Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Wayzata is one of the best-graded places in America: an A, 59th of 271 graded towns in Minnesota. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally, its schools outperform 98% of the state's, and the median household earns $132K. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $938K for a typical one and 9.4 times the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income. 73% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Wayzata, against 33% in Minnesota’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 18 of Minnesota’s 574 towns do better. Wayzata has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Great Northern Railroad Depot and Wayzata Section House.
Where Wayzata beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Wayzata | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.8% | 11.4% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| St. Bartholomew Catholic School | PK–6 | 153 |
| Redeemer Christian Academy | PK–8 | 146 |
| Wayzata West Middle | 6–8 | 836 |
3,688 counted in 2010 and 4,434 in 2020; an estimated 4,344 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Minnesota), ordered by how far Wayzata is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 132 in 1880, 4,434 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1958 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wayzata. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaU.S. Bank Stadium
12 mi Stadium & arenaTarget Field
4 mi LakeLake Minnetonka
14 mi Stadium & arenaHuntington Bank Stadium
12 mi Theme parkValleyfair
20 mi Stadium & arenaGrand Casino ArenaU.S. Bank Stadium: Darb02, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Target Field: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Minnetonka: Dan, CC BY 2.0 · Huntington Bank Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Valleyfair: https://www.flickr.com/photos/clumpinglitter/, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Grand Casino Arena: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wayzata, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Wayzata.
Wayzata has schools in the top 5% of Minnesota and draws workers from Plymouth and beyond, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Minnesota.
At 9.4 years of the Minneapolis metro’s $100K median household income, the typical home (about $938K) costs more against local pay than in 99% of Minnesota towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
Wayzata’s median rent is $1,782 a month. Typical home values rose 5.7% in the year to September 2026. 59% of households own their home in Wayzata.
| Wayzata | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,782 a month | $1,192 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #1 of the 274 Minnesota towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $938K.
Its public schools are run by the Wayzata Public School District. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayzata West MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 836 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MN on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Minnesota is food insecurity: 5.8% of its 3,742 adults worry about having enough food, against 11.4% statewide.
23% of Wayzata adults have obesity. Wayzata beats the Minnesota average on 21 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 8.5% of Wayzata adults have diabetes.
| Wayzata | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 30% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.4% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Wayzata | MN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.8% | 11.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 3.1% | 5.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.6% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
5,606 jobs are based in Wayzata, 3.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 3,476 in 2013 to 5,606.
Most working residents leave Wayzata for work: only 8% work in town. The average trip to work in Wayzata is 18 minutes. Jobs based in Wayzata grew to 5,606 in 2023, 2,130 more than in 2013.
| Wayzata | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $132,000 | $90,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 7.1% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wayzata.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 82.1°: cooler than most of the country, but hotter than 77% of Minnesota places with climate records; January nights average 6°.
Wayzata has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. About 54 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Wayzata | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 6°F | 6°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 82°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.3 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is The Marsh Reserve, at 22 acres.
| Wayzata | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.6% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Marsh Reserve | — | 22 |
| 2. Ferndale Marsh | — | 19 |
| 3. Klapprich Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes fell from 109 to 55 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 5 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
16 within 15 miles of the center of Wayzata
About 5 of every 100 Wayzata residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Minnesota.
Where Wayzata’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 notable people were born in Wayzata.
City in Minnesota, United States
Wayzata ( wy-ZET-ə) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,434 at the 2020 census. A suburb of the Twin Cities, Wayzata is located about 9 miles (14 km) west of Minneapolis along the northern shore of Lake Minnetonka, the state's ninth-largest lake. Nicknamed "The Gateway to Lake Minnetonka," Wayzata is known for its upscale shopping and restaurant district along the lakeshore. Given its relative proximity to Minneapolis, the city is frequented by boaters, sailors, and visitors during the summer months.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Wayzata.
| Town | MN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayzata | #59 | A | D− | B− | A+ | A+ |
| Minnetonka | #75 | A | C− | B− | A | A+ |
| Orono | #56 | A | D | A− | A+ | A+ |
| Plymouth | #23 | A+ | C− | B+ | A+ | A+ |
| Woodland | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Deephaven | #3 | A+ | C | A+ | A+ | A+ |
Woodland isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Wayzata with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Wayzata grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #59 of 271 in Minnesota. It grades A+ for health, B− for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
7 notable people were born here, including James Laurinaitis and Erin Bode.
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