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Top 25 Minnesota Influencers on Instagram

We screened 2,070 Minnesota based Instagram accounts between 20,000 and 500,000 followers for a 15% Minnesota audience, 1.5% engagement, 60% real followers, 1,000 average Reel views and a post in the last thirty days, then ranked 25 selected creators by the CA Influence Index.

Jules CarmauxJules Carmaux8 min readLast updated: 17 Sept 2026

The ranking

25 top Minnesota influencers on Instagram

The 25 selected influencers include a professor of Ojibwe, an Olympic marathoner, an executive chef whose restaurant sits on a fifty-best list, a waterfowl guide, a multi-species fishing captain who also makes pottery, a moose photographer, a triathlete, a nurse practitioner running her own clinic, a musician with a standing Friday slot at the airport, and photographers, trainers and food creators around them.

25
Influencers selected
4.8%
Avg engagement
85%
Avg real audience
Max McEnelly
#1

maxmcenelly_Max McEnelly

Max McEnellyNano
24.0K
Followers
13.87%
Engagement rate
137.9K
Avg views
10.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota72.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Max McEnelly names a world under-20 title and an NCAA national title in his own bio, and an athlete deal with the brand he tags. A+ 99 is the top score here, built on a 72% Minnesota audience, 90% real followers and 137,873 average Reel views.

Why A+ on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit72% Minnesota
Engagement17.6x median
View power5.7x followers
Audience quality90% real
Nailzbyzyraa
#2

nailz.byzyraNailzbyzyraa

NailzbyzyraaNano
25.8K
Followers
15.70%
Engagement rate
50.9K
Avg views
20.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota34.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

The nailz.byzyra account works as a licensed Minnesota nail technician and posts its booking terms in the bio. The highest engagement rate on this page, 15.7%, carries A+ 98 against a 34% Minnesota share.

Why A+ on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit34% Minnesota
Engagement19.9x median
View power2.0x followers
Audience quality80% real
ella winston
#3

ellawinston_ella winston

ella winstonNano
25.2K
Followers
6.63%
Engagement rate
578.9K
Avg views
12.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota28.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Ella Winston posts from Wayzata as an alum of the university dance team her bio tags and runs the training business named beside it. Much the widest reach on this page at 578,917 average Reel views, roughly twenty-three times a following of 25,184, which is what A+ 98 measures.

Why A+ on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit28% Minnesota
Engagement8.4x median
View power23.0x followers
Audience quality88% real
Kristen in Minnesota
#4

kristeninmnKristen in Minnesota

Kristen in MinnesotaMicro
85.2K
Followers
2.05%
Engagement rate
111.7K
Avg views
13.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota63.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

The Kristen in Minnesota account covers Twin Cities and Midwest activities, public lands, art, small businesses, history and libraries. A 88 reads 111,672 average Reel views and a 63% Minnesota audience, held down by 2.05% engagement.

Why A on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit63% Minnesota
Engagement2.9x median
View power1.3x followers
Audience quality87% real
Simple Escape
#5

simpleescapephotoSimple Escape

Simple EscapeNano
23.7K
Followers
3.23%
Engagement rate
28.7K
Avg views
9.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota51.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Simple Escape is a two-person photography team shooting love stories and travel across Minnesota, and the pair also own the second business they tag. At 91% their audience is the second cleanest here, their 3.23% engagement sits exactly on the roster median, and A 88 adds a 51% Minnesota share.

Why A on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit51% Minnesota
Engagement4.1x median
View power1.2x followers
Audience quality91% real
Jaevon
#6

blackfoodietravelguyJaevon

JaevonNano
34.8K
Followers
3.30%
Engagement rate
29.5K
Avg views
15.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota66.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Jaevon posts food and travel from Minneapolis and points to a TikTok account under the same handle. A 82 combines a 66% Minnesota audience with 29,494 average Reel views and 85% real followers.

Why A on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit66% Minnesota
Engagement4.2x median
View power0.8x followers
Audience quality85% real
Sarah Rohe
#7

forgetsarahSarah Rohe

Sarah RoheNano
44.6K
Followers
3.29%
Engagement rate
40.6K
Avg views
19.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota29.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Sarah Rohe opens her bio with a line about not just walking by and tags the photography business carrying her own name. A 81 rests on 40,556 average Reel views and 3.29% engagement, with a 29% Minnesota share the weakest part of the score.

Why A on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit29% Minnesota
Engagement4.2x median
View power0.9x followers
Audience quality81% real
Leighton James
#8

strictlyleightonLeighton James

Leighton JamesNano
43.1K
Followers
4.05%
Engagement rate
40.3K
Avg views
18.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota28.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Leighton James calls himself a Minnesota sports thought leader, co-founded the account he tags, and talks on a daily podcast. A 81 pairs 4.05% engagement with 40,309 average Reel views on a following of 43,149.

Why A on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit28% Minnesota
Engagement5.1x median
View power0.9x followers
Audience quality82% real
Tanner Talbot
#9

tannertalbot_guide_serviceTanner Talbot

Tanner TalbotNano
27.1K
Followers
2.60%
Engagement rate
20.7K
Avg views
12.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota64.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Tanner Talbot works as a licensed Minnesota multi-species fishing captain and guide, and makes pottery under the second account he tags. A 64% Minnesota audience and 88% real followers carry A 81, against 20,676 average Reel views.

Why A on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit64% Minnesota
Engagement3.3x median
View power0.8x followers
Audience quality88% real
Kaitsy Baker
#10

kaitsybakerKaitsy Baker

Kaitsy BakerNano
20.3K
Followers
3.33%
Engagement rate
14.9K
Avg views
13.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota70.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Kaitsy Baker names herself a USA Triathlon athlete and counts one half-distance Ironman and four half marathons with her best time. The smallest account here at 20,254 followers holds a 70% Minnesota audience, and A 81 adds 87% real followers.

Why A on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit70% Minnesota
Engagement4.2x median
View power0.7x followers
Audience quality87% real

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Leah Andersen
#11

leah.andersen18Leah Andersen

Leah AndersenMicro
55.7K
Followers
4.19%
Engagement rate
45.8K
Avg views
15.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota28.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Leah Andersen opens her bio by saying she is not an influencer, then lists hunting, fishing, faith and film from Minnesota. A 80 comes from 4.19% engagement and 45,841 average Reel views on a following of 55,690.

Why A on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit28% Minnesota
Engagement5.4x median
View power0.8x followers
Audience quality85% real
Tony Cu
#12

tonycufoodandtravelTony Cu

Tony CuNano
42.3K
Followers
2.08%
Engagement rate
39.9K
Avg views
15.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota52.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Tony Cu posts food, travel and animals and counts 740,000 followers on TikTok and 173,000 on Facebook. A 52% Minnesota audience carries A 80, with 39,924 average Reel views against 2.08% engagement.

Why A on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit52% Minnesota
Engagement2.6x median
View power0.9x followers
Audience quality85% real
InstrumentManiac
#13

lukepkInstrumentManiac

InstrumentManiacMicro
58.9K
Followers
12.29%
Engagement rate
67.2K
Avg views
19.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota21.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

The lukepk account calls itself an internet musician and gives a standing Friday afternoon slot at the Minneapolis airport terminal. B 78 reads 12.29% engagement and 67,169 average Reel views, with a 21% Minnesota share the narrowest on this page.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit21% Minnesota
Engagement16.0x median
View power1.1x followers
Audience quality81% real
Dakotah Popehn
#14

dakotahlindwurmDakotah Popehn

Dakotah PopehnMicro
52.6K
Followers
2.20%
Engagement rate
40.6K
Avg views
13.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota28.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Dakotah Popehn runs professionally for the two teams her bio tags, names three further sponsors, and competed in the 2024 Olympic marathon. B 78 rests on 87% real followers and 40,630 average Reel views, on 2.2% engagement.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit28% Minnesota
Engagement2.8x median
View power0.8x followers
Audience quality87% real
Diane Moua
#15

pastrydianeDiane Moua

Diane MouaNano
22.0K
Followers
2.72%
Engagement rate
14.4K
Avg views
19.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota46.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Diane Moua is executive chef and owner of the restaurant her bio tags and names its place on a fifty-best list for North America. B 78 comes from a 46% Minnesota audience and 81% real followers, against 14,428 average Reel views.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit46% Minnesota
Engagement3.4x median
View power0.7x followers
Audience quality81% real
allie
#16

alliedarlinallie

allieNano
21.1K
Followers
3.25%
Engagement rate
13.2K
Avg views
19.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota32.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Allie works as lead trainer and director of marketing at the boot camp her bio tags, and posts fitness and fashion alongside it. B 78 pairs 3.25% engagement with 13,224 average Reel views and a 32% Minnesota share.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit32% Minnesota
Engagement4.1x median
View power0.6x followers
Audience quality81% real
Tony Wells
#17

tonypwellsTony Wells

Tony WellsMicro
98.5K
Followers
2.62%
Engagement rate
42.6K
Avg views
13.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota44.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Tony Wells lists three appearances on an entrepreneurship list, two company exits, a board seat and retirement. His 44% Minnesota audience sits exactly on the roster median, and B 76 adds 42,609 average Reel views and 87% real followers.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit44% Minnesota
Engagement3.8x median
View power0.4x followers
Audience quality87% real
Saige Fehresti
#18

lahzehphotographySaige Fehresti

Saige FehrestiNano
21.2K
Followers
2.22%
Engagement rate
11.6K
Avg views
14.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota34.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Saige Fehresti shoots portraits across Minnesota and southern California and runs separate accounts for senior and family work. B 76 reads 11,565 average Reel views and 86% real followers, on 2.22% engagement.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit34% Minnesota
Engagement2.8x median
View power0.5x followers
Audience quality86% real
SHAYYYY
#19

slayed_byshayyyySHAYYYY

SHAYYYYMicro
54.2K
Followers
2.47%
Engagement rate
32.4K
Avg views
34.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota32.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Shay works as a licensed nail technician, is training as a permanent makeup artist, and runs a separate nail account. B 75 measures 32,396 average Reel views against a following of 54,211, with 66% real followers the lowest reading on this page.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit32% Minnesota
Engagement3.2x median
View power0.6x followers
Audience quality66% real
Dustin Wolf
#20

dustinnwolfDustin Wolf

Dustin WolfNano
20.6K
Followers
4.81%
Engagement rate
8.0K
Avg views
12.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota73.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Dustin Wolf gives his whole bio as waterfowl guide and the outfitter he works for. At 73% he holds the most local audience on this page, and B 75 sets that against 7,989 average Reel views, the narrowest reach here.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit73% Minnesota
Engagement6.1x median
View power0.4x followers
Audience quality88% real

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Kaitlyn Mumm Slanga
#21

kemofthenorthKaitlyn Mumm Slanga

Kaitlyn Mumm SlangaNano
20.4K
Followers
2.42%
Engagement rate
9.7K
Avg views
21.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota49.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Kaitlyn Mumm Slanga posts from Grand Marais, owns the business her bio tags, and describes herself as a Minnesota moose photographer. B 75 rests on a 49% Minnesota audience and 9,688 average Reel views, on 2.42% engagement.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit49% Minnesota
Engagement3.1x median
View power0.5x followers
Audience quality79% real
Peter Bjorndal
#22

bjornd.alPeter Bjorndal

Peter BjorndalMid
123.8K
Followers
2.37%
Engagement rate
56.0K
Avg views
4.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota27.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Peter Bjorndal describes his work as esoteric meme breakdown and names a studio orchestra, and asks followers to join as members. At 96% he holds much the cleanest audience on this page, and B 74 measures 55,988 average Reel views against a following of 123,773.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit27% Minnesota
Engagement3.6x median
View power0.5x followers
Audience quality96% real
TY
#23

tydowdaTY

TYMicro
83.2K
Followers
14.99%
Engagement rate
39.7K
Avg views
16.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota27.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

TY works as a creative director for the account he tags, says he is available worldwide from Minnesota, and is booking into 2027. His 39,734 average Reel views sit exactly on the roster median, and B 74 adds 14.99% engagement, the second highest here.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit27% Minnesota
Engagement20.9x median
View power0.5x followers
Audience quality84% real
Nurse Alesya FNP-BC
#24

alesya.npNurse Alesya FNP-BC

Nurse Alesya FNP-BCNano
26.0K
Followers
2.13%
Engagement rate
10.2K
Avg views
12.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota61.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Alesya is a board certified nurse practitioner with ten years of injecting experience and is founder and chief executive of the aesthetics clinic she tags. B 73 comes from a 61% Minnesota audience and 88% real followers, held back by 10,202 average Reel views.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit61% Minnesota
Engagement2.7x median
View power0.4x followers
Audience quality88% real
Anton Treuer
#25

treueraAnton Treuer

Anton TreuerNano
40.7K
Followers
1.98%
Engagement rate
12.6K
Avg views
11.0%
fake followers / suspicious accounts
Audience location
Minnesota50.0%
CA Influence Indexâ„¢

CA Influence Index: real influence in Minnesota, 0 to 99

Market-relative score

Anton Treuer is named in his own bio as a professor of Ojibwe at a Minnesota state university, an author and a language educator. The lowest score here at B 70 reflects the lowest engagement rate on the page, 1.98%, against a 50% Minnesota audience.

Why B on the CA Influence Indexâ„¢

Audience fit50% Minnesota
Engagement2.5x median
View power0.3x followers
Audience quality89% real

Ranking method

CA Influence Indexâ„¢ (CII): how we grade Minnesota influencers

CII is a market-relative score from 0 to 99. It combines local audience fit, engagement against creators of the same size, average Reel views, and estimated real-audience share. The creators above are ordered by this score, not by follower count.

25%of the score

Audience fit

How much of the audience sits in the Minnesota market. Full marks once 30% of it is there.

30%of the score

Engagement

Likes and comments against creators of the same size here. Full marks at 3x that median.

30%of the score

View power

Average Reel views against follower count. Full marks at twice the following.

15%of the score

Audience quality

Share of followers reading as real people. Full marks at 90%.

Engagement is scored against the United States median for a creator’s own size: around 0.8% under 50K followers, around 0.6% above 250K. Both are rounded, because the study measures them by search rather than by census.

  • A+90-99
  • A80-89
  • B65-79
  • C50-64
  • Dunder 50

The score is capped at 99 so it never implies certainty. Read the full CA Influence Index methodology. The benchmark is local, not global. Here is the market behind it.

Market benchmark

The American Instagram market behind this ranking

The American Instagram study covers 929,228 accounts with at least 10K followers. This page's separate discovery pool contains 2,070 accounts; 25 were selected.

Read the United States Creator Economy Report - the measurement this chart is scored against.

How the selected 25 compare with the American Instagram market

Pink = the 25 Minnesota influencers above.

Grey = every American Instagram account we measure with at least 10,000 followers, all 929,228 of them.

Each bar is the share that clears the threshold, so a longer pink bar means more of the shortlist clears it than of the market.

Engagement rate of 5% or better

selected: 20%
market: 13%

Averages 100K+ Reel views per post

selected: 12%
market: 4.8%

Source: the Click Analytic American creator market study of 929,228 Instagram accounts, measured 2026-09-15. The market side is read from that study; the shortlist side is computed from the cards above.

Why Max McEnelly is the #1 Minnesota creator

Max McEnelly tops this ranking with a CA Influence Index of 99 (A+), the highest among the selected accounts on this page. The source pool contains 2,070 Minnesota based Instagram accounts in the 20K to 500K band.

The score breaks down like this

  • Audience in United States72.0%100/100
  • Engagement against the market median for this size13.87%, 17.6x100/100
  • Average Reels reach against follower count5.7x100/100
  • Share of the audience that is real90%100/100

The top of this list is tight: 3 creators grade A+, so the component bars on each card are what separate the first calls.

Brand fit

Best brand fits for Minnesota influencers

Because this list skews toward large, high-engagement entertainment, sports and lifestyle creators, it works best for consumer brands chasing broad Minnesota awareness with real interaction.

Sports & apparel
Best fit
Health & wellness
Strong
Family & parenting
Strong
Food & beverage
Good
Travel & hospitality
Good
Education & SaaS
Niche
Who can advertise here: a strong match for consumer brands wanting broad Minnesota reach with engaged communities. With 74% US audiences and 5.8% average engagement, a single mid-list creator can deliver tens of thousands of genuine local impressions per post.

The full database

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More live rankings from the same database, by industry and by country.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

These cover why the local share reads so high, what the ceiling removed, and what the score reaches.

01Why is the Minnesota audience share so much higher than other pages?

Because a state holds an audience that a city cannot. Washington's district boundary cuts through a workforce living in two neighbouring states and reads 22%; Minnesota draws its line around the whole population and reads 44%, with one card at 73%. It is also genuinely a place people follow for its own sake: guiding, hunting, fishing and the outdoors carry local audiences that do not travel.

02Why would a very high engagement rate get an account removed?

Because past about 40% the number stops measuring an audience. Five accounts came off this field on that ceiling, the highest reading 105%, which would mean every follower interacting with every post and then some. It is nearly always a collapsed follower count or bought interaction, and it is removed before anyone reads the bio.

03Who else was taken out?

Four professional athletes whose bios name only a club. The young son of an NBA player, who is also plainly a child. The daughter of the state governor, whose bio is a management address. A professional footballer's wife. Three broadcast journalists and a newspaper's culture account. A Barstool affiliate, a high-school highlights feed, a music label and four artists promoting releases.

04How large are these accounts?

From 20,254 to 123,773 followers, which is a narrow band by national standards and normal for a state this size. The largest account on the page ranks twenty-second, because the index reads Reel reach against the following behind it rather than counting followers.

05Where do the numbers on each card come from?

A single measurement pass on 17 September 2026 under the screen stated above. The grade then sets those four figures against the national Instagram study dated 15 September 2026, which counted 929,228 United States creator accounts. The two dates are separate on purpose.

06What does the score leave out?

Price, availability, whether a creator's recent work suits your brief, and whether a campaign converts. It compares four measurements from one day across this page alone. Shortlist with it, then read the posts and ask for terms.

Jules Carmaux

Written by

Jules Carmaux

Co-Founder and Content Lead at Click Analytic, covering influencer marketing, audience analytics, and creator economy trends.

Last updated 17 Sept 20268 min read

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