What it's like to live in Chaska
Chaska is a small city in Minnesota with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Chaska deals with cold, harsh winters and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 52" per year
How Chaska compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Chaska
Based on Chaska's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,106
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $62,120 a year
- 41% of Chaska renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$80,940
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $40,470
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,553/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,553 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 $404,700. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $404,700 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 23% below US
3.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 67% below US
107 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 549/100k · Chaska Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 12% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 20% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 8°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 29% above US
47% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 47% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
23 public schools inside the boundary
There are 23 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, 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 (26 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Chaska's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,553/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Chaska
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