North Metro Home Prices for First-Time Buyers

If you're buying your first home in the Twin Cities north metro, the useful question isn't which city is best. It's what your budget reaches, and where.

Below is every north metro city we cover, ordered by published median home value. Not a shortlist and not a ranking. We work all of them, and where you look is your call.

The figures are median owner-estimated value from the American Community Survey, which is what residents say their homes are worth. Actual sale prices move with the market and vary a lot within a single city, so treat these as a starting point rather than a price tag.

What homes are worth, city by city

Fridley $302,900
Coon Rapids $305,800
Anoka $308,700
St. Francis $327,600
Brooklyn Park $338,500
Blaine $352,400
Champlin $358,700
Ramsey $359,600
East Bethel $363,900
Elk River $370,100
Otsego $396,700
Andover $410,200
Ham Lake $442,500

All 2024 ACS. Maple Grove is on that map too, but we don't publish a median value for it, so it isn't listed rather than being guessed at.

Where the entry prices start

The five lowest medians above. That is the whole criterion. It says nothing about whether any of these is a good place to live, which is not a question a brokerage should be answering for you.

Fridley

A first-ring suburb on I-694 bordering Minneapolis. The median home was built in 1968, against 1986 across Anoka County, so the stock is older than most of the metro. Worth having the sewer line, the electrical panel and the roof looked at before you write.

Everything we know about Fridley →

Coon Rapids

The largest city in Anoka County. Three of every four units went up between 1960 and 1999, so this is a resale market of ramblers and splits. There are also 4,336 attached townhomes if you want less to maintain.

Everything we know about Coon Rapids →

Anoka

The county seat, with a historic downtown where the Rum River meets the Mississippi. The median unit was built in 1973, and owners hold 4,202 of 7,385 occupied units, so there is more rental stock here than in the outer suburbs.

Everything we know about Anoka →

St. Francis

The newest housing on this list by a wide margin. The median home was built in 2001, against 1986 for Anoka County. Downtown Minneapolis is 28 miles almost due south, which is the trade-off.

Everything we know about St. Francis →

Brooklyn Park

Minnesota's sixth-largest city, across the Mississippi from Coon Rapids and Fridley. The stock runs heavily to detached single-family. Five METRO Blue Line extension stations are planned in the city, with passenger service currently projected for 2033.

Everything we know about Brooklyn Park →

What to do first

Get pre-approved so you know what you can actually buy.
Pick your search area yourself. Price, commute, house type, whatever matters to you. An agent should show you anything in your range.
Talk to an agent once you know your number.

What you pay a buyer's agent is negotiable, and you agree it in writing before you tour a home. In many sales the seller covers some or all of it. We also host a first-time homebuyer class that walks you through the whole process.

Talk to a local agent →