You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in North Dakota.
The median household income in Dunn County, the richest county in North Dakota is $97,689, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 53 counties in the Peace Garden State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In North Dakota For 2026
What is the richest county in North Dakota? The richest county in North Dakota is Dunn County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Sioux County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in North Dakota. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in North Dakota and the cheapest places to live in North Dakota.
The Richest Counties In North Dakota For 2026
1. Dunn County
Biggest Place: Killdeer
Population: 4,040
Median Income: $97,689 (highest)
Median Home Price: $384,083 (highest)
More on Dunn County: Data
2. Mckenzie County
Biggest Place: Watford City
Population: 14,321
Median Income: $93,404 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $367,243 (3rd highest)
More on Mckenzie County: Data
3. Billings County
Biggest Place: Medora
Population: 1,024
Median Income: $86,806 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $376,266 (2nd highest)
More on Billings County: Data
4. Burleigh County
Biggest Place: Bismarck
Population: 100,600
Median Income: $86,851 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $362,350 (4th highest)
More on Burleigh County: Data
5. Williams County
Biggest Place: Williston
Population: 39,555
Median Income: $85,595 (9th highest)
Median Home Price: $343,435 (5th highest)
More on Williams County: Data
6. Stark County
Biggest Place: Dickinson
Population: 33,302
Median Income: $84,449 (11th highest)
Median Home Price: $310,354 (8th highest)
More on Stark County: Data
7. Morton County
Biggest Place: Mandan
Population: 33,777
Median Income: $79,382 (17th highest)
Median Home Price: $318,880 (7th highest)
More on Morton County: Data
8. Traill County
Biggest Place: Mayville
Population: 7,970
Median Income: $87,004 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $211,640 (19th highest)
More on Traill County: Data
9. Mercer County
Biggest Place: Beulah
Population: 8,337
Median Income: $80,946 (13th highest)
Median Home Price: $231,337 (13th highest)
More on Mercer County: Data
10. Mountrail County
Biggest Place: New Town
Population: 9,507
Median Income: $80,717 (15th highest)
Median Home Price: $236,830 (12th highest)
More on Mountrail County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which North Dakota county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in North Dakota, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in North Dakota for each of the criteria from one to 53, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In North Dakota.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Peace Garden State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in North Dakota. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In North Dakota For 2026
Living in North Dakota can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in North Dakota are Dunn County, McKenzie County, Billings County, Burleigh County, Williams County, Stark County, Morton County, Traill County, Mercer County, and Mountrail County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in North Dakota according to the data:
- Sioux County
- Grant County
- Eddy County
For more North Dakota reading, check out:
- Safest Places In North Dakota
- Richest Cities In North Dakota
- Cheapest Places To Live In North Dakota
- Best Counties To Live In North Dakota
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In North Dakota
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dunn County | 4,040 | $97,689 | $384,083 |
| 2 | Mckenzie County | 14,321 | $93,404 | $367,243 |
| 3 | Billings County | 1,024 | $86,806 | $376,266 |
| 4 | Burleigh County | 100,600 | $86,851 | $362,350 |
| 5 | Williams County | 39,555 | $85,595 | $343,435 |
| 6 | Stark County | 33,302 | $84,449 | $310,354 |
| 7 | Morton County | 33,777 | $79,382 | $318,880 |
| 8 | Traill County | 7,970 | $87,004 | $211,640 |
| 9 | Mercer County | 8,337 | $80,946 | $231,337 |
| 10 | Mountrail County | 9,507 | $80,717 | $236,830 |
| 11 | Divide County | 2,167 | $91,852 | $190,520 |
| 12 | Ward County | 68,973 | $78,238 | $277,617 |
| 13 | Cass County | 193,400 | $75,555 | $328,967 |
| 14 | Bottineau County | 6,378 | $85,000 | $210,385 |
| 15 | Mclean County | 9,823 | $83,583 | $212,099 |
| 16 | Foster County | 3,358 | $87,831 | $184,310 |
| 17 | Oliver County | 1,839 | $77,240 | $251,890 |
| 18 | Richland County | 16,584 | $75,432 | $222,822 |
| 19 | Grand Forks County | 72,923 | $68,075 | $284,894 |
| 20 | Burke County | 2,156 | $91,591 | $140,161 |
| 21 | Ransom County | 5,643 | $75,736 | $193,954 |
| 22 | Sargent County | 3,804 | $77,946 | $175,718 |
| 23 | Mchenry County | 5,207 | $80,733 | $153,383 |
| 24 | Renville County | 2,304 | $74,301 | $186,735 |
| 25 | Slope County | 766 | $71,250 | $193,248 |
| 26 | Bowman County | 2,906 | $72,109 | $183,491 |
| 27 | Steele County | 1,804 | $77,500 | $148,574 |
| 28 | Barnes County | 10,773 | $68,038 | $193,628 |
| 29 | Kidder County | 2,377 | $65,610 | $213,803 |
| 30 | Lamoure County | 4,118 | $80,664 | $133,227 |
| 31 | Stutsman County | 21,549 | $61,856 | $224,539 |
| 32 | Dickey County | 4,935 | $68,654 | $168,744 |
| 33 | Golden Valley County | 1,653 | $68,021 | $184,551 |
| 34 | Walsh County | 10,396 | $71,944 | $157,408 |
| 35 | Cavalier County | 3,633 | $69,531 | $163,327 |
| 36 | Ramsey County | 11,556 | $61,006 | $222,689 |
| 37 | Hettinger County | 2,432 | $73,026 | $135,967 |
| 38 | Nelson County | 3,016 | $67,193 | $151,638 |
| 39 | Pembina County | 6,727 | $68,393 | $132,946 |
| 40 | Emmons County | 3,254 | $66,538 | $145,399 |
| 41 | Benson County | 5,808 | $64,033 | $147,236 |
| 42 | Pierce County | 3,928 | $59,365 | $167,444 |
| 43 | Towner County | 2,079 | $67,350 | $131,821 |
| 44 | Wells County | 3,890 | $66,114 | $132,761 |
| 45 | Adams County | 2,145 | $62,500 | $136,450 |
| 46 | Sheridan County | 1,303 | $62,639 | $128,477 |
| 47 | Logan County | 1,819 | $62,750 | $115,949 |
| 48 | Griggs County | 2,245 | $61,711 | $128,849 |
| 49 | Mcintosh County | 2,497 | $64,419 | $95,714 |
| 50 | Rolette County | 11,924 | $59,517 | $117,995 |
| 51 | Eddy County | 2,307 | $50,850 | $116,781 |
| 52 | Grant County | 2,269 | $57,875 | $105,945 |
| 53 | Sioux County | 3,740 | $42,083 | $97,079 |