You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in North Dakota. Best suburbs in North Dakota. Best counties in North Dakota.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Peace Garden State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in North Dakota based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in North Dakota ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$118,281 median income · 0.6% unemployment
$192,500 median income · 8.2% unemployment
$78,571 median income · 0.7% unemployment
$81,483 median income · 1.7% unemployment
$138,578 median income · 0.4% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$87,652 median income · 1.1% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$119,432 median income · 0.8% unemployment
$51,500 median income · 0.2% unemployment
$77,171 median income · 1.4% unemployment
Carrington is a city in Foster County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Foster County. The population was 2,065 at the 2010 census. Carrington was founded in 1883.
Carrington is home to Dakota Growers Pasta Company, Inc.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$79,609 median income · 2.4% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is North Dakota’s statewide median.
North Dakota statewide median: $76,657
North Dakota statewide median: $284,076
North Dakota statewide median: 2.8%
On the map
Where North Dakota’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In North Dakota
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in North Dakota possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 43 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 43, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in North Dakota. Top of that list — Thompson.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in North Dakota.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In North Dakota
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thompson | 1,138 | $118,281 | $365,622 | 0.6% |
| 2 | Reile’s Acres | 1,032 | $192,500 | $540,642 | 8.2% |
| 3 | Northwood | 1,046 | $78,571 | $244,477 | 0.7% |
| 4 | Hillsboro | 1,704 | $81,483 | $232,425 | 1.7% |
| 5 | Horace | 4,588 | $138,578 | $392,383 | 0.4% |
| 6 | Lincoln | 4,381 | $87,652 | $307,383 | 1.1% |
| 7 | Mapleton | 1,352 | $119,432 | $333,872 | 0.8% |
| 8 | Cando | 1,164 | $51,500 | $126,746 | 0.2% |
| 9 | Carrington | 2,168 | $77,171 | $195,800 | 1.4% |
| 10 | Hazen | 2,453 | $79,609 | $212,691 | 2.4% |
| 11 | Surrey | 1,721 | $106,438 | $330,046 | 3.4% |
| 12 | Garrison | 1,397 | $71,974 | $240,294 | 0.0% |
| 13 | Casselton | 2,953 | $73,259 | $308,545 | 0.9% |
| 14 | Langdon | 1,782 | $64,286 | $169,623 | 0.5% |
| 15 | Rugby | 2,481 | $50,365 | $201,611 | 0.5% |
| 16 | Grand Forks AFB | 1,987 | $72,782 | $11,366 | 3.9% |
| 17 | Washburn | 1,507 | $73,413 | $242,694 | 0.5% |
| 18 | Minot AFB | 4,878 | $62,500 | $0 | 6.1% |
| 19 | Bottineau | 2,205 | $65,905 | $248,609 | 1.7% |
| 20 | Larimore | 1,240 | $87,546 | $205,517 | 2.5% |
| 21 | Crosby | 1,065 | $82,500 | $131,182 | 2.3% |
| 22 | Beulah | 3,040 | $76,848 | $236,446 | 2.0% |
| 23 | Kenmare | 1,002 | $64,077 | $240,430 | 1.5% |
| 24 | Harvey | 1,679 | $42,697 | $134,706 | 1.4% |
| 25 | Belcourt | 1,547 | $90,568 | $0 | 0.0% |
| 26 | Bowman | 1,499 | $62,786 | $190,706 | 2.7% |
| 27 | Cavalier | 1,426 | $60,449 | $159,262 | 8.7% |
| 28 | Burlington | 1,067 | $77,708 | $287,799 | 4.8% |
| 29 | Velva | 1,083 | $83,060 | $212,305 | 1.6% |
| 30 | Tioga | 1,657 | $66,181 | $250,223 | 2.9% |
| 31 | Stanley | 2,097 | $109,573 | $233,786 | 1.3% |
| 32 | Park River | 1,458 | $69,408 | $166,396 | 1.6% |
| 33 | Oakes | 1,858 | $67,632 | $162,899 | 1.7% |
| 34 | Hettinger | 1,250 | $62,750 | $134,259 | 3.6% |
| 35 | Ellendale | 1,033 | $54,643 | $131,978 | 5.4% |
| 36 | Lisbon | 2,259 | $64,327 | $167,422 | 3.5% |
| 37 | New Town | 2,721 | $52,500 | $235,991 | 1.9% |
| 38 | Grafton | 4,102 | $62,679 | $156,085 | 0.8% |
| 39 | New Rockford | 1,260 | $43,600 | $114,843 | 3.7% |
| 40 | Mayville | 1,976 | $55,735 | $191,903 | 5.2% |
| 41 | Rolla | 1,039 | $49,219 | $172,219 | 2.8% |
| 42 | Fort Totten | 1,038 | $20,250 | $0 | 0.0% |
| 43 | Shell Valley | 1,243 | $46,786 | $103,218 | 9.8% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 43 North Dakota towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in North Dakota are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in North Dakota are Thompson, Reile’s Acres, Northwood, Hillsboro, Horace, Lincoln, Mapleton, Cando, Carrington, and Hazen. Not sold on North Dakota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Small Towns In North Dakota FAQs
What is the best small town to live in North Dakota?
Thompson is the best small town in North Dakota for 2026. The median household income there is $118,281 and the median home costs $365,622. Reile’s Acres and Northwood round out the top three.
What are the best small towns in North Dakota?
The best small towns in North Dakota are Thompson, Reile’s Acres, Northwood, Hillsboro, Horace, Lincoln, Mapleton, Cando, Carrington, and Hazen. We ranked all 43 North Dakota towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
What counts as a small town?
For this ranking, a small town is any North Dakota place with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents. 43 towns fit that window this year.
How do you rank the best small towns in North Dakota?
Each town is scored on density, unemployment, housing costs, income, education, insurance coverage, and commute times, using Census American Community Survey data. The town with the best average across all of it, Thompson, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Thompson?
The median home in Thompson runs $365,622, against $284,076 across North Dakota as a whole. Pair that with a $118,281 median household income, and you can see why it ranks so well.
