Midwest · Updated October 2026
North Dakota in numbers, from the same public data Locustep uses to rank all 50 states: rent, pay, taxes, safety, disaster risk and weather, plus the cities worth a look.
Two-bedroom rent
$1,102/mo
U.S. average $1,759
HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state)
Rent vs. income
17.0%
of median household income for a year of two-bedroom rent
HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 ÷ 2024 ACS 1-year estimates (Census B19013)
State income tax
2.5%
top marginal rate, single filer
State revenue departments, 2026 income tax rates (sources listed per state)
Property tax
0.96%
effective rate on owner-occupied homes
Everyday costs
92.9
index, housing excluded (U.S. = 100)
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (released February 2026), housing and utilities removed
Natural disaster risk
37th
percentile, FEMA expected annual loss (lower is safer)
Where North Dakota stands out: the 4th lightest state and local tax bill, the 5th cheapest two-bedroom rent, the smallest rent-to-income bite, the lowest everyday costs and the lowest top income-tax rate among the 50 states.
Overall, a married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 4.2% of it in state and local income, property and sales tax here, the 4th lowest of the 50 states.
Average afternoon highs and overnight lows in Fargo (Fargo Hector Intl Airport station), NOAA 1991–2020 normals.
| Season | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | 22°F | 4°F |
| Spring (Mar–May) | 53°F | 31°F |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 80°F | 57°F |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) | 55°F | 35°F |
$1,104/mo two-bedroom · $903 one-bedroom (Fargo, ND-MN MSA)
Fargo is North Dakota's largest city and a genuine surprise — a lively downtown, a growing tech sector, low unemployment and very cheap housing. The tradeoff is a brutally cold, windy, flat winter.
$1,067/mo two-bedroom · $927 one-bedroom (Bismarck, ND MSA)
Bismarck is the state capital on the Missouri River, with government and energy employment, very low crime and cheap housing. Small, tidy, and extremely cold in winter.
$1,014/mo two-bedroom · $821 one-bedroom (Grand Forks, ND-MN MSA)
Grand Forks is a university and Air Force town on the Red River, with an aerospace and drone-research niche. Very affordable, very cold, and flood-aware after 1997.
$1,049/mo two-bedroom · $864 one-bedroom (Ward County, ND HUD Metro FMR Area)
Minot is a northern North Dakota city built around an Air Force base and the oil industry. Cheap, remote, and subject to boom-and-bust swings with energy prices.
$1,388/mo two-bedroom · $1,232 one-bedroom (Williams County, ND)
Williston is the centre of North Dakota's Bakken oil fields, with high wages and a population that swings with the oil price. Very cold, very remote and treeless.
$1,231/mo two-bedroom · $1,044 one-bedroom (Stark County, ND)
Dickinson is a western North Dakota city near the badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, tied to oil and agriculture. Low costs, harsh winters and a remote setting.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (40th percentile, population-weighted across the state) (metro areas). City notes: Locustep.
Closest on Locustep’s match factors: cost, housing, taxes, safety, jobs, schools, healthcare, outdoors, disaster risk and climate.
Ranks compare the 50 states. Locustep updates these figures when the agencies publish new data.
Yes. North Dakota’s top marginal income-tax rate for a single filer is 2.5% (North Dakota tax law, 2026). Counting property and sales tax too, a married couple on the U.S. median household income would pay about 4.2% of income in state and local taxes (Locustep estimate, 2026).
A typical two-bedroom rents for about $1,102 a month and a one-bedroom for about $911, using HUD’s FY2027 Fair Market Rents averaged across the state by population. That is $657 less than the U.S. average of $1,759. Rent in the bigger metros can be well above the state figure.
Leaving housing aside, everyday prices (goods and services other than housing) index at 92.9 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA, 2024), and the median home value indexes at 73.8 against the U.S. median (Census, 2024). Two-bedroom rent takes 17.0% of the state’s median household income of $77,871.
North Dakota recorded 254.3 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024 (FBI), the 18th lowest rate of the 50 states. Crime varies a lot between and within cities, so check the specific area you’re considering.
The main hazards are severe winter storms and flooding. On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Dakota’s expected yearly loss from natural hazards sits at the 37th percentile nationally (lower is safer). Risk differs sharply by county, so look up the county too.
Places people most often weigh include Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot and Williston. Each has a different cost, climate and character; Locustep compares their rent, disaster risk, weather and pay side by side.