Considering a move to the Twin Cities Metro area? Not sure where to start your search?
The ResComPros team is here to help!
We recently put together a feature on the top cities to live in in the East Metro area, and now we’re turning our attention to the South Metro.
Read on to learn more about three great cities in the South Metro area: Eagan, Apple Valley, and Lakeville.
Eagan, MN
The 8th largest city in Minnesota, Eagan has a population of just over 69,000 people. Its scenery features rolling hills, lots of trees, and more than a thousand small lakes, wetlands, and ponds. It’s located equidistant from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, and just across the river from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Median home prices in Eagan range from $300k to $400k.
Schools
This South Metro city is served by three School Districts:
- District 196, the Eagan/Apple Valley/Rosemount District, with 19 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, and 5 high schools.
- District 191, the Burnsville/Eagan/Savage District, with 8 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools, plus a virtual academy.
- District 197, the West St. Paul/Mendota Heights/Eagan Area School District, with 2 elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, plus 4 magnet schools.
Parks and Recreation
Eagan offers lots of ways to play with 56 Parks, an outdoor water park, miles of trails, an indoor playground, a fitness center, ball fields, tennis courts, and more, including:
- Cascade Bay Waterpark is an award-winning outdoor waterpark featuring a leisure pool, zero-depth entry pool, 7 waterslides, lazy river, sand play area, mini golf, and more.
- All Play at Woodhaven Park is Eagan’s newest park and is designed to be accessible to all abilities.
- Eagan Disc Golf Course is a 9-hole course at Northview Park for disc golfers of all skill levels.
- Outdoor Ice Rinks. In the winter, Eagan offers ice rinks at 9 city parks for both Hockey and pleasure skating.
- Trapp Farm Park Tubing Hill offers tubes for rent, and typically opens in mid-December, or whenever there is a base of 6-8 inches of snow.
- Lexington-Diffley Skate Park gives the skateboarders in the family a great place to perfect their skills. The skate park includes a quarter pipe, grind rails, and boxes, as well as a pyramid box.
- The Blast Indoor Playground is a space-themed playground located inside the Eagan Community Center…the perfect place to bring the kids on bad weather days!
- Eagan Community Center has something for every member of the family, including a state-of-the-art fitness facility, gazebo, bandshell, playgrounds, splash pad, indoor walking and running track, meeting rooms, and a gym offering pickleball, basketball, and volleyball.
Restaurants
In Eagan, you’ll enjoy a wide variety of restaurant options, including:
- Doolittles Woodfire Grill, offering woodfired rotisserie cooking, plus sandwiches, burgers, salads, and a solid wine list. Half-priced bottles of wine on Monday nights!
- Andiamo, a family-owned restaurant offering some of the area’s finest Italian cuisine, with pasta, pizza, paninis, and more.
- Jensen’s Food and Cocktails, offering comfort food and drinks in a classic supperclub atmosphere.
- Lone Oak Grill, a sports bar offering burgers, bourbon, and beer.
- Bonchon, offering Korean fried chicken and other Korean cuisine like bulgogi, japchae, and more.
Find more of Eagan’s top dining locations here!
Shopping
From clothing to vintage finds to outdoor gear, find everything you need in Eagan’s many shops, including:
- Twin Cities Premium Outlets. Shop outlet stores for your favorite brands including Adidas, Coach, J. Crew, Loft, and more.
- Treasures Galore—the Indoor Garage Sale Thrift Store. If thrifting is your thing, this store has you covered.
- Indulge Boutique, a local shop offering quality women’s clothing.
- Eagan Promenade houses many popular stores like Barnes and Noble, Lunds and Byerly’s, Hallmark, TJ Maxx, Home Depot, and more.
- Mall of America is just across the river for even more shopping, entertainment, and food options.
Find more great places to shop in the Eagan area here!
Community Events
Eagan offers family-friendly events for every season! Here is just a sampling of local events you’ll enjoy:
Fall
- Eagan Art Block in September—a celebration of art, learning, and community spaces. Enjoy art-making demonstrations, performances, exhibits, and more.
- Halloween Trail Walk. Don your costume and visit trick-or-treat stations, enjoy music from a local DJ, and play Halloween-themed games.
Winter
- Frosty Festival in January at Eagan Community Center Festival Grounds. Sled or tube down the hill, build a snowman, and enjoy cocoa and cookies.
- Sweetheart Dance in February at Eagan Community Center. Dress up in your finest attire and dance the night away at this family event!
Spring
- Big Rig Rally in May at the Central Maintenance Facility. Get a behind-the-scenes tour and up-close look at fire trucks, police cars, mowers, plow trucks, and garbage trucks. (The kids will LOVE this one!)
- Arbor Day Celebration at Historic Holz Farm. Celebrate Eagan’s commitment to being a Tree City at this family-friendly event.
Summer
- Eagan Market Fest, Wednesdays June-Sept at Eagan Festival Grounds
- Lake Fest at Blackhawk Park in June, where you can try out canoeing and fishing, enjoy live music, learn how to protect local lakes, and more.
- Bow Wow-a-Rama at Thresher Fields Dog Park—fun for you and your dog!
- Movies in the Park at various Eagan parks throughout the summer.
- Dakota County Fair in nearby Farmington during the second week of August. Enjoy everything a county fair has to offer—food, animals, and fun for everyone.
Apple Valley, MN
This Twin Cities suburb is the 17th most populous city in Minnesota, with a population of a little over 56,000. Established in 1858, it was a farming community until the mid-1950s, when residential developments began taking over. Apple Valley was voted 17th Best Place To Live by Money.com in 2014.
Median home prices in Apple Valley range from $300k to $400k.
Schools
Apple Valley is primarily served by two school districts:
- ISD 196 (Rosemount/Apple Valley/Eagan) serves most of the city, with 6 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 2 senior high schools, plus the School of Environmental Studies (SES).
- ISD 191 (Burnsville/Eagan/Savage) serves a small portion of the northwest corner of the city, and offers 8 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools, plus a virtual academy.
In addition to these two districts, Apple Valley is also served by a K-8 charter school, the FIT Academy.
Parks and Recreation
From preschool and family enrichment and youth sports to adult recreation leagues and senior programs, there’s something for everyone in Apple Valley!
- Apple Valley Community Center has an event center, badminton court, basketball court, two gyms, pickle ball court, volleyball court, and a playground, and is home to many adult recreation leagues.
- Little Orchard Preschool and Family Enrichment. Here kids can learn through play with the Discovery Zone preschool program, and families can take enrichment classes to learn how to grow together as a family.
- Family Aquatic Center and Pool. This facility hosts an outdoor swimming pool, water slides, and sprayground, and is open June through August.
- Senior & Event Center. This ADA-accessible events center offers a variety of activities for seniors through membership in the Apple Valley Seniors organization.
- Kelley Park & Splash Pad offers playground equipment, a picnic shelter, and a splash pad (open seasonally and weather-permitting).
- Redwood Community Center and Pool. Home to an outdoor pool and volleyball court, as well as picnic areas.
- Valleywood Golf Course. An 18-hole wooded golf course that also offers golf lessons and hosts meetings, events, and weddings.
- Apple Valley Sports Arena has an ice rink and tennis courts, and offers tennis lessons in summer and ice skating in winter
- Minnesota Zoo. Cutting-edge exhibits provide exciting experiences with animals and their habitats introducing guests to species from around the globe. Educational opportunities include a summer zoo camp, zoomobile, and many more programs and events.
Restaurants
When it’s time for dinner (or breakfast, or lunch!), you’ll have plenty of options in Apple Valley, including:
- Rascals Bar and Grill. Casual bar and grill with burgers, seafood, steak, and more.
- Pho Valley Vietnamese Cuisine. Fantastic pho and other Vietnamese dishes.
- Farmer and Fishmonger. A reimagined steakhouse with locally sourced ingredients and down-to-earth soul. Excellent seafood.
- Taste of Thaiyai. Highly-rated Thai restaurant featuring fantastic Thai food made with fresh ingredients and top-notch service.
- Celts Craft House. Offering burgers, sandwiches, and dinners with a Celtic flair plus craft beer and hand-crafted cocktails
Find more great places to dine in the Apple Valley area here!
Shopping
Besides big box stores like Target, Walmart, Cub, and Kohl’s, you’ll also find unique shops in Apple Valley, including:
- Apple Valley Square. Find a little of everything in this shopping mall, including Aldi, Jo-ann Fabrics, Half Priced Books, and Petco, plus restaurants like Chipotle and Subway.
- Shady Deal Depot. Despite the name, this indoor flea market offers legitimately great deals on new, pre-owned, and overstock furniture and household items.
- The Charming Lily. Boutique offering women’s clothing, jewelry, accessories, and handbags.
- Haupt Antiek Market. Hunt for antiques in this unique shop that’s only open four days a month, with different themes and fresh inventory each time.
- Valley Bike and Ski Shops offers bikes, skis, snowboards, and accessories for the whole family, plus equipment repairs.
Find more places to shop in the Apple Valley area here!
Community Events
There are lots of fun things to do in Apple Valley! You can view a full events calendar here, but here are a few highlights:
- Fall Clean-Up Day. A day set aside to clean out household waste and bulky items like furniture and appliances. A partnership with Dakota Valley Recycling.
- Mid-Winter Fest. Food, and fun activities for all ages to celebrate winter. An Apple Valley tradition since 1978!
- Freedom Days. Family-friendly events, parade, and fireworks show for Independence Day.
- Night To Unite. A night out against crime, with block parties organized in different neighborhoods. Police, Fire, and City personnel pay visits to each neighborhood.
- Dakota County Fair in nearby Farmington during the second week of August. Enjoy everything a county fair has to offer—food, animals, and fun for everyone!
Lakeville, MN
The largest city in Dakota County, with just under 69,500 residents as of 2020. Founded in 1858, Lakeville started as a flourishing milling center, and is now one of the fastest-growing cities in the Twin Cities metro area.
Median home prices in Lakeville range from $300k to $500k.
Schools
Lakeville is served by three school districts:
- ISD 192, with 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school.
- ISD 194, with 8 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 2 high schools, an area learning center, a state-certified online school (grades K-12), and an early education center, as well as community education opportunities.
- ISD 196, with 19 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, and 5 high schools
You can view a school district boundaries map here.
Parks and Recreation
With beaches, parks, bike trails, and more, there’s something fun for everyone in Lakeville!
- 60 Parks throughout the city with biking & walking trails, fishing, picnic shelters, playgrounds, and more!
- Public Beaches at Antlers Park and Orchard Lake Park
- Public Lake Access at Casperson Park and Orchard Lake Park
- West Lake Marion Mountain Bike Trail. From the trailhead at Casperson Park, this 5-mile single track trail follows the west side of Lake Marion and has trail segments for beginner, intermediate, and advanced cyclists.
Restaurants
Eating out in Lakeville, you have a ton of options to choose from, including:
- Porterhouse Steak and Seafood. Classic, full-service dinner house with premium aged steaks, fresh fish, and seafood, all served in a warm, comfortable atmosphere.
- Babes Music Bar. Fantastic burgers and ribs, plus sandwiches, broasted chicken, and more. Live music on Fridays, plus events and happy hours throughout the week.
- Lakeville Brewing Company. A locally owned and operated brewpub with burgers, sandwiches, tacos, pasta, and more, plus craft beer, wine, and cocktails.
- Harry’s Scratch Kitchen. Great food (breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner), a fun atmosphere, and a full bar with regular happy hour specials.
- Ole Piper Family Restaurant and Sports Bar. Great pizza, pasta, burgers, and more in nearby Rosemount.
Find more great places to eat in the Lakeville area here!
Shopping
Shop to your heart’s content! Choose from a wide range of shops in and around Lakeville, including:
- Historic Downtown Lakeville. Browse through an array of specialty shops while wandering through Lakeville’s historic downtown.
- Camping World. Offers a full range of hunting, fishing, and camping gear, plus boating, RV, and automotive needs.
- Wildflower Quilt Co. Something for all quilters—from newbies to seasoned pros—including the highest quality fabric, notions, and quilting services.
- Board and Batten. Offers women’s clothing, home decor, jewelry, accessories, and gifts.
- Fleet Farm. Outdoor, hunting, and fishing gear, plus housewares and automotive.
Lakeville is also just a quick drive away from many other shopping centers in the South Metro, including Burnsville Center, Southdale Center, and Mall of America shopping malls.
Community Events
Lakeville offers a number of annual community events, including:
- Panorama of Progress. Known by locals as “Pan-O-Prog,” this is Lakeville’s annual summer festival, held every July. Enjoy family-friendly events, great food, a parade, fireworks, and more!
- Taste of Lakeville. Held at the Lakeville Area Arts Center, this community-wide celebration gathers local restaurants, caterers, and find beverage purveyors for one night in August. Attendees can sample the finest culinary treats the area has to offer! A 21+ event.
- Lakeville Art Festival. One of the finest art festivals south of the Mississippi River, this family-friendly event is held the third weekend of September on the grounds of the Lakeville Area Arts Center.
- Dakota County Fair in nearby Farmington during the second week of August. Enjoy everything a county fair has to offer—food, animals, and fun for everyone!
This is just a sampling of the fun events available in the Lakeville area. You can view a full calendar of events here.
Are you looking to make a move to the South Metro? The team at ResComPros can help you find a home that’s just right for you! Give us a call at 612-747-1463 to start your search today.