A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Rosemount$2,590/mo

Typical home $431K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.93% · or rent about $1,640/mo · Housing →

Empire$2,840/mo

Typical home $470K (Census) · tax rate 0.96% · or rent about $2,052/mo · Housing →

The difference: $250 a month, about $3,000 a year, between Empire and Rosemount.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Rosemount and Empire share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

RosemountEmpire

Rosemount ↔ Empire4.7 miles apart · They share a border

Report cards

Rosemount places higher on 8 of 11 MN lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Minnesota ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

ARosemountSafer than 87% of U.S. towns –EmpireNot graded

Schools

A−RosemountBetter than 77% of districts in the state –EmpireNot graded

Health

ARosemountHealthier than 91% of U.S. towns –EmpireNot graded

8Rosemount

3Empire

Lists won, of 11 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 268 towns #165#13 Most trailsOutdoors · 223 towns #120#54 Most walkableOutdoors · 275 towns #191#253 Most educatedPeople · 275 towns #44#104 Cheapest rentCost of living · 257 towns #205#247 Most remote workersWork · 272 towns #33#76 Lowest property taxCost of living · 275 towns #196#233 Shortest commuteGetting around · 275 towns #215#242

Left end = #1 in Minnesota. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Rosemount’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

RosemountEmpire

Snow a year41″41″

January low8°F 8°F

July high82°F 82°F

Growing season (days)166d 166d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)34th 45th

Outdoors & history

RosemountEmpire

Trails17 mi 30 mi

Conserved land3.5%20%

Settled1856 —

Community

RosemountEmpire

Colleges in town1 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Minnesota average

RosemountEmpire

People

Population 27,562Highest 3,092Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +17.3% MN: +7.6% —

Median age 38.9±1.7Highest about the MN average 37.3±1.6Lowest 4% below MN

Rosemount and Empire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 26.5%±2.2Lowest MN: 22.9% 28.6%±5.6Highest MN: 22.9%

Empire and Rosemount are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 13.8%±1.4Lowest MN: 17.3% 14.2%±4.1Highest MN: 17.3%

Empire and Rosemount are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 51.6%Highest MN: 39.4% 37.4%Lowest MN: 39.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.3%±1Highest MN: 5.8% 2.9%±1.4Lowest MN: 5.8%

Rosemount and Empire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $129,625±$10kLowest 46% above MN $147,700±$19kHighest 66% above MN

Empire and Rosemount are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $424,100±$10kLowest 29% above MN $469,500±$32kHighest 43% above MN

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,640±$113Lowest 28% above MN $2,052±$360Highest 60% above MN

Empire and Rosemount are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,932Lowest 17% above MN $4,505Highest 34% above MN

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.1%±11.5Highest MN: 48.1% 24.1%±29.4Lowest MN: 48.1%

Rosemount and Empire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 3%Highest MN: 9.3% 1.9%Lowest MN: 9.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 87.4%Lowest MN: 72.2% 94.3%Highest MN: 72.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 2000Highest 21 yrs newer than MN 1997Lowest 18 yrs newer than MN

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minLowest 24% above MN 30 minHighest 34% above MN

Work from home 25.1%±3.2Highest MN: 17.6% 20.1%±5.9Lowest MN: 17.6%

Rosemount and Empire are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 6.6%Highest 0.7%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.3 miLowest 15.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.55Highest 0.19Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Minneapolis (12%)Minneapolis (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in EmpireFew work in Rosemount

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.5%Lowest 20%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 17.4 miLowest 30.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miLowest 1.0 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 32Highest 10Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 26.8Highest 4.2Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #66 of 230 in MN—

School district INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT 917 · ROSEMOUNT-APPLE VALLEY-EAGAN—

High school in town Rosemount Senior High—

Students per teacherat that high school 19.1 —

Minnesota average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Rosemount neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rosemount’s Town Square.

Empire neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Empire’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Rosemount and Empire

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Rosemount

+ Compare

Apple Valley55,679 people · $370K homes

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Nininger Township908 people · $436K homes

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Cottage Grove40,992 people · $379K homes

+ Compare

Coates131 people · $240K homes

Towns like Rosemount

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Prior Lake28,016 people · $451K homes

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Savage32,889 people · $432K homes

+ Compare

Hugo16,340 people · $409K homes

+ Compare

St. Michael20,010 people · $390K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Minnesota towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Rosemount vs Empire

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $250 more a month in Empire

Rosemount and Empire share a border

Rosemount places higher on 8 of 11 MN lists

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Rosemount and Empire

Bordering Rosemount

Towns like Rosemount

Post to Rosemount

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