekBalaton, MNMinnesotaUnited States
2026-W41——37
2026-W42——37
2026-W43—4844
2026-W44464341
2026-W45474944
2026-W46484944

Compare Balaton, MN

Every indicator

What Balaton is up against — 38 out of 100

Where grace is growing — 39 out of 100

Marriage & family — 77 out of 100

Christian liberty — 49 out of 100

Quote and download

Cite it as: Joy Project City Score v1.0, Balaton, MN, 2026-Q4, joyproject.com/cities/balaton-mn/score

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