In North Dakota, you have to watch out for unruly mountain lions in Williston and to make sure you haven’t taken a wrong exit into one the most dangerous places in North Dakota.
There really are dangerous places in North Dakota.
Some might say it’s because North Dakota’s frigid temperatures make people angry, or some might say the state needs to offer better jobs with competitive salaries. But we’ll put opinion aside and show you the top ten most dangerous places in the Peace Garden State for 2026 based on data.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare FBI data for violent and property crimes per capita in the 18 North Dakota cities with a population of 2,000.
498 violent crimes /100k · 3,697 property crimes /100k · #1 most violent in North Dakota
Located in
Cass County, North Dakota
Best-known from the Coen brothers’ movie about a crime gone wrong, Fargo has plenty of real crime going on, considering it’s the most dangerous city in North Dakota for 2026.
Fargo averaged one car theft each day over 2024 and maintained the highest burglary rate in North Dakota. We just hope nobody combines those crimes and pulls an airplane heist of the Fargo Air Museum.
Overall, residents had a 1 in 27 chance of being the victim of a property crime and a 1 in 200 chance of being the victim of a violent crime. That includes the second highest rate of rape cases and the fourth highest murder rate in North Dakota — oh jeez.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
437 violent crimes /100k · 2,315 property crimes /100k · #2 most violent in North Dakota
Located in
Williams County, North Dakota
Williston experienced a slight drop in its crime rates to change this many spots on this list from last year, but things are still far from perfect. Located in the northwestern part of the state, Williston is the second fastest growing city in North Dakota, and it seems local authorities are struggling to keep up.
Like the first couple cities on this list, Williston’s biggest issue is violent crime — residents had a 1 in 228 shot of being violently attacked over 2024. Once again, that includes rape and murder rates that both place in the top five statewide.
You should also watch your valuables when you’re out at Fort Union Trading Post because property crime rates in Williston rank as the fourth highest in North Dakota.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
359 violent crimes /100k · 2,282 property crimes /100k · #3 most violent in North Dakota
Located in
Grand Forks County, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the state’s 3rd biggest city and home to the University of North Dakota. It’s also the third most dangerous place to live in North Dakota.
Grand Forks is not the sort of place where you can leave your doors unlocked or your packages out on the porch for long, considering it had the fourth highest burglary rate in North Dakota.
Violent crime is also on the rise in Grand Forks. Residents had a 1 in 278 chance of finding themselves on the receiving end of a violent attack in 2024.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
287 violent crimes /100k · 2,582 property crimes /100k · #7 most violent in North Dakota
Located in
Morton County, North Dakota
Located across the Missouri River from Bismarck, Mandan ranks as North Dakota’s fourth most dangerous place to call home.
Mandan is home to Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, but we think honest Abe would be rolling over in his grave if he saw how much crime was going down here. Mandan had the 13th highest murder rate and the fifth highest rate of rape cases in North Dakota.
Additionally, Mandan reported 638 property crimes in 2024 — definitely not something to be proud of.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
278 violent crimes /100k · 2,400 property crimes /100k · #8 most violent in North Dakota
Located in
Burleigh County, North Dakota
The capital and second biggest city in North Dakota, Bismarck has a lot to work on in the crime department.
While there are lions and tigers and bears (oh my) at the Dakota Zoo, the really scary stuff is going down on Bismarck’s streets.
Crime has stayed steady in Bismarck over the past year, but that’s hardly good news when you have the eighth highest violent crime rate and the third highest property crime rate in the state.
Overall, Bismarck ranked in North Dakota’s top ten for burglary, rape, and murder rates.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
303 violent crimes /100k · 1,614 property crimes /100k · #5 most violent in North Dakota
The state’s oil boom over the past decade has caused Watford City’s population to soar by over 300% since 2010, making it the the fastest growing city in North Dakota. Obviously, the influx of people has made things less safe.
While you can’t see anything nefarious from the vista at River Bend Overlook, trust us when we tell you there’s a whole lot of crime going down in Watford City.
Violent crime fell last year, but it’s still the fifth most violent place in North Dakota. Residents had a 1 in 330 shot of being assaulted, raped, robbed, or murdered over 2024.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
297 violent crimes /100k · 1,706 property crimes /100k · #6 most violent in North Dakota
Located in
Stark County, North Dakota
Located in Stark County, North Dakota, Dickinson is ranked as the seventh most dangerous place to live in the state for 2026. This ranking is based on various crime statistics, including a total of 74 violent crimes, including 2 murder cases, 10 rapes, 2 robberies, and 60 aggravated assaults.
While Dickinson may face challenges in terms of safety, it’s important to note that these statistics provide an opportunity for improvement. Dickinson has the potential to overcome these challenges and enhance its livability for its population of approximately 24,910 residents.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
319 violent crimes /100k · 1,403 property crimes /100k · #4 most violent in North Dakota
Located in
Ward County, North Dakota
This being North Dakota, there’s not much around Minot. Still, even with its rural surroundings, if you happen to find yourself in town, you’ll find a lot of attractions to keep you busy.
Located in the north-central part of the state, Minot provides the home of the Minot Air Force Base. Given this aviation focus, you’ll also find the Dakota Territory Air Museum. But, wait, there’s more: the town also boasts the Scandinavian Heritage Association, the Taube Museum of Art, and the North Dakota State Fair Center.
Unfortunately, you’ll also run into a surprisingly high crime rate. This represents the number 8 most dangerous spot in North Dakota.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
238 violent crimes /100k · 2,189 property crimes /100k · #9 most violent in North Dakota
Located in
Richland County, North Dakota
Wahpeton may have the world’s largest catfish, but it also has the ninth largest crime problem in North Dakota for 2026.
Located an hour south of Fargo, Wahpeton had the 13th highest murder rate statewide. Other than that, though, Wahpeton is the least violent place on this list.
On the other hand, Wahpeton residents had a 1 in 45 chance of being the victim of a property crime over 2024. That includes the eighth highest burglary rate in North Dakota, so invest in a good security system if you’re living in Wahpeton.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
188 violent crimes /100k · 1,406 property crimes /100k · #10 most violent in North Dakota
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
Where crime hits hardest in North Dakota
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most dangerous cities in North Dakota for 2026?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in North Dakota. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in North Dakota, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2024 data, specifically the 2024 Crime In The United States Report for North Dakota.
So what criteria did we use? Have a look:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered North Dakota cities over 2,000 in population. That left us with 18 cities in North Dakota.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 18 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.
Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in North Dakota — Fargo. Any ties went to the smaller city.
This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our eleventh time ranking the most dangerous places to live in North Dakota and is updated for 2026.
The full plate
Crime By City In North Dakota
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Dangerous Index | Population | Total Crimes Per 100K | Violent Crimes Per 100K | Property Crimes Per 100K | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fargo | 1.00 | 135,682 | 4,195 | 498 | 3,697 | 6 |
| 2 | Williston | 3.00 | 27,211 | 2,753 | 437 | 2,315 | 0 |
| 3 | Grand Forks | 4.00 | 58,848 | 2,641 | 359 | 2,282 | 3 |
| 4 | Mandan | 4.50 | 24,711 | 2,869 | 287 | 2,582 | 0 |
| 5 | Bismarck | 5.50 | 75,546 | 2,678 | 278 | 2,400 | 1 |
| 6 | Watford City | 6.50 | 5,949 | 1,916 | 303 | 1,614 | 0 |
| 7 | Dickinson | 6.50 | 24,910 | 2,003 | 297 | 1,706 | 2 |
| 8 | Minot | 7.00 | 47,041 | 1,722 | 319 | 1,403 | 1 |
| 9 | Wahpeton | 7.50 | 7,995 | 2,427 | 238 | 2,189 | 0 |
| 10 | Stanley | 9.50 | 2,133 | 1,594 | 188 | 1,406 | 1 |
| 11 | West Fargo | 11.50 | 40,915 | 1,178 | 164 | 1,014 | 1 |
| 12 | Valley City | 12.50 | 6,541 | 1,101 | 153 | 948 | 0 |
| 13 | Jamestown | 12.50 | 15,651 | 1,342 | 102 | 1,240 | 0 |
| 14 | Tioga | 14.00 | 2,060 | 922 | 146 | 777 | 0 |
| 15 | Lisbon | 15.00 | 2,164 | 970 | 92 | 878 | 0 |
| 16 | Beulah | 16.00 | 3,027 | 628 | 99 | 529 | 0 |
| 17 | Grafton | 17.00 | 4,027 | 646 | 50 | 596 | 0 |
| 18 | Lincoln | 17.50 | 4,479 | 514 | 67 | 447 | 0 |
Source: FBI UCR 2024. 18 cities with more than 2,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Locking It All Up In North Dakota
So what is the most dangerous city in North Dakota? After analyzing 18 cities in North Dakota, Fargo takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in North Dakota based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2024.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Fargo ranks as the most dangerous city in North Dakota for 2026.
The most dangerous cities in North Dakota are Fargo, Williston, Grand Forks, Mandan, Bismarck, Watford City, Dickinson, Minot, Wahpeton, and Stanley.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Fargo and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up. Not sold on North Dakota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Dangerous Places To Live In North Dakota FAQs
Is North Dakota a dangerous state?
No, North Dakota is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #27 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in North Dakota ranks 30th most dangerous in the United States — 11.03% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Peace Garden State ranks 2most dangerous in the United States — 8.68% worse than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Is Fargo, ND a dangerous city?
Yes, Fargo is a dangerous city. Fargo ranks as the #54 most dangerous out of 328 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Fargo might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Fargo ranks 114th highest in America — 11.38% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 46th highest in the United States — 51.98% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
