Minnetonka Case Study

Place
Located in Hennepin County just eight miles west of Minneapolis, Minnetonka is a fully developed suburban community with a successful business community, high quality office developments, and safe, well-kept residential areas. The borders of Minnetonka rough follow highway 62 on the south border, and 394 on the north border, highway 169 on the East border, and highway 101 on the West border. For exact measurements see Appendix A. The name Minnetonka was the original name given to the lake which presides in the area by the Dakotah people, who were native to the area. The name was later adopted by the settling pioneers not only for the lake, but also for the growing settlement by Lake Minnetonka, which still today is called the city of

This population is easily managed within the area with adequate housing. The population density is 1,897 people per square mile. As shown in Appendix F, the vast majority of Minnetonka is low density residential with very few spotted areas of high density residential areas, which are located most commonly by busy high traffic areas. The total number of households is 22,416 with an average size of 2.25 persons. 75% of the housing units in Minnetonka are owner-occupied and 25% are rental units with an average monthly rent of $1,215. Over 49% of the households in Minnetonka are age 55 and older. In 2012, the median household income was $106,506. The residents of Minnetonka are majority white Americans, about 44,780, followed by black Americans with a total of 1,855 residents. For exact numbers and statistics, please see Appendix B. 13.3% of Minnetonka residents work in Minnetonka. The unemployment rate in Minnetonka is 3.1% which is less than the Minnesota rate of 3.7% and the National rate of 5.0%. For more economic indicators, please see appendix C, D, and E. These statistics support that Minnetonka is a city that houses and attracts successful families who can afford to pay for the higher housing rates and housing taxes but are looking for that easy access to business and offices and a family friendly feel. With a successful business community and office development, as well as access to Minneapolis, combined with the outdoor