Moving to
Vadnais Heights.

All Vadnais Heights data Compare Vadnais Heights

12,838people live here $98,685median household income▲ 22% above US $1,455median rent per monthNear US average $363,100median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Vadnais Heights

Vadnais Heights is a small city in Minnesota with household incomes running above the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, 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. Vadnais Heights deals with cold, harsh winters and snowy winters.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Short commutes
Highly educated workforce
Average class sizes

The not so good

Cold, harsh winters
Snowy winters — 40" per year

How Vadnais Heights compares

Median household income

Vadnais Heights$98,685

Minnesota avg$89,062

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Vadnais Heights$1,455

Minnesota avg$1,280

US$1,413

Median home value

Vadnais Heights$363,100

Minnesota avg$329,300

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Vadnais Heights

Based on Vadnais Heights's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,910

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,200 a year
48% of Vadnais Heights renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$72,620

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $36,310
Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,455/mo median rent

Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,455 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 $363,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $363,100 · 48% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.8% county unemployment

Unemployment in Ramsey County is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Ramsey County (county-wide)

Safety

147 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

Vadnais Heights doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.

Property crime 1206/100k · Policed by Ramsey County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 12% below US

23 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 23% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

70%

Work from home

23%

Carpool

4.3%

Other

1.7%

Walk

0.6%

Public transit

0.3%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 12°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 27% above US

46% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 46% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

5 public schools inside the boundary

There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (8 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Vadnais Heights's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,455/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (23% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.

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