Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is North Dakota a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in North Dakota.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Peace Garden State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of North Dakota, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 53 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Peace Garden State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In North Dakota For 2022
Burke County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in North Dakota. And you might want to avoid Sioux County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move North Dakota, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in North Dakota and the cheapest places to live in North Dakota.
The Best Counties To Live In North Dakota For 2022
1. Burke County
Biggest Place: Bowbells
Population: 2,142
Median Income: $79,405.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $114,100.0 (29th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (26th best)
More on Burke County: Data
2. Renville County
Biggest Place: Mohall
Population: 2,387
Median Income: $69,848.0 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $127,900.0 (26th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.8% (20th best)
More on Renville County: Photos | Data
3. Sargent County
Biggest Place: Gwinner
Population: 3,899
Median Income: $64,564.0 (24th best)
Median Home Price: $110,900.0 (3best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4% (12th best)
More on Sargent County: Data
4. Burleigh County
Biggest Place: Bismarck
Population: 95,509
Median Income: $72,974.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $266,800.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5% (28th best)
More on Burleigh County: Photos | Data
5. Mclean County
Biggest Place: Garrison
Population: 9,531
Median Income: $70,261.0 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $184,800.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5% (15th best)
More on Mclean County: Photos | Data
6. Steele County
Biggest Place: Finley
Population: 1,817
Median Income: $77,167.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $87,000.0 (47th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.5% (4th best)
More on Steele County: Data
7. Foster County
Biggest Place: Carrington
Population: 3,231
Median Income: $61,250.0 (28th best)
Median Home Price: $151,200.0 (20th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.2% (best)
More on Foster County: Photos | Data
8. Traill County
Biggest Place: Mayville
Population: 7,999
Median Income: $67,604.0 (16th best)
Median Home Price: $152,200.0 (19th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (3best)
More on Traill County: Photos | Data
9. Morton County
Biggest Place: Mandan
Population: 31,118
Median Income: $72,778.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $220,900.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (23rd best)
More on Morton County: Photos | Data
10. Dunn County
Biggest Place: Killdeer
Population: 4,362
Median Income: $82,750.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $213,600.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.8% (19th best)
More on Dunn County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which North Dakota county is the best?
To give you the best county in North Dakota, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in North Dakota across each of the criteria from one to 53, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In North Dakota”.
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Peace Garden State.
Read on to see why Burke County is the best county, while Sioux County is probably in contention for being the worst county in North Dakota.
Summary: The Best Counties In North Dakota To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in North Dakota can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in North Dakota according to the data:
- Sioux County
- Benson County
- Rolette County
For more North Dakota reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In North Dakota
- Richest Cities In North Dakota
- Best Places To Retire In North Dakota
- Best Places To Buy A House In North Dakota
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In North Dakota
County | Rank |
---|---|
Burke County | 1 |
Renville County | 2 |
Sargent County | 3 |
Burleigh County | 4 |
Mclean County | 5 |
Steele County | 6 |
Foster County | 7 |
Traill County | 8 |
Morton County | 9 |
Dunn County | 10 |
Billings County | 11 |
Mercer County | 12 |
Pierce County | 13 |
Golden Valley County | 14 |
Ward County | 15 |
Logan County | 16 |
Bottineau County | 17 |
Dickey County | 18 |
Slope County | 19 |
Barnes County | 20 |
Stark County | 21 |
Ransom County | 22 |
Griggs County | 23 |
Cass County | 24 |
Bowman County | 25 |
Williams County | 26 |
Wells County | 27 |
Mckenzie County | 28 |
Grand Forks County | 29 |
Richland County | 30 |
Oliver County | 31 |
Mountrail County | 32 |
Mchenry County | 33 |
Nelson County | 34 |
Pembina County | 35 |
Ramsey County | 36 |
Walsh County | 37 |
Divide County | 38 |
Cavalier County | 39 |
Kidder County | 40 |
Lamoure County | 41 |
Stutsman County | 42 |
Mcintosh County | 43 |
Sheridan County | 44 |
Adams County | 45 |
Emmons County | 46 |
Grant County | 47 |
Eddy County | 48 |
Towner County | 49 |
Hettinger County | 50 |
Rolette County | 51 |
Benson County | 52 |
Sioux County | 53 |