What it's like to live in Burnsville
Burnsville is a smaller city in Minnesota with unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Burnsville deals with cold, harsh winters and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 41" per year
How Burnsville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Burnsville
Based on Burnsville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,026
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $60,520 a year
- 49% of Burnsville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$71,040
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $35,520
- Homes cost 4.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,513/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,513 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $355,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $355,200 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 14% below US
3.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 50% below US
163 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1493/100k · Burnsville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 10% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.3 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 11°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 11% above US
40% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 40% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
18 public schools inside the boundary
There are 18 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (15 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Burnsville's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,513/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Burnsville
All Minnesota guides →Moving to Apple Valley →
4 mi away · pop. 55,679
Rent $1,738/mo · Income $97,673
Compare with Burnsville →Moving to Bloomington →
5 mi away · pop. 88,665
Rent $1,561/mo · Income $93,211
Compare with Burnsville →Not sure Burnsville is the one?
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