Now that we’re headed towards the next big election, we wanted to get a better sense of what parts of North Dakota would be the most likely to back Donald Trump again.
Specifically, which cities have the highest number of conservative voters in the Peace Garden State?
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to measure how each city in North Dakota with populations greater than 6,000 voted in past elections. The cities with the highest percentage of voters who voted Republican were named the most conservative cities in the state.
82.7% Republican vote · #1 most conservative in North Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
81.9% Republican vote · #2 most conservative in North Dakota
Located in
Williams County, North Dakota
Williston is a city in and the county seat of Williams County, North Dakota, United States. The 2010 census gave its population as 14,716, and the Census Bureau gave the 2015 estimated population as 26,977, making Williston the sixth largest city in North Dakota. The North Dakota oil boom is largely responsible for the sharp increase in population.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
80.5% Republican vote · #3 most conservative 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
73.7% Republican vote · #4 most conservative in North Dakota
Located in
Morton County, North Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
70.7% Republican vote · #5 most conservative in North Dakota
Located in
Ward County, North Dakota
Minot MY-not) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state’s north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state and a trading center for a large portion of northern North Dakota, southwestern Manitoba, and southeastern Saskatchewan. Founded in 1886 during the construction of the Great Northern Railway, Minot is also known as “Magic City”, commemorating its remarkable growth in size over a short time.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
70.2% Republican vote · #6 most conservative in North Dakota
Located in
Stutsman County, North Dakota
Jamestown is a city in Stutsman County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Stutsman County. The population was 15,427 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth largest city in North Dakota. Jamestown was founded in 1872.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
68.5% Republican vote · #7 most conservative in North Dakota
Located in
Burleigh County, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second-most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city’s population was estimated in 2016 at 72,417, while its metropolitan population was 131,635. In 2015, Forbes magazine ranked Bismarck as the seventh fastest-growing small city in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
66.6% Republican vote · #8 most conservative in North Dakota
Located in
Ramsey County, North Dakota
Devils Lake is a city in Ramsey County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Ramsey County. The population was 7,141 at the 2010 census. It is named after the nearby body of water, Devils Lake. The first house in Devils Lake was built in 1882. It was surveyed in 1883 and named Creelsburg and later Creel City, after the surveyor, Heber M. Creel. In 1884 it was renamed Devils Lake.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
64.9% Republican vote · #9 most conservative in North Dakota
Located in
Richland County, North Dakota
Wahpeton is a city in Richland County, in southeastern North Dakota, United States. It is located along the Bois de Sioux River at its confluence with the Otter Tail River, forming the Red River of the North. Wahpeton is the county seat of Richland County. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city’s 2015 population was 7,899.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
64.1% Republican vote · #10 most conservative in North Dakota
Valley City is a city in Barnes County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Barnes County. The population was 6,585 during the 2010 census, making it the thirteenth largest city in North Dakota. Valley City was founded in 1874.
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.
On the map
Mapping the conservative strongholds in North Dakota
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most conservative cities in North Dakota for 2026
To find the most conservative places in North Dakota, we used Saturday Night Science – the argument you’d make at a bar – to find the cities with the most conservatives.
We started by making a list of every city in North Dakota over 6,000 people based on the 2020-2024 American Community Survey. That left us with 13 cities and towns.
We then measured the voting record and MIT election data to determine which places rock the most rightward in their allegiances by:
- Percentage Of Votes For The Republican President In 2020
Because no voting data exists at the city level, we used county-level election results from the 2020 election. We assigned every city in a county the percentage of votes that went to the Republicans, effectively extending the county’s results to the city level. In cases where larger cities encompassed an entire county, the election outcomes accurately reflected the city’s political landscape.
Next, we ranked each city from 1 to 13 for each criterion, where number one was the most conservative.
The winner, Watford City, is “The Most Conservative City in North Dakota For 2026”. The most liberal place in North Dakota was West Fargo.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most conservative places to live in North Dakota.
The full plate
Most Conservative Places In North Dakota
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Conservative Score | Population | % Conservative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watford City | 1.00 | 6,039 | 82.7% |
| 2 | Williston | 2.00 | 28,056 | 81.9% |
| 3 | Dickinson | 3.00 | 25,357 | 80.5% |
| 4 | Mandan | 4.00 | 24,522 | 73.7% |
| 5 | Minot | 5.00 | 47,791 | 70.7% |
| 6 | Jamestown | 6.00 | 15,787 | 70.2% |
| 7 | Bismarck | 7.00 | 75,556 | 68.5% |
| 8 | Devils Lake | 8.00 | 7,308 | 66.6% |
| 9 | Wahpeton | 9.00 | 8,010 | 64.9% |
| 10 | Valley City | 10.00 | 6,541 | 64.1% |
| 11 | Grand Forks | 11.00 | 59,042 | 54.8% |
| 12 | Fargo | 12.50 | 131,627 | 49.5% |
| 12 | West Fargo | 12.50 | 40,094 | 49.5% |
Source: county-level 2020 election results, U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 13 cities with more than 6,000 residents.
Summary
Summing Up The Conservative Strongholds in North Dakota
Well, there you have it, the places in North Dakota that have the highest number of conservatives per capita, with Watford City ranking as the most conservative in the entire state.
The most conservative cities in North Dakota are Watford City, Williston, Dickinson, Mandan, Minot, Jamestown, Bismarck, Devils Lake, Wahpeton, and Valley City.
If you’re curious, here are the least conservative cities in North Dakota. Not sold on North Dakota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
