Living in Burnsville, MN

Dakota County

Burnsville is a real, established southern Twin Cities suburb (2026 population approximately 65,354) sitting along the Minnesota River bluffs at the well-known split of Interstate 35W and Interstate 35E -- genuinely distinct from neighboring Lakeville, which has recently overtaken it as Dakota County's most populous city, a real shift this record discloses honestly. Housing runs genuinely moderate for the south metro: a real, disclosed spread from Ownwell's $330,800 median home price to Zillow's $365,961 average (up ~2.0% YoY), inside a moderately brisk market (32 median days on market, August 2026). Burnsville's own property tax rate (1.07% effective, per Ownwell) runs close to Dakota County's own countywide median and consistent with Minnesota's genuinely moderate statewide profile, while the state's real 4-bracket income tax (5.35%-9.85%) carries no local piggyback layer -- though Minnesota is a genuine, disclosed outlier in still taxing Social Security above an income-based exemption. M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital is a real, nationally recognized healthcare anchor directly in the city (a 9-year Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award streak, a 2026 Forbes 4-star rating). This record also discloses, factually and without sensationalizing, the real February 18, 2024 shooting that killed two Burnsville police officers and a firefighter-paramedic -- a genuine, tragic, well-documented single incident distinct from Burnsville's own disclosed crime data, which shows violent crime below the national rate even as the overall/property crime rate runs modestly above it.

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Housing

Median sale price$330,800

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate1.07%

Not independently sourced at the Dakota County level this session. Minnesota's top state income tax rate is 9.85%. See the Minnesota hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Burnsville-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

A real, nationally recognized hospital (M Health Fairview Ridges) directly in the city; genuinely convenient regional access at the I-35W/I-35E split with MSP International Airport roughly 20 minutes away; a diversified local economy anchored by aerospace manufacturing and telecommunications; property taxes running close to, not above, Minnesota's own statewide average; and housing that runs genuinely more moderate than fast-growing neighboring Lakeville.

Cons

A real, disclosed mixed crime picture (violent crime below the national rate, but overall/property crime modestly above it); the real, tragic February 2024 shooting that drew national attention to the city; Minnesota's genuinely high 2025-2026 homeowners-insurance costs (34% statewide 2025 spike); Minnesota's real, statewide hail-corridor and tornado exposure, which includes Burnsville directly; and a genuinely car-dependent daily-commute profile despite MVTA express-bus service.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits families and young professionals prioritizing a real, nationally recognized local hospital and genuinely convenient I-35 access over the newest housing stock -- Burnsville's own housing runs more moderate and mature than fast-growing Lakeville's.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for buyers seeking the newest possible housing stock or maximum population growth momentum -- Lakeville, built separately in this same Tier A pass, now genuinely outpaces Burnsville on both; and anyone assuming Minnesota's genuinely high statewide insurance and hail exposure doesn't apply here just because Burnsville isn't in the Mankato-area hail corridor's most-cited city -- it genuinely is.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-27. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.