Edina or Wayzata for our move-up?
It's a choice between polish and water. Edina is the close-in operator: minutes to Minneapolis, the 50th & France and Southdale conveniences, a standalone school district people specifically move for. Housing stock ranges from mid-century ramblers to new builds. Wayzata is the lake town: Lake Minnetonka at the center of life, a walkable downtown with the marina and restaurants, its own well-regarded district. And a longer run into the city.
The trade-offs, honestly: Edina buys you time — shorter commutes, errands in minutes — at the cost of feeling more suburban than small-town. Wayzata buys you a lifestyle. Summer on the water is a different life — at the cost of distance, and lake-adjacent pricing that climbs fast. Both districts draw movers; compare each district's own published data for your specific grades rather than rankings chatter.
The question I ask move-up buyers: is the lake a place you visit or a life you want? Visit: Edina, and rent a slip. Life: Wayzata, and stop commuting to your weekends.
I wrote this answer, and I stand behind it. I'm Chris Deutsch, a Minneapolis Realtor (MN #20382264). Twenty-five years of walking these neighborhoods, checking basements, and sitting across kitchen tables from people making exactly this call. I re-check every answer and date it — this one was last verified .
If your situation is more specific than the market, that's the one worth talking through. Email me at chris@lakesarearealty.com.