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Top 50 rank: 4
Population: 23,685
Chanhassen was affected by Minnesota's woes during the downturn, but the town is bouncing back and taking fresh steps to improve. The area school district recently provided $700,000 in grants for classroom tech projects and is now rolling out Wi-Fi on all school buses. The town also beefed up commuter options.
The housing market, which took a big hit, is surging back. Jobs have remained strong, and nearby Minneapolis offers big-name employers like Target and the Mayo Clinic.
One perk of Twin Cities-area living is access to the great outdoors. Chanhassen's highlights include 34 parks, 90 miles of trails, and the 1,137-acre Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. When below-zero wind chills set in, there's February Festival with ice-fishing contests, sledding, and cookouts. --Veronica Crews
Correction: An earlier version of this profile stated the Mayo Clinic is in Minneapolis. It is in Rochester, MN.
Chanhassen, MN | Town stats |
Chanhassen, MN
Town stats
| Median family income (per year) | | $124,200 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | | 4.16% |
| Median home price (2012) | | $201,5001 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below average) | | 13.3% |
| Math test scores (% above/below average) | | 16.9% |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | | 13 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | | 173 |
Financials | |
| Median family income (per year) | | $124,200 |
| Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted) | | $114,523 |
| Sales tax | | 6.88% |
| State income tax rate (highest bracket) | | 7.85%I |
| State income tax rate (lowest bracket) | | 5.35%I |
| Auto insurance premiums (Average price quotes, for the state) | | $1,594 |
| Job growth % (2010-2012) | | 4.16% |
Financials
Housing |
| Median home price (2012) | | $201,5001 |
| Average property taxes (2012) | | $4,498 |
Housing
Education |
Colleges, universities and
professional schools (within 30 miles) | | 35 |
| Reading test scores (% above/below state average) | | 13.3% |
| Test scores math (% above/below average) | | 16.9% |
| % students attending public/private schools (located within town limits) | | 84.7/15.3 |
Education
Quality of life |
| Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good) | | N.A. |
| Personal crime incidents (per 1,000) | | 13 |
| Property crime incidents (per 1,000) | | 173 |
| Median commute time (in minutes) | | 20.8 |
| % population with commute 45 mins. or longer | | 8.2% |
| % population walk or bike to work | | 2.6% |
Quality of life
Leisure and culture |
| Movie theaters (within 15 miles) | | 32 |
| Restaurants (within 15 miles) | | 1,411 |
| Bars (within 15 miles) | | 117 |
| Public golf courses (within 30 miles) | | 175 |
| Libraries (within 15 miles) | | 37 |
| Museums (accredited by AAM; within 30 miles) | | 12 |
| Ski resorts (within 100 miles) | | N.A. |
| Arts funding (Dollars per person of state funds spent on arts) | | 4.5 |
Leisure and culture
Weather |
| Annual rainfall (inches) | | 29.41 |
| % clear days in the area | | 54% |
| High temp in July ° F | | 85.8° |
| Low temp in Jan ° F | | 3.4° |
Weather
Meet the neighbors |
| Median age | | 38.8 |
| Completed at least some college (% of residents) | | 84.3% |
| Married % | | 69.3% |
| Divorced % | | 4.4% |
| Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity) | | 30.0 |
Meet the neighbors
