Dakota County vs Hennepin County
Dakota County, Minnesota versus Hennepin County, Minnesota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Dakota County and Hennepin County score about the same overall (42 vs 39 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Dakota County | Hennepin County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $101k | $93k |
| Cost of Living | $54k | $52k |
| Home Value | $341k | $358k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.01% | 1.16% |
| Income Tax | 9.88% | 9.90% |
| Sales Tax | 8.04% | 8.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.92% | 17.03% |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 16°F | 16°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.5 in | 32.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 45.5 in | 53.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 182 days | 182 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 61°F |
| Comfortable Days | 98 days | 98 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 89.5 | 98.3 |
| Air Quality | 49 AQI | 52 AQI |
| School Quality | 64.3 | 77.6 |
| Violent Crime | 559/100k | 1422/100k |
| Property Crime | 1681/100k | 3297/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 439,179 | 1,270,787 |
| Median Age | 38.4 | 37.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.38 | 0.50 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+14 | D+44 |
| White (%) | 75.4% | 66.9% |
| Black (%) | 7.0% | 13.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.7% | 7.1% |
| Asian (%) | 5.1% | 7.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.8% | 5.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 9.8/20 | 12.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 16 mi | 15 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.2% | 91.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.23 | 1.75 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Dakota County or Hennepin County more affordable?
- Hennepin County has the lower cost of living: its index is $52k, compared with Dakota County's $54k and Hennepin County's $52k. Median rent is $1k in Dakota County versus $1k in Hennepin County.
- Is Dakota County or Hennepin County safer?
- Dakota County has the lower violent crime rate. Dakota County reports 559/100k and Hennepin County reports 1422/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Dakota County or Hennepin County?
- The median home value is $341k in Dakota County and $358k in Hennepin County, so homes are more affordable in Dakota County.