In my experience, Edina is one of the suburbs relocating buyers ask about most — and for good reason. It's about 12 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, has a genuinely walkable commercial district in 50th & France, feeds into school districts (primarily ISD 273) that are frequently cited among the state's stronger performers, and has a housing stock that blends historic character with well-maintained established neighborhoods. It also has one of the higher entry price points of any suburb covered on this site, with a $799K+ median.
The question for relocating buyers isn't whether Edina is good — it clearly is. The question is whether what makes Edina distinctive is actually what you'll use on a regular basis. This guide tries to answer that honestly.
50th & France: The Real Thing
50th & France is what separates Edina from virtually every other Twin Cities suburb. It's a genuine walkable neighborhood commercial district — not a lifestyle center designed to look like one, but an organically evolved collection of independent restaurants, wine bars, coffee shops, boutiques, Lunds & Byerlys (the region's premier grocery), and services that serve the surrounding neighborhood on foot.
On a warm evening, 50th & France has real pedestrian energy — people walking between dinner and dessert, sidewalk café seating, neighborhood residents treating it as an extension of their living space. For buyers relocating from cities like Chicago, Portland, or San Francisco who are worried about losing urban walkability, 50th & France is the most credible answer the Twin Cities suburbs can offer.
Key anchors: Edina Grill, Cooks of Crocus Hill (cooking school and kitchenware), Lunds & Byerlys, multiple independent wine bars and restaurants, Fairview Southdale medical clinic, and dozens of boutique retail shops. Weekend mornings bring stroller traffic, dog walkers, and the unhurried pace of a neighborhood that knows it has somewhere good to be.
Schools: ISD 273 (and Nearby Districts)
Most of Edina is served by Edina Public Schools (ISD 273), which is frequently cited among Minnesota's top-performing districts — verify the current-year ranking directly (e.g., Niche.com) rather than taking anyone's word for it, including mine. Edina High School has strong standardized test scores, strong AP participation rates, a well-regarded performing arts program, and competitive athletics (the Hornets have a strong tradition particularly in hockey and swimming). A smaller number of addresses within Edina's city limits fall into ISD 270 (Hopkins) or ISD 280 (Richfield) instead. School assignment depends on the property's specific address — verify attendance boundaries directly with the district before making an offer.
ISD 273 is small by metro standards — around 8,500 students total — which means smaller class sizes and a tighter school community feel than in large suburban districts. Per-pupil spending is among the higher figures in the metro.
For buyers who specifically prioritize academic rigor and small-district character, ISD 273 is worth a close look — just confirm the boundary for the specific address you're considering.
Centennial Lakes Park
One of Edina's most underappreciated assets is Centennial Lakes Park — a beautifully designed urban park built around a series of connected ponds in the Centennial Lakes district. Miles of walking and biking paths circle the ponds, with paddle boats available in summer and a free ice skating oval in winter. The park is surrounded by restaurants and retail, making it a genuinely livable public space rather than just a green buffer between parking lots.
The Centennial Lakes area also has some of Edina's most accessible price points — condos and townhomes starting in the $350K–$500K range — for buyers who want Edina's school access and lifestyle at a lower entry than the single-family market requires.
Neighborhoods Worth Knowing
Country Club
Edina's most storied neighborhood — the streets immediately surrounding the Edina Country Club and within walking distance of 50th & France. Tudor, Colonial, and craftsman homes on tree-lined streets, many original to the 1920s–1940s with period character that's genuinely hard to find in the metro. Prices start at $700K for smaller homes needing work and climb to $2M–$4M+ for the largest, most fully restored properties. This is Edina at its most historically distinctive.
Morningside
Adjacent to the Minneapolis border, Morningside offers bungalows and smaller homes at Edina's most accessible single-family price points — $500K–$700K range. The neighborhood has strong community identity and is popular with buyers who want Edina school access without Country Club pricing.
Countryside and West Edina
Larger lots, established 1960s–1980s homes on quiet streets, $600K–$900K range. More suburban in feel than the walkable east-side neighborhoods, but well-maintained and with good school access. A good fit for buyers who prioritize yard space and quieter streets over walkability.
Centennial Lakes / Southeast Edina
More urban density — condos, townhomes, some mixed-use. $350K–$550K range for condos and townhomes. Centennial Lakes Park access is the main draw. Good for buyers who want Edina school access (verify condo boundaries — most of southeast Edina feeds into ISD 273) at a significantly lower price than single-family requires.
Housing Reality
Edina's single-family entry point is now firmly $550K+, with a $799K+ median and most neighborhoods trading in the $650K–$1.2M range. Inventory is limited — this is an established, built-out suburb with minimal new construction. Homes that are well-priced and in good condition move quickly, and the Country Club neighborhood in particular tends to see strong buyer interest.
Buyers with a larger down payment or cash-equity position from a prior home sale — common among people relocating from higher-cost markets like California or Chicago — will find more inventory accessible in Edina's $650K–$1.2M range. The combination of proximity to Minneapolis, school access, and walkability is what buyers in that range are typically paying for.
Commute and Location
- Downtown Minneapolis: ~12 min by car, bikeable via Midtown Greenway trail for parts of Edina
- MSP Airport: 20–25 min via I-494
- West-metro employers (Eden Prairie, Minnetonka): 20–30 min
- Downtown St. Paul: ~22 min
Edina's location is a real advantage — it's one of the closer suburbs to Minneapolis among the districts covered on this site.
Honest Trade-offs
- Price — Edina's single-family market starts where other suburbs' move-up market ends; budget carefully
- Limited new construction — almost entirely a resale market; buyers who want new builds should look elsewhere
- Older housing stock in most neighborhoods — period character is part of the appeal, but older homes mean more maintenance
- Traffic on France Ave and 50th — the walkable district creates parking and traffic congestion, particularly on weekends
What Edina Offers
Edina's distinctive features are walkability to 50th & France, mature tree-lined neighborhoods, and proximity to downtown Minneapolis. The premium tends to pay off for buyers who will actually use those things day to day — walking to the coffee shop on a Saturday morning, a short commute downtown — rather than for buyers who won't.
The premium is a harder case for buyers who primarily need square footage per dollar, new construction, or a south or east-metro commute. For that profile, the Edina premium doesn't pay off in daily life the way it does for buyers focused on walkability and location.
Thinking About Edina?
Demyan helps out-of-state buyers evaluate whether Edina's premium fits their actual daily life — and if not, which west-metro alternative delivers better value for their specific situation. Schedule a free consultation to work through it together.
* Sources: ISD 273 district data, City of Edina, Walk Score, Zillow Research 2024. Figures represent 2024–2025 averages.