Growing Shade

Tree canopy enhancement and preservation tool

Trees help communities thrive.

Trees provide shade to cool us and habitat for wildlife, improve air quality and mental health, and help create healthy and resilient places.

Not all communities, however, receive equal benefits from tree cover. Some communities in the region have less than 10% tree canopy, while other communities have over 50% tree canopy.  Lack of shade trees creates hotter neighborhoods and can increase premature deaths because of heat. Climate change-related hazards disproportionately impact vulnerable residents living in areas of historic disinvestment. Serving our communities better requires tree canopy management that is targeted, equitable, and recognizes how various issues intersect to compound historic inequities.

Growing Shade is an application that provides data on the amount of tree cover in metro communities and neighborhoods. It describes the connections between tree cover and issues like climate change, conservation, environmental justice, and public health.

The Growing Shade tool helps planners, foresters, advocacy and neighborhood groups, and regular people make decisions about where and how to preserve and enhance tree canopy. The tool was developed with the Nature Conservancy and Tree Trust.

The table shows the average tree cover across each city and township in the seven-county metro region for the year 2021. Most communities have multiple Census block groups within their boundaries; the block group with the lowest tree cover and the block group with the highest tree cover are also displayed.

This information is available within the interactive Growing Shade tool.

Community Name  Average tree %  Lowest block group tree %  Highest block group tree % 
Afton  38.8%  21.2%  39.3% 
Andover  42.8%  30.9%  54.8% 
Anoka  33.4%  19.4%  56.3% 
Apple Valley  41.0%  14.5%  59.3% 
Arden Hills  38.3%  30.3%  54.0% 
Bayport  34.6%  15.0%  36.7% 
Baytown Twp.  31.9%  29.8%  36.7% 
Belle Plaine  20.6%  13.3%  22.6% 
Belle Plaine Twp.  8.1%  13.3%  22.6% 
Benton Twp.  7.5%  6.2%  7.7% 
Bethel  39.7%  34.0%  34.0% 
Birchwood Village  67.8%  65.3%  65.3% 
Blaine  36.6%  16.3%  54.5% 
Blakeley Twp.  23.2%  17.0%  17.0% 
Bloomington  40.0%  10.9%  62.3% 
Brooklyn Center  29.1%  16.7%  40.2% 
Brooklyn Park  32.1%  14.3%  53.1% 
Burnsville  41.3%  13.7%  64.5% 
Camden Twp.  9.3%  7.7%  9.6% 
Carver  38.2%  14.1%  34.1% 
Castle Rock Twp.  7.2%  7.2%  12.4% 
Cedar Lake Twp.  17.4%  15.6%  17.0% 
Centerville  36.9%  31.8%  42.4% 
Champlin  42.3%  32.5%  48.2% 
Chanhassen  41.7%  27.7%  59.4% 
Chaska  36.6%  26.2%  53.8% 
Circle Pines  48.5%  43.1%  50.5% 
Coates  3.9%  14.0%  14.0% 
Cologne  9.5%  7.7%  7.7% 
Columbia Heights  32.8%  17.4%  48.5% 
Columbus  32.1%  25.0%  37.3% 
Coon Rapids  41.6%  20.4%  56.4% 
Corcoran  14.2%  11.4%  16.4% 
Cottage Grove  26.6%  16.3%  47.8% 
Credit River  33.1%  27.7%  34.0% 
Crystal  35.9%  10.6%  51.1% 
Dahlgren Twp.  13.7%  14.1%  34.1% 
Dayton  27.9%  25.0%  29.7% 
Deephaven  62.7%  60.7%  64.3% 
Dellwood  48.1%  50.1%  59.7% 
Denmark Twp.  21.5%  21.2%  39.3% 
Douglas Twp.  8.3%  8.1%  8.1% 
Eagan  42.2%  20.0%  63.1% 
East Bethel  36.0%  30.9%  46.3% 
Eden Prairie  41.0%  19.2%  59.6% 
Edina  42.2%  6.7%  57.9% 
Elko New Market  28.2%  21.2%  21.2% 
Empire Twp.  9.4%  7.0%  30.0% 
Eureka Twp.  12.6%  7.2%  14.7% 
Excelsior  39.3%  41.6%  50.1% 
Falcon Heights  29.6%  16.1%  44.3% 
Farmington  20.7%  10.2%  38.8% 
Forest Lake  32.6%  21.8%  48.7% 
Fort Snelling (unorg.)  21.5%  16.1%  33.5% 
Fridley  31.8%  14.1%  59.4% 
Gem Lake  53.1%  43.7%  47.2% 
Golden Valley  41.5%  23.6%  60.9% 
Grant  37.7%  28.5%  50.1% 
Greenfield  21.7%  16.0%  29.6% 
Greenvale Twp.  7.2%  7.3%  7.3% 
Greenwood  56.5%  50.1%  50.1% 
Grey Cloud Island Twp.  51.4%  31.2%  31.2% 
Ham Lake  44.6%  37.6%  56.7% 
Hamburg  16.2%  6.3%  6.3% 
Hampton  12.2%  7.8%  7.8% 
Hampton Twp.  6.5%  7.8%  7.8% 
Hancock Twp.  4.2%  6.2%  6.2% 
Hanover  36.8%  22.3%  22.3% 
Hastings  35.9%  12.5%  42.2% 
Helena Twp.  13.9%  14.0%  25.7% 
Hilltop  17.0%  17.4%  17.4% 
Hollywood Twp.  7.6%  7.7%  9.6% 
Hopkins  31.6%  9.1%  50.1% 
Hugo  27.7%  24.6%  34.5% 
Independence  21.4%  17.1%  24.9% 
Inver Grove Heights  46.2%  23.6%  60.2% 
Jackson Twp.  22.6%  20.5%  28.2% 
Jordan  33.7%  22.5%  35.9% 
Lake Elmo  30.8%  26.0%  45.0% 
Lake St. Croix Beach  51.6%  48.8%  54.5% 
Lakeland  46.1%  43.7%  50.2% 
Lakeland Shores  52.1%  43.7%  43.7% 
Laketown Twp.  19.0%  17.2%  44.5% 
Lakeville  32.0%  7.2%  55.7% 
Landfall  23.4%  43.4%  43.4% 
Lauderdale  33.6%  23.8%  43.5% 
Lexington  42.2%  35.9%  36.2% 
Lilydale  47.8%  50.7%  56.8% 
Lino Lakes  33.9%  23.2%  52.5% 
Linwood Twp.  37.9%  32.7%  45.1% 
Little Canada  39.9%  22.6%  49.9% 
Long Lake  42.7%  30.7%  50.8% 
Loretto  20.0%  24.5%  24.5% 
Louisville Twp.  29.4%  20.5%  28.2% 
Mahtomedi  52.1%  48.7%  63.9% 
Maple Grove  35.4%  15.0%  59.2% 
Maple Plain  25.7%  17.1%  22.5% 
Maplewood  43.2%  30.4%  55.2% 
Marine on St. Croix  51.2%  50.9%  50.9% 
Marshan Twp.  8.5%  8.6%  14.7% 
May Twp.  37.8%  29.1%  51.0% 
Mayer  14.5%  8.6%  13.7% 
Medicine Lake  45.9%  45.3%  45.3% 
Medina  31.8%  24.5%  35.5% 
Mendota  61.1%  50.7%  50.7% 
Mendota Heights  45.8%  37.5%  60.6% 
Miesville  3.7%  8.1%  8.1% 
Minneapolis  28.0%  0.0%  58.3% 
Minnetonka  50.3%  18.4%  62.6% 
Minnetonka Beach  52.5%  49.7%  60.2% 
Minnetrista  24.9%  19.2%  43.1% 
Mound  28.7%  19.0%  34.9% 
Mounds View  44.0%  30.7%  59.2% 
New Brighton  37.4%  18.3%  50.3% 
New Germany  11.3%  7.7%  9.6% 
New Hope  34.8%  17.6%  47.4% 
New Market Twp.  20.3%  15.6%  25.7% 
New Prague  22.5%  14.0%  25.7% 
New Trier  11.0%  7.8%  7.8% 
Newport  45.2%  38.7%  52.2% 
Nininger Twp.  19.6%  14.0%  30.7% 
North Oaks  52.9%  46.8%  67.3% 
North St. Paul  39.5%  26.8%  48.3% 
Northfield  14.9%  7.3%  7.3% 
Norwood Young America  13.7%  6.3%  13.7% 
Nowthen  26.7%  22.1%  31.0% 
Oak Grove  40.0%  36.3%  46.7% 
Oak Park Heights  32.1%  30.4%  40.8% 
Oakdale  38.6%  23.3%  54.4% 
Orono  46.4%  38.4%  60.2% 
Osseo  19.9%  17.4%  25.4% 
Pine Springs  53.4%  50.2%  50.2% 
Plymouth  39.6%  18.0%  59.5% 
Prior Lake  37.0%  21.9%  52.8% 
Ramsey  38.4%  25.4%  51.3% 
Randolph  21.5%  7.8%  7.8% 
Randolph Twp.  10.1%  7.8%  7.8% 
Ravenna Twp.  37.5%  37.6%  37.6% 
Richfield  32.8%  10.6%  48.7% 
Robbinsdale  33.2%  15.1%  49.5% 
Rockford  26.3%  29.6%  29.6% 
Rogers  19.1%  18.2%  22.3% 
Rosemount  23.7%  21.0%  44.7% 
Roseville  37.2%  18.8%  51.6% 
San Francisco Twp.  25.4%  14.1%  34.1% 
Sand Creek Twp.  20.4%  22.5%  22.5% 
Savage  40.0%  31.5%  59.3% 
Scandia  36.2%  23.9%  44.0% 
Sciota Twp.  4.6%  7.3%  7.3% 
Shakopee  27.1%  20.5%  43.6% 
Shoreview  43.7%  30.1%  56.7% 
Shorewood  56.4%  41.6%  64.1% 
South St. Paul  32.4%  15.9%  57.4% 
Spring Lake Park  30.3%  27.0%  54.8% 
Spring Lake Twp.  20.7%  14.6%  27.9% 
Spring Park  24.5%  17.0%  49.7% 
St. Anthony  33.7%  28.8%  41.2% 
St. Bonifacius  22.9%  19.2%  22.7% 
St. Francis  38.3%  34.0%  41.7% 
St. Lawrence Twp.  31.3%  18.6%  18.6% 
St. Louis Park  34.6%  12.0%  54.1% 
St. Marys Point  57.0%  54.5%  54.5% 
St. Paul  34.5%  1.8%  64.5% 
St. Paul Park  30.0%  30.0%  39.9% 
Stillwater  42.8%  30.3%  52.0% 
Stillwater Twp.  35.5%  33.9%  51.6% 
Sunfish Lake  62.3%  66.0%  66.0% 
Tonka Bay  48.5%  47.4%  48.1% 
Vadnais Heights  41.9%  25.4%  55.6% 
Vermillion  11.6%  7.0%  7.0% 
Vermillion Twp.  5.0%  7.0%  14.0% 
Victoria  33.5%  17.2%  44.5% 
Waconia  16.2%  8.6%  20.0% 
Waconia Twp.  10.0%  8.6%  20.0% 
Waterford Twp.  9.6%  7.3%  7.3% 
Watertown  23.4%  13.7%  26.8% 
Watertown Twp.  14.6%  13.7%  18.5% 
Wayzata  46.8%  30.2%  53.1% 
West Lakeland Twp.  34.4%  29.8%  44.9% 
West St. Paul  41.4%  25.5%  56.8% 
White Bear Lake  41.2%  36.9%  55.9% 
White Bear Twp.  41.7%  34.9%  61.5% 
Willernie  49.3%  51.5%  51.5% 
Woodbury  31.6%  18.9%  55.2% 
Woodland  57.6%  60.7%  60.7% 
Young America Twp.  6.4%  6.3%  13.7%