The cheapest places to live in North Dakota are the talk of the town.
You don’t get named the fastest-growing state in the country if you don’t have super affordable places to live.
We used Saturday Night Science to find North Dakota most affordable places based on housing costs, incomes, and the cost of living based on Census data.
We discovered that if you’re looking to offset your grocery bill with hunting, Grand Forks is the great place to fill that elk or deer tag. Or any other place on this list.
$43,220 median income · $711 median rent · #4 home prices in North Dakota
Located in
Ramsey County, North Dakota
Devils Lake offers an unbeatable blend of low living costs with a cost of living index at 90 and housing affordability underscored by its $236,273 average home price. All that combines to be the cheapest city in North Dakota.
The city hasn’t made a deal with the devil either, as its unemployment rate is at 1.74%. You can use the extra money from your job on a boat for Devils Lake State Park.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$62,750 median income · $751 median rent · #3 home prices in North Dakota
Located in
Richland County, North Dakota
What do you get in Wahpeton besides the World’s Largest Catfish? You get an overall cost of living index of 100, which is 1.1% lower than the North Dakota average. That’s some cheap catfish in one of North Dakota’s cheapest cities.
Wahpeton, an hour south of Fargo on the Minnesota border, has low cost of living index values for utilities (99), services (100), and healthcare (68).
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$60,339 median income · $780 median rent · #1 home prices in North Dakota
We go from Devils Lake to the Valley of Death of Expenses, Valley City, the third lowest cost of living city in North Dakota.
I really forced that.
Located in Barnes County, an hour west of Fargo, the overall cost of living is 1.1% lower than the North Dakota average. According to Zillow, the average home price is the lowest in the state at $195,115.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$56,554 median income · $773 median rent · #2 home prices in North Dakota
Located in
Stutsman County, North Dakota
Jamestown, located centrally within Stutsman County, is the fourth most affordable city due to its $208,863 average home price, the second lowest in the state. Additionally, the average rent is $773 that ranks at the third most economical statewide.
Jamestown’s home price-to-income ratio is 3.69, meaning you’ll have more of your income to spend on long weekend in Minneapolis.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$66,998 median income · $946 median rent · #7 home prices in North Dakota
Located in
Cass County, North Dakota
Fargo, the most populous city in North Dakota, has the fifth lowest cost of living in the Peace Garden State. A 102 overall cost of living index is 8.0 points lower than the state average.
It’s a rare combination when the biggest city in the state is also one of the most affordable. You get the perks of big-city cheap things like the Fargo Film Festival and Downtown Fargo Street Fair to go with your savings.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$63,627 median income · $980 median rent · #6 home prices in North Dakota
Located in
Grand Forks County, North Dakota
In Grand Forks, you can have your knifes, spoons, and forks for every meal because this Red River Valley city ranks sixth cheapest in the state.
is the 3rd largest city where affordability thrives. Housing remains within reach with a $291,535 and $980 that respect the eighth ratio. The local economy boasts a 6th rank in 2.41, reinforcing a budget-friendly environment. Despite mirroring the economic vitality of bigger cities, Grand Forks guarantees its residents can relish a robust $63,627, securing a frugal yet fulfilling existence.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$73,219 median income · $973 median rent · #5 home prices in North Dakota
Located in
Ward County, North Dakota
In Ward County, Minot is not the small fish in the cost of living sea as it made the list of the cheapest cities in North Dakota in seventh place. In intra-state rankings, home prices and rent will be the most significant factors in comparing living costs; North Dakota is no different.
Minot is home to the Minot Air Force base.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$82,696 median income · $957 median rent · #8 home prices in North Dakota
Located in
Stark County, North Dakota
Dickinson is a city in Stark County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Stark County. The population was 17,787 at the 2010 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated 2015 population is 23,765.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$71,780 median income · $1,083 median rent · #9 home prices in North Dakota
Located in
Morton County, North Dakota
Mandan, centrally located within North Dakota, offers economic stability and affordability with its low $341,688 home prices and $1,083 rents. Home to a population of 24,522, the city has a $71,780 median income.
Mandan’s magic lies in the blend of budget-friendly living with extra room for high-quality lutefisk and knoephla soup.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$78,387 median income · $999 median rent · #12 home prices in North Dakota
Located in
Burleigh County, North Dakota
Bismarck, the tenth most affordable city in North Dakota, has a 4.71 home-price-to-income ratio with an average home value of $369,559. Located in south-central North Dakota, it’s the state’s capital and an economic hub with a cost of living index at 108.
Bismarck is home to the Dakota Zoo and Keelboat Park, both family-friendly attractions.
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: $284,076
North Dakota statewide median: $76,657
On the map
Where your money goes furthest in North Dakota
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Peace Garden State for 2026
Determining affordability for places in North Dakota boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 for North Dakota using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in North Dakota to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 13 places in North Dakota that have more than 6,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in North Dakota with the lowest cost of living according to the data is Devils Lake.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in North Dakota.
The full plate
Cheapest Places To Live In North Dakota
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Devils Lake | 7,308 | 90 | $43,220 | $236,273 | $711 |
| 2 | Wahpeton | 8,010 | 93 | $62,750 | $229,172 | $751 |
| 3 | Valley City | 6,541 | 93 | $60,339 | $195,115 | $780 |
| 4 | Jamestown | 15,787 | 94 | $56,554 | $208,863 | $773 |
| 5 | Fargo | 131,627 | 102 | $66,998 | $314,973 | $946 |
| 6 | Grand Forks | 59,042 | 102 | $63,627 | $291,535 | $980 |
| 7 | Minot | 47,791 | 104 | $73,219 | $272,695 | $973 |
| 8 | Dickinson | 25,357 | 105 | $82,696 | $319,458 | $957 |
| 9 | Mandan | 24,522 | 105 | $71,780 | $341,688 | $1,083 |
| 10 | Bismarck | 75,556 | 108 | $78,387 | $369,559 | $999 |
| 11 | Williston | 28,056 | 108 | $79,381 | $365,979 | $1,122 |
| 12 | West Fargo | 40,094 | 109 | $90,665 | $348,751 | $1,111 |
| 13 | Watford City | 6,039 | 114 | $102,260 | $378,062 | $1,336 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, cost-of-living data. 13 places with more than 6,000 residents.
Summary
North Dakota Affordability Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in North Dakota for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in North Dakota.
The cheapest cities in North Dakota are Devils Lake, Wahpeton, Valley City, Jamestown, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, Dickinson, Mandan, and Bismarck.
