---
title: 17. Apple Valley, MN
description: 'Top 50 rank: 17 Population: 49,863 If you don''t mind cold winters, there''s plenty to recommend this family-friendly Twin Cities suburb. There''s a wide range…'
authors:
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    articles: 459
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    former_staff: true
published: '2014-05-30T15:10:08.000Z'
modified: '2014-05-30T15:10:08.000Z'
section: Everyday Money
tags:
  - Apple Valley
  - buying a home
  - home prices
  - Housing Market
  - Minnesota
  - real estate
  - selling a home
canonical: https://money.com/collection-post/17-apple-valley-mn/
type: Article
source: structured-blocks
---

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![201309_BPL_APPLEVALLEY](https://img.money.com/2014/05/201309_bpl_applevalley.jpg)
*Apple Valley, MN*

**Top 50 rank**: 17

**Population**: 49,863

If you don't mind cold winters, there's plenty to recommend this family-friendly Twin Cities suburb. There's a wide range of affordable homes: The median sale price is around $200,000.

Cars are still the de facto transport here, but the city recently added a $112 million rapid-transit bus system that connects the downtown to area attractions like the Mall of America. Apple Valley is also home to the Minnesota Zoo and 53 parks. *\--H.L.*

<table style="height:53px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Apple Valley, MN</h3></td><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Town stats</h3></td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:183px"><tbody><tr><td>Median family income (per year)</td><td>$93,210</td></tr><tr><td>Job growth % (2010-2012)</td><td>2.03%</td></tr><tr><td>Median home price (2012)</td><td>$179,000</td></tr><tr><td>Reading test scores (% above/below average)</td><td>7.1%</td></tr><tr><td>Math test scores (% above/below average)</td><td>7.9%</td></tr><tr><td>Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)</td><td>1<sup>3</sup></td></tr><tr><td>Property crime incidents (per 1,000)</td><td>22<sup>3</sup></td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:234px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Financials</h3></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Median family income (per year)</td><td>$93,210</td></tr><tr><td>Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted)</td><td>$85,947</td></tr><tr><td>Sales tax</td><td>7.13%</td></tr><tr><td>State income tax rate (highest bracket)</td><td>7.85%<sup>I</sup></td></tr><tr><td>State income tax rate (lowest bracket)</td><td>5.35%<sup>I</sup></td></tr><tr><td>Auto insurance premiums (Average price quotes, for the state)</td><td>$1,594</td></tr><tr><td>Job growth % (2010-2012)</td><td>2.03%</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:103px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Housing</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Median home price (2012)</td><td>$179,000</td></tr><tr><td>Average property taxes<span class="smallerTxt">(2012)</span></td><td>$2,722</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:153px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Education</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Colleges, universities and professional schools (within 30 miles)</td><td>40</td></tr><tr><td>Reading test scores (% above/below state average)</td><td>7.1%</td></tr><tr><td>Test scores math (% above/below average)</td><td>7.9%</td></tr><tr><td>% students attending public/private schools (located within town limits)</td><td>99.4/0.6</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:209px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Quality of life</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good)</td><td>96.7%</td></tr><tr><td>Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)</td><td>1<sup>3</sup></td></tr><tr><td>Property crime incidents (per 1,000)</td><td>22<sup>3</sup></td></tr><tr><td>Median commute time (in minutes)</td><td>22.6</td></tr><tr><td>% population with commute 45 mins. or longer</td><td>11.0%</td></tr><tr><td>% population walk or bike to work</td><td>1.8%</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:253px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Leisure and culture</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Movie theaters (within 15 miles)</td><td>34</td></tr><tr><td>Restaurants (within 15 miles)</td><td>2,044</td></tr><tr><td>Bars (within 15 miles)</td><td>191</td></tr><tr><td>Public golf courses (within 30 miles)</td><td>192</td></tr><tr><td>Libraries (within 15 miles)</td><td>53</td></tr><tr><td>Museums (accredited by AAM; within 30 miles)</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>Ski resorts (within 100 miles)</td><td>N.A.</td></tr><tr><td>Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts)</td><td>4.5</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:153px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Weather</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Annual rainfall (inches)</td><td>29.41</td></tr><tr><td>% clear days in the area</td><td>54%</td></tr><tr><td>High temp in July ° F</td><td>83.6°</td></tr><tr><td>Low temp in Jan ° F</td><td>3.8°</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:178px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Meet the neighbors</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Median age</td><td>37.4</td></tr><tr><td>Completed at least some college (% of residents)</td><td>73.5%</td></tr><tr><td>Married %</td><td>56.8%</td></tr><tr><td>Divorced %</td><td>6.9%</td></tr><tr><td>Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity)</td><td>68.5</td></tr></tbody></table>

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