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Quality of Life in Plymouth, MN
A high quality of life with strong walkability, manageable living costs, healthy neighborhood signals, and solid amenity access.
What does Quality of Life tell us?
Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.
What does this tell us?
Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.
Cost of Living
55% above national average
The Real Cost of Living in Plymouth, MN for 2026
| Tier | Individual | Family (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | $27k | $51k |
| Comfortable | $92k | $136k |
| Luxury | $220k+ | $342k+ |
| Elite (Top 5%) | $259k+ | $402k+ |
99%
The Area Signal
A metric tracking the socioeconomic signals of the area.
Hobbies
Explore the areaGroceries
5 within 10 miles
Gas
20 within 10 miles
Hospital
20 within 20 miles
Airport
JFK — John F. Kennedy Memorial
Post Office
USPS — Plymouth, MN
Critical Amenities
Quality-of-Life Analysis
Plymouth, Minnesota, is an affluent western suburb of Minneapolis where the cost of living index sits at 155 (55% above the U.S. average), reflecting a community of professionals, executives, and families drawn to top-tier schools and high-end amenities. The population skews toward married couples with children, with a median age of 38 and a median household income exceeding $100,000, placing it among the wealthiest suburbs in the Twin Cities metro. This is not a budget-friendly entry point to the region, but rather a destination for those prioritizing space, safety, and services over low housing costs.
Housing costs and affordability compared to nearby suburbs
Plymouth’s housing market commands a premium: the median home value is $474,700, roughly 20% higher than the Minneapolis metro median of about $395,000 and significantly above neighboring suburbs like New Hope ($310,000) or Crystal ($280,000). Median rent is $1,705, which undercuts downtown Minneapolis ($1,900+) but exceeds more distant suburbs such as Maple Grove ($1,650) or Brooklyn Park ($1,550). The average commute of 22.6 minutes is shorter than the metro average of 26 minutes, thanks to Plymouth’s position along I-494 and Highway 55, offering direct access to major employers like UnitedHealth Group and Medtronic in nearby Minnetonka and Golden Valley. Property taxes are moderate for the area, with an effective rate around 1.1%, though the high home values mean annual tax bills often exceed $5,200. For renters, the market is tight, with vacancy rates below 3% in 2025, pushing rents upward by 4-6% annually.
Parks, schools, and daily life for families
Plymouth is a community built around outdoor recreation and family-oriented amenities, with over 1,000 acres of parkland, 49 parks, and 70 miles of trails connecting neighborhoods to the Medicine Lake chain and the Luce Line State Trail. The Wayzata School District, which serves most of Plymouth, is consistently ranked among Minnesota’s top five, with Wayzata High School posting a 96% graduation rate and a 28 average ACT score. Daily life revolves around the Plymouth Community Center (with two ice rinks and a fitness center), the Plymouth Playhouse, and the French Regional Park, which offers swimming, kayaking, and winter sledding. Retail is anchored by the Shops at West End and the Plymouth Crossings complex, while dining leans toward upscale chains (Cooper’s Hawk, Kona Grill) and local spots like the 3 Squares Restaurant. The city’s crime rate is 75% lower than the national average, with violent crime virtually absent in most neighborhoods, making it a top pick for families with young children.
Plymouth is best suited for professionals and families who can absorb the high housing costs in exchange for exceptional schools, low crime, and abundant green space. Remote workers and commuters to downtown Minneapolis (30 minutes via I-394) will find the commute manageable, while empty-nesters often downsize to townhomes in the 55+ communities near Medicine Lake. Those on a tight budget or seeking urban walkability should look east to Minneapolis or north to Brooklyn Park, but for anyone prioritizing suburban safety, school quality, and outdoor access, Plymouth delivers a premium lifestyle at a premium price.
Crime in Plymouth, MN
Lower crime rates than 90% of comparable U.S. locations.
Violent CrimeViolent Crime Analysis
Property CrimeProperty Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis
Plymouth, Minnesota, is one of the safest cities of its size in the Twin Cities metro area, with a violent crime rate of just 64.1 incidents per 100,000 residents — roughly one-fifth the national average. Property crime, at 842.7 per 100,000, also sits well below the U.S. median, though it is slightly elevated compared to some neighboring western suburbs. However, as part of the broader Hennepin County justice system, Plymouth is subject to the same progressive prosecutorial and judicial policies that have drawn criticism for prioritizing offender rehabilitation over public safety, a factor that warrants caution for prospective residents.
Crime in context
Plymouth’s violent crime rate is 84% lower than the national average and significantly below the Minnesota state rate of roughly 280 per 100,000. Property crime, while higher than violent crime, still undercuts the national figure of approximately 2,000 per 100,000. These numbers place Plymouth among the safest suburbs in the western metro, alongside Wayzata and Medina. Yet the city’s location within Hennepin County means it is not insulated from metro-wide trends. The county’s district attorney’s office has adopted policies that include declining to prosecute certain low-level offenses and emphasizing diversion programs — a progressive approach that, while reducing incarceration rates, has been linked to repeat offending and a perception of diminished accountability for property crimes like theft and vehicle break-ins.
What residents experience
In daily life, Plymouth residents report feeling very safe, particularly in the city’s numerous parks, trails, and residential neighborhoods. The most common crimes are property-related: package thefts from porches, occasional car break-ins at trailheads or shopping centers, and a modest number of residential burglaries. Violent incidents are rare and usually isolated to domestic situations or disputes among known individuals. Random stranger-on-stranger violence is virtually nonexistent. However, the progressive justice philosophy in Hennepin County means that even when arrests are made, offenders — especially juveniles and first-time property criminals — often face minimal consequences. Critics argue this creates a "revolving door" that emboldens repeat offenders, a dynamic that has frustrated some Plymouth homeowners who have experienced serial thefts without meaningful legal follow-through.
Neighborhood-level variation
Safety is not uniform across Plymouth. The western and northern sections, including areas near Medicine Lake and the Parker’s Lake neighborhood, see the lowest crime rates, with many blocks reporting zero incidents annually. The eastern edge, closer to the city of New Hope and along the Highway 55 corridor, experiences slightly higher property crime, particularly around retail zones and apartment complexes. The area around the Plymouth Meeting shopping center and the I-494/Highway 55 interchange sees the most police calls, mostly for shoplifting and vehicle theft. Overall, Plymouth remains a low-crime city by any national metric, but the metro area’s progressive criminal justice environment means residents should remain vigilant about property security and understand that legal outcomes may not always align with traditional expectations of accountability.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-04-30T00:29:22.000Z
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