Home Insurance in Dakota County, MN: Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville and More

Dakota County is big enough that "south metro homeowner" covers a lot of ground. The county lists 34 cities and townships on its official cities and townships page, from Burnsville and Lakeville in the west to Hastings in the east. The Census Bureau estimated 457,710 residents and 185,931 housing units in the county in mid-2025. Rather than write five thin pages that swap one suburb's name for another, we put the county on one page: the numbers that genuinely differ from city to city, the local permit and flood rules worth knowing, and links to our statewide guides for everything that's the same in every Minnesota town.

Median home value

$381,000Dakota County, ACS 2020–2024

Owner-occupied

74.9%Countywide, ACS 2020–2024

Cities and townships

34Dakota County official list

Aug 11, 2023 hail

$1B+Property damage, MN Commerce

How do Dakota County cities compare on home values and ownership?

Short answerLakeville and Rosemount have the highest homeownership, highest median values and newest housing in our comparison, Burnsville and Eagan have the highest renter shares, and Hastings has the lowest median value, all per Census ACS 2020–2024 estimates.

The table below uses the same sources for every row, so the cities compare like for like. Home values and ownership are the Census Bureau's QuickFacts figures from the American Community Survey 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Median year built is ACS table B25035 (same 2020–2024 estimates, all housing units). Population is the Census Bureau's July 1, 2025 estimate.

Three cautions before you read too much into the table. First, a median home value is what owners told the Census their homes would sell for. It isn't what an insurer would pay to rebuild one, and market value and rebuild cost can sit far apart. Land doesn't burn, and a 1980s split-level can cost more to rebuild than it sells for. We explain how to set dwelling coverage at rebuild cost in our Minnesota homeowners insurance guide.

Second, the ownership column tells you who needs which policy. Roughly a third of occupied homes in Burnsville and Eagan are rented, which means more landlord and renters policies. Our Eagan renters insurance guide covers the tenant side.

Third, the year-built column describes the house, not the roof. What an insurer asks is when your roof was last replaced, and a closed re-roof permit is the easiest way to prove it.

Can an insurer charge more because of which Dakota County city you live in?

Short answerNot solely because of the area or the home's age, and in Burnsville, Eagan and Lakeville an insurer can't split the city into more than one rating territory, though many other factors still move your price.

Minnesota's unfair-practices law, Minn. Stat. 72A.20, subd. 13, has three parts that matter here. In plain English:

• Area and age alone aren't enough. An insurer can't refuse to write or renew a home, or charge a different rate for equivalent coverage, solely because of the geographic area or solely because of the age of the house.
• One territory per large city. In a first-class city, or a second-class city with 60,000 or more inhabitants by the preceding U.S. decennial census, an insurer can't set up more than one geographic rating territory. Minnesota's city classes, which cover statutory and home rule charter cities alike, put second class at more than 20,000 and up to 100,000 people (Minn. Stat. 410.01).
• Systems still count. Insurers may rate on the age of plumbing, electrical, heating or cooling systems, and on statewide standards such as fire protection.

The 2020 census put Lakeville at 69,490, Eagan at 68,855 and Burnsville at 64,317, so each is subject to the one-territory rule. Apple Valley counted 56,374, below the line, and the smaller cities in this guide fall well short of it too. Territory is only one rating factor, though. Your roof, your claims history, your credit-based insurance score where it's used, your deductibles and the home's systems all count, which is why two neighbors on the same street can pay very different premiums.

Reviewed by Ryan Block · Licensed Minnesota Insurance Agent (MN Lic. #40025895)

Ryan owns Block Agency, a Farmers Insurance® agency in Eagan licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin. His bilingual team helps Dakota County families size their coverage before they need it. More about Ryan

What's different about home insurance in each Dakota County city?

Short answerMostly the housing mix, the city's roof permit process and whether a river corridor runs through town, so here is what each city's own records and the Census show.

Burnsville

Burnsville has the lowest owner-occupied share of the cities in our table, 64.7%, with a median owner-occupied value of $355,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024). It also has the oldest housing in our table: half its housing units were built in 1982 or earlier (median year built, ACS table B25035), so know when your roof was last replaced and keep that permit. Its northern edge is the Minnesota River. Dakota County's Minnesota River Greenway runs "along the south side of the Minnesota River in Burnsville," between I-35W and Cedar Avenue. If your home is in the lower part of town, check the flood map before you assume a basement full of river water is someone else's problem. The city makes that easy: its flood and zoning page lets you look up your property's flood zone by address in the city's Neighborhood Info App, and links to FEMA's flood maps.

On roofs, Burnsville is strict in a way that helps you later. The city's re-roofing flyer says replacing roof coverings requires a building permit and that re-roofing over existing shingles is prohibited. Photos of the ice and water barrier must be emailed or dropped off at City Hall before the roof can be inspected, per the city's roofing permit page. Keep those photos. They're proof of what's under your shingles if you ever file an ice-dam claim.

Apple Valley

Apple Valley sits in the middle of our table: a median owner-occupied value of $370,400 and a 73.4% ownership rate (Census ACS 2020–2024), close to the county's 74.9%. Its median year built, 1990, matches Inver Grove Heights (ACS table B25035). It's also the largest city in this guide that falls below the 60,000 line in 72A.20: the 2020 census counted 56,374 residents. Unlike Burnsville and Inver Grove Heights, none of the river-corridor sources we checked names Apple Valley. For roof work, check the city's roofing page or ask your roofer to show you the permit before work starts.

Lakeville

Lakeville is the largest and the most owner-occupied city in this comparison: 87.8% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, with a median value of $452,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024). The city's Quick Facts sheet (February 2025) places it "along I-35 on the west side of Dakota County," notes more than 200 acres annexed in 2021, and forecasts 89,500 residents by 2050. Its housing is among the newest in our table, with a median year built of 1999 (ACS table B25035), so a home from that era still on its original roof would have a roof more than 25 years old. If you bought recently, check that your dwelling limit reflects today's rebuild cost, not the purchase price.

Lakeville handles re-roofing through its ePermit system, and the city flags a problem many homeowners never think about. Its inspections page notes that "Many times, final inspections are not scheduled and permits are still open." Its building inspections FAQ is blunt about why that matters: "Property insurers may not cover work done without proper permits and inspections." Check that your last roof permit shows a final inspection.

Rosemount

Rosemount's homes are nearly as owner-occupied as Lakeville's, at 87.4%, with a median value of $424,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024). Its median year built, 2000, is the newest in our table (ACS table B25035), which makes the roof's install date, not the house's age, the number to know. The city's roofing page is one of the clearest in the county. "A building permit is required for all roofing projects." The residential roofing permit is a set fee of $76, including the state surcharge. New roofing can't go on without first removing the old covering. An ice and water shield is required, and pictures must be on site at the final inspection, which you schedule by calling the city at 651-322-2024. A roof that went through that process leaves a paper trail an adjuster can follow.

Inver Grove Heights

Inver Grove Heights has a median owner-occupied value of $363,400 and a 76.9% ownership rate (Census ACS 2020–2024). It's a Mississippi River city, and its city code shows it. Title 10 includes Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area districts (10-13C-4, Ord. 1429, 2022), with a "River Neighborhood" district for homes that are riparian or visible from the river. A separate Floodplain Management District article (Ord. 1243, 2011) says it was adopted to comply with the National Flood Insurance Program and keep the city eligible for it. Neither tells you whether your own lot is in a flood zone. The FEMA map does.

For roofs, the city's roofing handout says "a permit is required for all roof work." An ice and water barrier is required on asphalt-shingle roofs, reaching 24 inches past the exterior wall line. Residential inspections run online: you upload ice-and-water and final roof photos, and printed photos aren't accepted.

Hastings

Hastings has the lowest median owner-occupied value in our table, $322,400, with 76.4% owner-occupied (Census ACS 2020–2024), and its median year built of 1984 is second-oldest after Burnsville's (ACS table B25035). It's also a Mississippi River city, so check the FEMA map here too. Its roofing permit page requires ice and water barriers on all roofs, including porches and attached garages. New coverings can't go on without first removing the old ones, and photos are required before the final inspection. Homes designated as Heritage Preservation Sites need prior approval from the City Planner and/or the Heritage Preservation Commission before the permit is issued. If you own a historic property, ask how your policy handles the extra cost of matching original materials.

Eagan

Our office is in Eagan, at 1121 Town Centre Drive, so we gave it its own page. The short version: a median owner-occupied value of $397,100 and a 67.7% ownership rate (Census ACS 2020–2024), a median year built of 1988, the same as the county's (ACS table B25035), and a 2020 census count of 68,855 that makes it subject to the one-territory rule. For Eagan's housing, roof and storm details, read our Eagan home insurance guide.

Why does a Dakota County roof permit matter to your home insurance?

Short answerA closed permit with ice-barrier photos is your best evidence of how the roof was built, and Lakeville's own inspectors warn that insurers may not cover unpermitted work.

Most of the cities we checked say the same three things in their own words: get a permit, tear off the old roof, and prove the ice barrier with photos. That lines up neatly with what an adjuster asks after a hail or ice-dam loss. Here's the side-by-side, from each city's own pages:

Why it matters for coverage. Many Minnesota policies now settle roofs differently than they used to. Some pay actual cash value on older roofs, some exclude cosmetic damage, and some carry a percentage wind and hail deductible. Our Minnesota hail damage and roof claims guide walks through all of it. A permitted, inspected roof with photos makes the age and construction of that roof easy to prove, which matters whenever settlement depends on roof age.

Do homes near the Minnesota or Mississippi River in Dakota County need flood insurance?

Short answerCheck the FEMA map first, because Burnsville borders the Minnesota River, Inver Grove Heights regulates a Mississippi River corridor, and no standard homeowners policy covers flood.

A homeowners policy excludes flood, and Minnesota law makes insurers say so in an annual notice titled "Important Information About Damage Caused by Flooding" (Minn. Stat. 65A.302). Flood coverage is a separate policy. Through the National Flood Insurance Program, the residential maximum is $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents, and there's typically a 30-day wait before a new policy takes effect, according to the NAIC. That wait is why spring snowmelt is the wrong time to shop.

How to check your own lot:

1. Burnsville: use the city's Neighborhood Info App lookup, or call the city's flood-zone contact listed on that page.
2. Anywhere in the county: the Minnesota DNR's flood map guide points you to FEMA's Map Service Center, where you can view your panel and print a "FIRMette."
3. Not in a mapped zone? Don't stop there. A large share of flood claims come from outside high-risk flood zones, so a flood policy is often worth pricing even outside a high-risk zone.

Flood isn't the only water gap. Sewer and drain backup isn't covered by a standard home or flood policy and needs its own endorsement, as the Minnesota Department of Commerce explains. It's often the more likely basement claim in an upland neighborhood far from either river. For flood options through our office, see our flood insurance page.

Which Minnesota home insurance rules apply everywhere in Dakota County?

Short answerThe wind and hail deductible law, the flood notice, nonrenewal rules and winter water coverage are the same from Lakeville to Hastings, and Minnesota Commerce puts the August 11, 2023 hailstorm alone at over $1 billion.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce reported in April 2024 that the August 11, 2023 hailstorm caused more than $1 billion in damage. The DNR's account of that storm traces streaks of hail damage across Plymouth, Robbinsdale, Golden Valley, St. Louis Park, Edina, Minneapolis, Richfield and St. Paul. It doesn't name any Dakota County city. That doesn't mean your roof escaped, and it doesn't mean it was hit. If you're unsure, have it inspected rather than assume.

The rest is statewide, so we'll keep it short and point you to the full guides:

• Wind and hail deductibles. Since a 2024 law, an insurer may offer to move you to a percentage deductible at renewal only with 60 days' notice, a plain-language example, and at least one flat-dollar option (Minn. Stat. 65A.29, subd. 8a). Details are in our homeowners guide.
• Ice dams. Water that backs up under shingles is typically covered subject to your policy terms. The steaming bill and the mold question are less simple. See does homeowners insurance cover ice dams.
• Frozen pipes. Coverage typically depends on reasonable care to keep heat on or drain the system, which matters if you travel in January. See our frozen-pipe claim guide.
• Non-renewed after storms? Minnesota lets insurers non-renew after three or more weather losses over $10,000 each in five years, with 60 days' notice. The Minnesota FAIR Plan is the backstop when no private insurer will write the home.

The Bottom Line

Dakota County homeowners live under one set of Minnesota insurance laws, but not one set of local facts. Lakeville and Rosemount are mostly owner-occupied, with median values above $420,000. Burnsville and Eagan have far higher renter shares. Burnsville borders the Minnesota River, and Inver Grove Heights zones its Mississippi River corridor. And in Burnsville, Eagan and Lakeville, state law keeps an insurer from carving the city into more than one rating territory. The roads have their own local story, which our guide for Eagan and Dakota County drivers covers with the county's crash numbers.

If you do three things after reading this, make them these. Set your dwelling limit to what it would cost to rebuild, not the Census median or your Zillow number. Find your last roof permit and make sure it shows a final inspection. Then look up your flood zone, and decide on flood and sewer backup coverage while the weather is dry.

We work with homeowners across the county from our office at 1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 101, in Eagan. We start with Farmers and, when Farmers isn't the right fit, can look at additional carriers. Se habla español. See how we build a policy on our home insurance page, call (651) 252-6655, or start a quote online.

Related Questions Dakota County Homeowners Ask

Last reviewed by Ryan Block, licensed Minnesota insurance agent, on October 14, 2026. Minnesota statutes cited (72A.20 subd. 13, 410.01, 65A.29, 65A.302, 325E.66 and 326B.811) were checked against revisor.mn.gov. Housing and population figures are U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts (ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 2020 census and July 1, 2025 estimates). Local roof-permit and flood-zone details come from the Cities of Burnsville, Lakeville, Rosemount, Inver Grove Heights and Hastings, and from Dakota County Parks. Storm figures come from the Minnesota Department of Commerce (April 2024) and the Minnesota DNR. This guide is general information, not a substitute for reading your own policy. Coverage depends on your specific contract, and not all coverages and discounts are available from every insurer.