Ever heard of the Alexander Ramsey House? It's often called the best Victorian-era home, and it's right here in Maplewood. Take that Painted Ladies.
Located in Ramsey County, Minnesota, Maplewood is one of those cities that has the magic of a perfect combination of days-gone-by with modern life
Ever heard of the Alexander Ramsey House? It's often called the best Victorian-era home, and it's right here in Maplewood. Take that Painted Ladies.
Located in Ramsey County, Minnesota, Maplewood is one of those cities that has the magic of a perfect combination of days-gone-by with modern life. That's right, you can have a warm apple pie all while downloading apps on your fancy new phone. It gets pretty cold in the winter months, with an average temperature of 18F; the summer average high is 75F. The good news is that the cost of living index for Maplewood is only slightly higher than that for Minnesota (you're welcome, savings account), and 14 percent more than the national average. This makes Maplewood an affordable city, even more so for those moving from more expensive cities.
A significant percentage of the housing in Maplewood is owner-occupied, although this is not as high as some cities. The average rental rate for Maplewood is also quite reasonable, but, don't get too excited, there is a rental property shortage. You would think that with the relative availability of renters vs. owners, there would be enough rental housing to go around. Wrong. Wait for this Maplewood has a mind-blowingly low 1 percent rental property vacancy. Yep, you heard that right 1- (o-n-e) - percent vacancy. The usual rental vacancy rate for cities with such rental property shortages is three percent, so you can bet that competition for good rental housing, shucks, any kind of rental housing, is quite acute. Remember that this is an average for the whole city, and some neighborhoods might have more vacant rental housing than others.
Map Out a Strategy
If you are really serious about finding a spot to call your own in this city, you need to come up with a specific strategy to help improve your chances of snagging a rental home. One of the things that could help is engaging the services of a real estate agent. Realtors probably have more contacts in Maplewood than you could come up with on your own--no matter how many you think you could come up with--especially if they are locals. If your finances are a bit stretched and an agent is out of the question, you can still put in the legwork necessary to find suitable rental housing.
What You Need
Put together the things you will need to get an apartment even before you start searching in Maplewood. You will need proof of income, a security deposit (better have that checkbook ready), the first months rent, and perhaps a letter of reference. It's also likely you'll be required to fill out a rental application, and it's a certainty the management will be checking in on your credit. Better make sure it's clean and tidy!
The exact place you live in a city or community is important because it affects your perception of that city. If you live in a part of town with posh houses and cultured neighbors, your perception will differ from that of others. Hopefully, that last scenario won't be yours. We have put together a list of some of the neighborhoods in Maplewood..
City Center: This is an affordable part of town, and you will find rental housing in the form of apartment complexes, single-family homes, small studios, and high-rise apartments.
Carver Ave. E. / Century Ave. S: The Carver and Century area has a low rental vacancy rate. What rental property is available is generally town homes and single-family homes.
Lower Afton Rd. E. / Londin Ln. E:This is another affordable part of town, with a median rental rate a bit lower than average, and a 6 percent vacancy rate. That's right, 6 percent! That means it'll be much easier to find small studio apartments, single-family homes, and townhouses here.
Maplewood is a culturally-diverse city with residents from different cultural and economic backgrounds. Plaza Maplewood Theatre is one of the main attractions for those looking for entertainment, and golf lovers will want to spend lots of time at the Keller Golf Course--fore! Residents can also take advantage of the parks and recreation centers. Most of the residents have their own private vehicles to get around, but a significant percentage of the population still relies on public transportation or makes alternate transportation arrangements. The average commute time for Maplewood residents is quite short, just another in the list of bonus features of this small city.
