Edina or Wayzata for our move-up?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
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.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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The longer answer
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.
The next department over
What people in this spot usually ask next.
- Head-to-head comparisonsLinden Hills or Fulton — how do we choose?Read the answer
- Head-to-head comparisonsNorth Loop or Northeast — which walkable life fits us?Read the answer
- Head-to-head comparisonsMinneapolis or St. Paul — where should we buy?Read the answer
- Relocation to the Twin CitiesHow walkable is Minneapolis, really?Read the answer
- Relocation to the Twin CitiesWhere do people moving to the Twin Cities usually start looking?Read the answer
- Neighborhood profilesWhat are the best public schools in the Twin Cities suburbs?Read the answer
From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.