Home inspection in Arden Hills.

What we see in Arden Hills homes.

Arden Hills incorporated in 1951, so its housing starts in the postwar years and runs forward from there. The city covers 9.6 square miles, more than a square mile of it water, and the 2020 census counted 3,235 housing units for 9,939 residents. That is a low density, and it shows in the mid-century and custom homes set on wooded, rolling glacial till. Interstates 35W and 694, Highway 10 and Highway 51 cross the city, and the campuses of Bethel University and the University of Northwestern sit among the neighborhoods.

On these lots the ground itself is the first thing to read. Sloped and wooded sites mean drainage that runs toward foundations, tree roots near sewer laterals, and walkout or partly exposed basement walls that show cracking and moisture. In mid-century houses, original electrical panels and branch wiring, older water heaters and furnaces, and roof and attic ventilation on custom additions deserve a hard look. Ramsey County is EPA Radon Zone 1, and MDH recommends that every Minnesota home be tested for radon.

Local facts checked September 2026 against: Wikipedia, Minnesota Department of Health.