Eden Prairie

Eden Prairie

Eden Prairie in Hennepin County is an ideal destination not only for business but also for people who want quality and classy living.  Cited by Money Magazine as the 10th Best Place To Live in the US, it boasts of being the base of over 2,200 business establishments as well as 2,250 acres of parks, 1,300 acres of open space and 170 miles of trails.

Quality of life in Eden Prairie is outstanding and this has made it a favorite destination for corporate relocation, employee relocation and family relocation.  The city is a few miles away from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and is adjacent to numerous recreation areas, restaurants and museums.

History

Eden Prairie might be an economically and vibrant city nowadays but this has not always been the case. It used to be a slow growing village with slow economic and social growth between 1880 and 1960.  Among the first settlers in the area were Native Americans until a treaty in 1851 opened land near the Mississippi River allowing pioneers of Eden Prairies to settle in the area.

The first sign of development in the area was the construction of the Flying Cloud Airport in 1946.  The construction of Interstate Highway 494 in the 70s widened the city’s reach and rightly so because it was also during this time when the Eden Prairie Shopping Center was constructed.  Finally, it became a Statutory City in 1974.

The city got its name after writer Elizabeth Ellet described the area as a garden spot—thus the name Eden.

Community Profile

From a population of only 2000 in 1960, Eden Prairie has grown to a city with almost 60,000 people by the year 2000.  From an agricultural and a sleepy village, Eden Prairie has become a thriving and vibrant community preferred by most businesses.

Majority or 71.66% of the city’s population are Whites, 13.28% are African Americans, 4.82% are Asians while the rest are Pacific Islanders and other races.  The city has a fairly young population with an average age of 35 years, with 30.5% below the age of 18 and only 4.9% are 65 years old or over.

While the city has a per capita income of $38,854 and an average family income of $72,258, 11.9% of the population is living below the poverty line.  Eden Prairies is among the highest income places in the United States within.

Business

Eden Prairie’s has proven itself a haven for businesses and this is evident with the presence of establishments like Super Valu Grocery, C.H. Robinson Worldwide Shipping Logistics (both classified as Fortune 500 companies), ADC Telecommunications, Fargo Electronics, Lenox Group, Minnesota Vikings, Starkey Laboratories and SurModics pharmaceutical delivery systems to name a few.

Life is very comfortable for Eden Prairie resident with a family median income of $105,177 compared to the best places to live average family income of only $76,893.  The purchasing power of the residents amounts to $81,343 compared to the best places to live purchasing power of $68,109.

The city spells clean living for its residents as they have an air quality index of 75.4% compared to the best places to live air quality index of 71.9%.  Personal crime risk in Eden Prairie stands at 17 while the best places to live averages 45. The national average is 100.  Personal crime incidents rate is 88 compared to the best places average of 228.

Eden Prairie has 2,699 restaurants, 35 movie theaters, 114 bars, 135 public golf courses, 61 libraries, 4 museums and 13 ski resorts.

Sports

If you are considering a corporate relocation package then Eden Prairie is one of the best places to go to since it has a very active sports program for the youth. There are sports programs and trainings for basketball, baseball, football, ice hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Track and Field and Wrestling.

If golf is your thing then the privately-owned 18-hole Bearpath Golf and Country Club designed by Jack Nicklaus would be an ideal weekend destination.  The golf course has a naturally lush environment.

The sports program of the Eden Prairie High School was also named by Sports Illustrated Magazine in 2007 as the best among the other cities in the State of Minnesota.

In the Movies

Eden Prairie has had its share of publicity in the national and international area.  Several movies have been filmed in the city including the Mallrats and Drop Dead Gorgeous both of which were filmed at the pre-remodeled Eden Prairie Center Mall.  The city was also indicated as the residence of character Mike Yanagita in the movie Fargo. The city was also featured in the movies D3: The Mighty Ducks and Graffiti Bridge.

Housing

There are homes for rent, condominiums and apartments for rent in Eden Prairie.  Low income residents can seek the aid of the Housing and Community Services if they want to avail of low-priced apartment complexes in the city.  Affordable houses for rent can also be accessed through the Metropolitan Council Housing and Redevelopment Authority. You can also avail of the Section 8 Project-Based housing where you pay a rental of only 30 percent (or less) of your income.

Affordable home ownership is likewise provided by the city in coordination with the non-profit community land trust Homes Within Reach.  Under the partnership single family homes are bought by Homes Within Reach and then sold to qualified home buyers.  Aside from being a qualified home buyer you also have to qualify for a mortgage offered by a commercial lender and meet the income requirements to be able to avail of this benefit. While the average price of the homes under the program is only $150,000, ownership is however retained by the community and it is then leased to the home owner for a minimal fee.

If you just intend to renovate an existing house, you can avail of the low interest home repair loans.  Lenders usually slap a 5% simple interest rate on repair loans payable in 10 years.

The average price of home in the city is slightly higher at $289,259 compared to the average price of homes in the best places to live of only $259,566.

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