Water damage restoration · Apple Valley, Minnesota
Water damage restoration in Apple Valley, MN
Burst pipe, failed water heater, or storm water? Apple Valley-area ZIPs: 6 flood claims since 1980[1]; 30% of homes built before 1980[2]. Request help from local restoration crews. Apple Valley, in Dakota County — ZIP 55124, counts 55,248 residents (2025 estimate)[3].
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Apple Valley at a glance for water damage
- Population (2025 est.)
- 55,248[3]-2.0% since 2020
- County
- Dakota[3]
- Land area
- 16.9 sq mi[4]
- Flood-insurance (NFIP) claims, local ZIPs
- 6 since 1980[1]$15,389 paid across 4 claims · ZIP 55124
- Flood & flash-flood reports within 10 mi
- 11[5]2016–2025 · latest Aug 24, 2021
- Winter-storm & freeze days, dakota zone
- 55[5]2016–2025; hard freezes burst pipes
- Federal disaster declarations incl. flooding, Dakota Co.
- 4[6]of 7 total declarations
- Homes built before 1980
- 30%[2]the 8th-highest share of the 15 Twin Cities–area suburbs we cover
- Households renting
- 27%[2]2020–2024
What the local data means for water damage in Apple Valley
Apple Valley is one of the most established suburbs tracked here — 55,248 people (2025 estimate), down just 2.0% since 2020[3]. It covers 16.9 square miles (3,275 residents per square mile, the 2nd densest), sits entirely in Dakota County, in ZIP code 55124[4].
Apple Valley mixes 12% of homes built since 2010 and 30% before 1980[2]: new supply lines and water heaters in one house, aging pipe and original valves in the next — so where a leak starts depends a lot on the address.
The entire city sits in ZIP code 55124[7].
Nearest of the other suburbs we track: Burnsville (4.1 mi W), Eagan (5.2 mi N) and Lakeville (5.4 mi SW)[4].
6 flood-insurance claims have come from Apple Valley-area ZIP codes (55124) since 1980, and $15,389 has been paid on them (about $3,847 per paid claim)[1]. 2019 was the worst year, with 2 claims. That is the 3rd-fewest of the 15 Twin Cities–area suburbs we cover; for comparison, Burnsville (20), Eagan (15), and Lakeville (12). Most jobs here start inside the house. Of the 5 claims rated in a flood zone, 0 were in FEMA's high-risk areas (zones A or V) and 5 outside them (zones B, C or X)[1][8] — flooding here is not only a high-risk-zone problem.
By month of loss, Apple Valley-area flood claims cluster in March (1), April (1), and June (2) — 4 of 6 dated claims[1].
Within 10 miles of central Apple Valley, weather observers filed 11 flood, flash-flood or heavy-rain reports in 2016–2025 (3 flash floods)[5]. Countywide: 4 flood declarations since 2000, latest Severe Storms and Flooding (DR-4069, 2012)[6]. Nearby: Burnsville (15), Eagan (11), and Lakeville (11).
30% of Apple Valley's 22,013 housing units predate 1980[2] — the 8th-highest share of the 15 Twin Cities–area suburbs we cover (Burnsville (45%), Eagan (25%), and Lakeville (15%)). Expect a mix of original and replaced plumbing.
73% of Apple Valley households own their home[2], so most claims and rebuilds here are coordinated by the owner.
Measured against the 15 suburbs on this site, Apple Valley records the 2nd-fewest flood reports nearby (11, tied with Eagan and Lakeville)[5] and the 3rd-fewest NFIP flood claims (6)[1].
How a leak spreads inside a wall
Give a leak time and it travels — outward across the floor, upward into drywall by capillary action.
Apple Valley storm calendar
Within 10 miles of Apple Valley, 2016–2025: 3 flash-flood reports, 1 flood report, and 7 heavy-rain reports[5]. Peak: 91% in March, June, and August. Busiest year 2016 (6); 6 of 10 years had none. Busiest month August 2016 (5). Latest: heavy-rain report, Aug 24, 2021, 7.7 mi out.
| Month | Flash flood | Flood | Heavy rain | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| Jun | – | – | 3 | 3 |
| Jul | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| Aug | 3 | – | 3 | 6 |
Finding water damage help around Apple Valley
Water damage restoration contractors taking requests around Apple Valley cover ZIP code 55124.
Before you call: what a restoration crew does first
Shared walls and ceilings: Apple Valley homes by building type
48%[2] of Apple Valley's homes share walls, floors or ceilings with a neighbour (multi-unit buildings alone: 20%, the 7th-lowest multi-unit share of the 15 Twin Cities–area suburbs we cover). Water crosses those lines: in an attached or stacked unit, tell the neighbour and the association or landlord right away, and check whose policy covers which part of the damage.
After detached houses, the biggest group is attached house (townhouse, rowhouse): 6,061 of 22,013 housing units[2].
| Building type | Units | Share | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 11,119 | 50.5% | ±500 |
| Attached house (townhouse, rowhouse) | 6,061 | 27.5% | ±515 |
| Duplex (2 units) | 82 | 0.4% | ±47 |
| 3–4 units | 287 | 1.3% | ±143 |
| 5–9 units | 302 | 1.4% | ±189 |
| 10–19 units | 454 | 2.1% | ±168 |
| 20–49 units | 969 | 4.4% | ±215 |
| 50 or more units | 2,339 | 10.6% | ±299 |
| Mobile home | 400 | 1.8% | ±118 |
Margins of error are the Census Bureau’s 90% intervals; small categories in small cities are rough.
The Apple Valley numbers behind this page
| Measure | Apple Valley | Median of 15 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFIP flood claims (area ZIPs) | 6 | 18 | 12 fewer |
| Flood reports (10 mi) | 11 | 24 | 13 fewer |
| Median home value | $370,400 | $397,100 | 7% lower |
| Renter-occupied | 27% | 25% | 1 pts higher |
| Owner-occupied | 73% | 75% | 1 pts lower |
| Median year built | 1990 | 1988 | 2 years newer |
| Built before 1980 | 30% | 30% | same as median |
Biggest gaps first. Medians are middle values across the Twin Cities–area suburbs we cover, drawn from the same sources.
| City | NFIP claims | Flood reports ≤10 mi | Built before 1980 | Renting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Valley | 6 | 11 | 30% | 27% |
| Burnsville 4.1 mi | 20 | 15 | 45% | 35% |
| Eagan 5.2 mi | 15 | 11 | 25% | 32% |
| Lakeville 5.4 mi | 12 | 11 | 15% | 12% |
| Bloomington 8.1 mi | 41 | 24 | 67% | 34% |
| Edina 12.8 mi | 92 | 25 | 68% | 28% |
| ZIP | Claims | Paid | Busiest year | Outside high-risk zones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55124 | 6 | $15,389 | 2019 (2) | 5 of 5 |
ZIPs extend past city limits. Outside high-risk zones: claims rated in zone B, C or X, of the claims that carry a zone.
| Year | Claims |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 1992 | 1 |
| 1980 | 1 |
| Month | Claims |
|---|---|
| March | 1 |
| April | 1 |
| May | 1 |
| June | 2 |
| November | 1 |
| Date | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 2021 | Heavy Rain | 7.7 mi |
| Jun 28, 2020 | Heavy Rain | 3.5 mi |
| Jun 28, 2020 | Heavy Rain | 4.8 mi |
| Jul 15, 2019 | Heavy Rain | 3.1 mi |
| Mar 17, 2019 | Flood | 5.7 mi |
| Aug 16, 2016 | Flash Flood | 3.5 mi |
| Aug 16, 2016 | Heavy Rain | 4.8 mi |
| Aug 16, 2016 | Flash Flood | 1.5 mi |
| ZIP (ZCTA) | Share of Apple Valley's land | Share of the ZIP inside the city |
|---|---|---|
| 55124 | 100% | 100% |
water damage questions from Apple Valley homeowners
Do I need flood insurance in Apple Valley?
Homeowners policies exclude outside floodwater[9], and Apple Valley-area ZIPs have 4 NFIP claims in just the last ten years[1].
Which Apple Valley ZIP codes do these crews cover?
55124[7], in Dakota County. Nearby pages: Burnsville (4.1 mi), Eagan (5.2 mi), and Lakeville (5.4 mi)[4].
When was the last flood report near Apple Valley?
Aug 24, 2021: a heavy rain report 7.7 miles from the city center[5].
Sources
- OpenFEMA NFIP claims
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year (keyless bulk)
- Census population estimates, Vintage 2025
- Census Gazetteer 2025
- NOAA Storm Events Database
- OpenFEMA disaster declarations
- Census 2020 ZCTA–place file
- FEMA, Flood Zones (link unverified)
- FEMA FloodSmart (link unverified)
Data pulled Sep 28, 2026. Full citations and method.