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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in North Dakota
What’s the cheapest place to live in North Dakota? The cheapest place to live in North Dakota for 2024 is Devils Lake.
More importantly, if you choose to live in one of North Dakota’s cheapest places, you will save money for fun a day trip to Hankinson’s Dakota Magic Casino or a weekend at Devils Lake.
Check out some more reading about North Dakota and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In North Dakota For 2024
/10
Population: 7,192
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 81
Median Income: $41,203
Median Home Price: $215,052
Median Rent: $664
Devils Lake offers an unbeatable blend of low living costs with a cost of living index at 81 and housing affordability underscored by its $215,052 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 1.14%. You can use the extra money from your job on a boat for Devils Lake State Park.
More on Devils Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,558
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 83
Median Income: $52,224
Median Home Price: $167,019
Median Rent: $776
We go from Devils Lake to the Valley of Death of Expenses, Valley City, the second 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 12.6% lower than the North Dakota average. According to Zillow, the average home price is the lowest in the state at $167,019.
More on Valley City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,983
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 85
Median Income: $51,417
Median Home Price: $201,883
Median Rent: $732
What do you get in Wahpeton besides the World’s Largest Catfish? You get an overall cost of living index of 100, which is 10.5% 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, services, and healthcare.
More on Wahpeton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 15,850
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 90
Median Income: $53,389
Median Home Price: $184,873
Median Rent: $739
Jamestown, located centrally within Stutsman County, is the fourth most affordable city due to its $184,873 average home price, the second lowest in the state. Additionally, the average rent is $739 that ranks at the third most economical statewide.
Jamestown’s home price-to-income ratio is 3.46, meaning you’ll have more of your income to spend on long weekend in Minneapolis.
More on Jamestown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
It’s a small town mostly white middle to upper class then theirs the criminal layer town try’s to keep a perfect image so any criminal offense is cracked down on hard little to no organized crime and those that are they are just avoiding warrants in other states their is a large amount of mostly m**h addicts m**h and marijuana being easy to obtain heroine and other deadlier drugs are almost impossible to obtain with c*****e and acid being somewhere in the middle their has been efforts with the cartel to try and place a larger foothold in the town but most memebers either get caught or leave within a few months with them gradually putting more effort in each operation overdoses are common but almost never reported in the newspapers with an attempt to keep the town looking like a paradise
Safe and peaceful place for most of the people as long as they avoid the m**h addicts and other unsavory things the time I spent there was traumatizing
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Population: 127,319
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 93
Median Income: $64,432
Median Home Price: $290,476
Median Rent: $900
Fargo, the most populous city in North Dakota, has the fifth lowest cost of living in the Peace Garden State. A 93 overall cost of living index is 2 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.
More on Fargo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 58,935
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 94
Median Income: $59,079
Median Home Price: $253,634
Median Rent: $927
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 $253,634 and $927 that respect the tenth ratio. The local economy boasts a 10th rank in 3.72, reinforcing a budget-friendly environment. Despite mirroring the economic vitality of bigger cities, Grand Forks guarantees its residents can relish a robust $59,079, securing a frugal yet fulfilling existence.
More on Grand Forks: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 38,653
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 94
Median Income: $96,929
Median Home Price: $317,108
Median Rent: $1,049
In this case, West Fargo is the second best Fargo, as it’s the seventh most affordable in North Dakota for 2024.
The median home price in West Fargo is $317,108, well under the national average, and a reasonable $1,049 rent. The overall cost of living index of 94 is 1.1% lower than the North Dakota average. Put it together, and West Fargo is the “Wallet-Wise Wonder” of the Peace Garden State.
More on West Fargo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 24,049
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 97
Median Income: $78,077
Median Home Price: $308,053
Median Rent: $979
Mandan, centrally located within North Dakota, offers economic stability and affordability with its low $308,053 home prices and $979 rents. Home to a population of 24,049, the city has a $78,077 median income.
Mandan’s magic lies in the blend of budget-friendly living with extra room for high-quality lutefisk and knoephla soup.
More on Mandan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 73,694
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 98
Median Income: $76,014
Median Home Price: $339,338
Median Rent: $969
Bismarck, the ninth most affordable city in North Dakota, has a 4.46 home-price-to-income ratio with an average home value of $339,338. Located in south-central North Dakota, it’s the state’s capital and an economic hub with a cost of living index at 98.
Bismarck is home to the Dakota Zoo and Keelboat Park, both family-friendly attractions.
More on Bismarck: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Currently live in Bismarck. I could only live here or Fargo/West Fargo in this state. I love ND though, and it truly is the best state in the country
/10
Population: 48,038
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 103
Median Income: $75,545
Median Home Price: $239,901
Median Rent: $937
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 tenth 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.
More on Minot: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in North Dakota FAQs
The county in North Dakota with the lowest cost of living is McIntosh County. The average living wage in McIntosh County is $81,422 according to MIT data. McIntosh County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to North Dakota as a whole. Childcare costs $13,020 a year in McIntosh County for two children compared to the North Dakota average of $16,381. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $8,808 per year in McIntosh County compared to $10,230 on average in North Dakota.
The cost of living in North Dakota is 3.2% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in North Dakota is $86,873 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a North Dakota household is $65,315.
The cheapest housing market in North Dakota is Ellendale. The average home value in Ellendale is $72,100, the lowest in the state. The average home value in North Dakota is $199,900, almost 2.8 times higher than Ellendale.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Peace Garden State for 2024
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 2018-2022 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 5,000 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 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in North Dakota.
North Dakota Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in North Dakota for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in North Dakota.
The cheapest cities in North Dakota are Devils Lake, Valley City, Wahpeton, Jamestown, Fargo, Grand Forks, West Fargo, Mandan, Bismarck, and Minot.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in North Dakota according to the data:
- Williston
- Watford City
- Dickinson
For more North Dakota reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In North Dakota
- Worst Places To Live In North Dakota
- Best Places To Raise A Family In North Dakota
Cheapest Places To Live In North Dakota
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Devils Lake | 7,192 | 81 | $41,203 | $215,052 | $664 |
| 2 | Valley City | 6,558 | 83 | $52,224 | $167,019 | $776 |
| 3 | Wahpeton | 7,983 | 85 | $51,417 | $201,883 | $732 |
| 4 | Jamestown | 15,850 | 90 | $53,389 | $184,873 | $739 |
| 5 | Fargo | 127,319 | 93 | $64,432 | $290,476 | $900 |
| 6 | Grand Forks | 58,935 | 94 | $59,079 | $253,634 | $927 |
| 7 | West Fargo | 38,653 | 94 | $96,929 | $317,108 | $1,049 |
| 8 | Mandan | 24,049 | 97 | $78,077 | $308,053 | $979 |
| 9 | Bismarck | 73,694 | 98 | $76,014 | $339,338 | $969 |
| 10 | Minot | 48,038 | 103 | $75,545 | $239,901 | $937 |
| 11 | Dickinson | 25,116 | 104 | $75,767 | $275,335 | $974 |
| 12 | Watford City | 5,900 | 104 | $84,076 | $307,622 | $1,285 |
| 13 | Williston | 27,783 | 105 | $80,352 | $317,700 | $1,095 |
