Eden Prairie vs Minneapolis

Which is the better fit for you?

Eden Prairie, MN
70
Area Score
Top 14% nationally
Minneapolis, MN
57
Area Score
Bottom 44% nationally

Want a third or fourth place beside these? Open them in the shortlist and add more.

Eden Prairie receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Eden Prairie to Minneapolis

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 104.3 against 104.3 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $1,709 in Minneapolis against $1,709 in Eden Prairie.
The median home
24% less
$362,200 in Minneapolis against $473,900 in Eden Prairie.
The weather you would swap
Winters 1°F milder
Normal January lows are 9°F in Minneapolis against 8°F in Eden Prairie; July highs are 83°F against 84°F (summers 1°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Eden Prairie
Minneapolis
Opportunity: Eden Prairie is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
57 · Top 49%
vs
47 · Bottom 30%
Growth: Eden Prairie is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
48 · Bottom 46%
vs
32 · Bottom 17%
Climate: Minneapolis is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
54 · Bottom 4%
vs
55 · Bottom 5%
Physical resilience
93 · Top 7%
vs
93 · Top 7%
Housing affordability: Eden Prairie is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
78 · Top 18%
vs
74 · Top 28%
Schools: Eden Prairie is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
80 · Top 11%
vs
23 · Bottom 16%
Access: Minneapolis is the more favorable of the two.
Access
96 · Top 35%
vs
97 · Top 31%
Economic stability: Eden Prairie is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
79 · Top 6%
vs
55 · Bottom 44%

Measured values

MetricEden PrairieMinneapolisSource period
Population63,051427,2462024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$130,489 — more favorable$80,8462024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$71,657 — more favorable$52,6922024 ACS 5-Year
Population density1,940/sq mi7,912/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$473,900$362,2002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,833$1,371 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,709$1,709FY2026
Cost of living index104.3104.32023
Homeownership rate76.1%47.7%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.1% — more favorable4.4%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−2.1%−2.1%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher64.9% — more favorable55.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate4.3% — more favorable13.6%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)22441512 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents3.6 — more favorable1.012 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+239.4%+40.7%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high84°F83°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low8°F9°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation30.6"31.6"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport12 mi6 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate23.0 min ±0.8 min23.7 min ±0.3 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age41.333.42024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools181432024-25 school year
Students per teacher14.713.3 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency65.3% — more favorable38.8%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency72.7% — more favorable43.9%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility28.7%60.7%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

One row above shows both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Eden Prairie

Elevated or high exposure: hail.

Minneapolis

Elevated or high exposure: hail.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Eden Prairie
—
Eden Prairie: Your Score
70
Area Score
Minneapolis
—
Minneapolis: Your Score
57
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Eden Prairie, MN · Minneapolis, MN · How this is calculated: methodology