Is Apple Valley, MN a Good Place to Live?
Apple Valley is a mid-sized city of 55,594 in Minnesota, with a median household income of $97,588 and a 4.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 104 (US average = 100), which is 4% above the national average.
Strengths: Apple Valley stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Apple Valley is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Apple Valley city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 104.5Apple Valley's overall cost of living index is 104.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Apple Valley costs roughly 4% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Apple Valley, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $333,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,607 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 75.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $97,588 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageApple Valley's violent crime rate is 214.4 per 100,000 residents — 44% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Apple Valley is served primarily by FIT Academy. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.1:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Apple Valley, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | FIT Academy | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.1:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 45.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Apple Valley sees average highs of 22.2°F in January and 81.3°F in July, with 34.1 inches of annual precipitation and 41.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Apple Valley, MN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 22.2°F |
| Average High — July | 81.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 34.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 41.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | Apple Valley, MN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,594 | — |
| Median Age | 37.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 26.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 72.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 10.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.0% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 6.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 25.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 15.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Apple Valley
Apple Valley, MN is covered by 1 ZIP code: