Racial diversity in North Dakota is a mixed bag.
There are parts of North Dakota where there’s a high level of diversity. But where will you find the most diverse places in North Dakota?
To answer that question, we went to the US Census data. Using Saturday Night Science, we measured the Gini coefficient for all 13 cities in North Dakota to rank them from most to least diverse.
#1 most diverse in North Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#2 most diverse 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
#3 most diverse 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
#4 most diverse 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
#5 most diverse in North Dakota
Located in
Cass County, North Dakota
Fargo is the most populous city in the state of North Dakota, accounting for nearly 16% of the state population. Fargo is also the county seat of Cass County. According to the 2016 United States Census estimates, its population was 120,762, making it the 229th-most populous city in the United States. Fargo, along with its twin city of Moorhead, Minnesota, as well as the adjacent cities of West Fargo, North Dakota and Dilworth, Minnesota, form the core of the Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in 2016 contained a population of 238,124. In 2014, Forbes magazine ranked Fargo as the fourth fastest-growing small city in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#6 most diverse in North Dakota
Located in
Grand Forks County, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the State of North Dakota and is the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city’s population was 52,838, while the total of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461. Grand Forks, along with its twin city of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, forms the center of the Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is often called Greater Grand Forks or The Grand Cities.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#7 most diverse 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
#8 most diverse 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
#9 most diverse in North Dakota
Located in
Cass County, North Dakota
West Fargo is a city in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. It is, as of the 2016 Census Estimates, the fifth largest city in the state of North Dakota with a population estimated at 34,858, and it is one of the state’s fastest growing cities. West Fargo was founded in 1926. The city is part of the Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
#10 most diverse in North Dakota
Located in
Morton County, 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 diversity lives in North Dakota
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most diverse cities in North Dakota for 2026
We still believe in the accuracy of data — especially from the Census — and Saturday Night Science. So that’s where we went to get the race breakdown across North Dakota.
That leads us to the Census’s most recently available data, the 2020-2024 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
- Hispanic or Latino
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 6,000 people. That left us with 13 cities.
We then calculated the HHI for each city by finding the racial breakdown of a city in percent terms, squaring them, and then adding the squares together. This left us with scores ranging from 5,061 (Watford City) to 7,785 (Jamestown).
Finally, we ranked each city based on the HHI, with a lower score being more diverse than a high score. Watford City took the distinction of being the most diverse, while Jamestown was the least diverse city.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the most diverse places in North Dakota.
The full plate
Race By City In North Dakota For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | HHI | % White | % Black | % Hispanic | % Asian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watford City | 6,039 | 5,061 | 66.6% | 2.5% | 24.5% | 0.9% |
| 2 | Williston | 28,056 | 5,607 | 73.6% | 6.4% | 10.4% | 1.7% |
| 3 | Devils Lake | 7,308 | 6,059 | 76.4% | 1.0% | 3.4% | 1.2% |
| 4 | Minot | 47,791 | 6,281 | 78.5% | 4.5% | 7.9% | 2.0% |
| 5 | Fargo | 131,627 | 6,299 | 78.6% | 8.6% | 3.6% | 4.0% |
| 6 | Grand Forks | 59,042 | 6,441 | 79.7% | 4.3% | 5.6% | 3.3% |
| 7 | Dickinson | 25,357 | 6,850 | 82.1% | 3.0% | 9.1% | 1.4% |
| 8 | Bismarck | 75,556 | 6,917 | 82.8% | 2.5% | 3.5% | 1.2% |
| 9 | West Fargo | 40,094 | 6,975 | 83.1% | 5.2% | 3.8% | 2.0% |
| 10 | Mandan | 24,522 | 7,086 | 83.8% | 2.2% | 5.7% | 0.2% |
| 11 | Wahpeton | 8,010 | 7,612 | 87.0% | 1.5% | 3.7% | 1.5% |
| 12 | Valley City | 6,541 | 7,784 | 88.0% | 0.4% | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| 13 | Jamestown | 15,787 | 7,785 | 88.0% | 3.1% | 4.1% | 0.7% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 13 cities with more than 6,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Diversity Across North Dakota
If you’re looking for a scientific breakdown of diversity across North Dakota, this is an accurate list.
The most diverse cities in North Dakota are Watford City, Williston, Devils Lake, Minot, Fargo, Grand Forks, Dickinson, Bismarck, West Fargo, and Mandan. Not sold on North Dakota? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Diverse Cities In North Dakota FAQs
What is the most diverse city in North Dakota?
Watford City is the most diverse city in North Dakota for 2026, posting the lowest diversity index (5,061) of the 13 places we measured. Williston and Devils Lake are next.
What are the 10 most diverse cities in North Dakota?
The ten most diverse cities in North Dakota are Watford City, Williston, Devils Lake, Minot, Fargo, Grand Forks, Dickinson, Bismarck, West Fargo, and Mandan. We ranked all 13 places with more than 6,000 residents by their racial-diversity HHI.
How do you measure diversity?
We use a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) across each city’s White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian population shares from the Census American Community Survey. A lower score means the mix is more even, so the lowest HHI wins.
What is the least diverse city in North Dakota?
Jamestown is the least diverse city in North Dakota, with a diversity index of 7,785. That means one group makes up most of its population.
Where does this data come from?
All population shares come from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2020-2024). Diversity scores in North Dakota range from 5,061 in Watford City to 7,785 in Jamestown.
