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Independent Living in Minneapolis

Compare licensed independent living in Minneapolis and the surrounding Hennepin County area. Free guidance, no obligation.

2 verified in Minneapolis
Hennepin County
Quick answer

There are 2 verified independent living options listed in Minneapolis. Minnesota licenses and inspects this care type through the Minnesota Department of Health.

HomeMinneapolisIndependent Living

Independent living is housing, not care. Age-restricted apartments or cottages with dining, transportation, activities and maintenance handled — for adults who do not need help with daily activities.

Short answer

We list 2 verified independent living options in Minneapolis.

What to watch for with independent living in Minneapolis

  • Independent living is typically not licensed as a care facility, because no personal care is provided. Confirm for your state.
  • Several campuses combine independent living with assisted living or nursing on the same campus, so a resident can move between levels without leaving the community.
  • If help with daily activities is already needed, independent living is the wrong category, even when a community offers to arrange outside caregivers.

Full guide to independent living →

Verified independent living in Minneapolis

CommunityCare typeAddressCounty
Abiitan Mill CityAssisted Living428 South 2nd Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Hennepin
Walker Place by VivieAssisted Living3701 Bryant Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55409
Hennepin

Independent Living elsewhere in the region

Families in Minneapolis sometimes place a parent one city over, especially when a specific care level is needed.

CommunityCare typeAddressCounty
The Waters of EdinaAssisted Living6300 Colonial Way
Edina, MN 55436
Hennepin
Mainstreet VillageAssisted Living7601 Lyndale Ave S
Richfield, MN 55423
Hennepin
The Glenn HopkinsAssisted Living1011 Feltl Ct
Hopkins, MN 55343
Hennepin
Covenant Living of Golden ValleyAssisted Living5800 St. Croix Avenue North
Golden Valley, MN 55422
Hennepin
Copperfield HillAssisted Living4200 40th Ave N
Robbinsdale, MN 55422
Hennepin
Havenwood of MinnetonkaAssisted Living17710 Old Excelsior Boulevard
Minnetonka, MN 55345
Hennepin

The Minneapolis market specifically

As the region's hub, Minneapolis carries the metro's deepest bench of hospital-affiliated senior care, anchored by Allina Health's Abbott Northwestern Hospital in the Whittier neighborhood and the University of Minnesota Medical Center / M Health Fairview campus along the Mississippi riverfront. The city's light-rail spine, where the METRO Blue and Green Lines converge downtown, puts a large share of its assisted living and memory care buildings within walking distance of a train stop, a rarity in the Twin Cities. Building stock ranges from converted early-1900s apartment blocks in neighborhoods like Loring Park to newer high-rise senior communities downtown and near the Chain of Lakes.

Families comparing Minneapolis usually cross-shop it against St. Paul and inner-ring suburbs like St. Louis Park and Richfield; Minneapolis tends to command a premium for lake-adjacent and downtown addresses, while pockets of North and South Minneapolis offer more moderate pricing. Because it's the metro's largest city, it also has the widest range of care levels concentrated within a short drive, which matters for couples who need two different levels of care at once.

Visit twice, at different hours

A scheduled mid-morning tour and an unannounced 7 p.m. drop-in can look like two different buildings. Evening and overnight are when staffing thins and when families are most often surprised.

Eat a meal there. Talk to a resident's family member in the parking lot rather than one the community introduces you to.

You can check any facility's record free. Use the free MDH Health Care Provider Directory and the Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card to check license status and inspection history. Read the full explanation →

Questions families ask

Who regulates home care agencies that send caregivers into a senior's home in the Twin Cities?

Home care providers in Minnesota are licensed and regulated by MDH, and complaints against a licensed home care agency go to the same Office of Health Facility Complaints line as facility complaints: 651-201-4200 (metro) or 1-800-369-7994 (greater Minnesota). No separate, dedicated home-care-only complaint hotline exists.

What is the Elderly Waiver and what does it cover?

The Elderly Waiver (EW) is Minnesota's Medicaid home- and community-based services waiver for seniors 65+ who are Medical Assistance eligible and assessed via MnCHOICES as needing a nursing-facility level of care. It covers personal care assistance, homemaker services, home health aide, case management, adult day services, respite care, home-delivered meals, and — inside licensed assisted living — 'customized living' or '24-hour customized living' service packages, but it never pays room and board.

What is Alternative Care and how is it different from the Elderly Waiver?

Alternative Care (AC) is a Minnesota state-funded program — no federal Medicaid match — for seniors who need Elderly-Waiver-equivalent services but aren't yet financially eligible for Medical Assistance. It uses largely the same service array and cost cap as EW and is designed to delay or prevent a Medicaid spend-down or nursing home placement, while EW itself requires the person to already be MA-eligible.

How do I apply for Medical Assistance long-term care or a waiver in the Twin Cities?

Start by contacting your county human services agency (Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka, or Washington County) or calling the Senior LinkAge Line at 1-800-333-2433 to request a MnCHOICES long-term-care needs assessment, which determines functional eligibility, alongside a separate financial application for Medical Assistance.

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