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North Dakota

R+33  ·  Moderate tax burden  ·  COL index 98

A

2.5%

Income Tax

285

Violent Crime / 100K

78.8

Life Expectancy

$255K

Median Home

$1,050

Childcare / Mo

State Profile

69/100
255075100TAXES74SAFETY74HEALTH47SCHOOLS67AFFORDABLE78LONGEVITY73

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Taxes

Income Tax

2.5% top

Property Tax

~$2,244/yr on median home

0.88% / yr

Sales Tax

6.97% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

Partial

Estate Tax

None

Inheritance Tax

None

Capital Gains

Taxed as income

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

98

Median Home Price

$255,000

Median Rent (2BR)

$1,100/mo

Home Insurance

Near national avg (~$1,900/yr)

$2,200/yr

Flood Insurance

$600/yr

Homestead Exemption

Home equity protected from creditors

$100,000

Asset Protection

Moderate

Crime & Safety

Violent Crime Rate

Near national avg

285 / 100K

Property Crime Rate

Near national avg

1,779 / 100K

Traffic Fatality Rate

17.9 / 100K

Healthcare

State Healthcare Rank

#27 of 50

Life Expectancy

78.8 yrs

Medicaid Expansion

Expanded

Uninsured Rate

7.5%

Education

K-12 Quality Rank

#17 of 50

School Choice / Vouchers

Not Available

Childcare

Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)

$1,050/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

Avg Monthly Energy Bill

$125/mo

Avg Monthly Groceries

2-person household, moderate spending

$470/mo

Road Quality Rank

Among the best roads in the US

#1 of 50

Airports & Travel

Nonstop Destinations

From state's primary airport

20+ routes

Major Hub Airport

Regional airport — connections via hub

No

Culture & Lifestyle

Urban Population

Mix of urban and rural

59% urban

Restaurant Density

Limited dining options

380/100K

Religious Congregations

Strong religious community

260/100K

Pro Sports Teams

NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS

None

Major Venues

Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)

1 venues

Craft Breweries

2.9/100K residents — Solid scene

22 breweries

Craft Distilleries

10 distilleries

Live Music

Fargo Brewing Co; Fargo Film Festival; small but growing craft scene

Limited

Transportation

Car Insurance (Avg Annual)

$1,290

Traffic Fatality Rate

17.9 / 100K

Broadband Access

80% of households

Social & Legal

Abortion Access

Near-total ban; trigger law took effect after Dobbs

Banned

LGBTQ+ Protections

Hostile

Marijuana

Medical Only

Minimum Wage

$7.25/hr

Right to Work

Yes

Sports Betting

Illegal

Casino Gambling

Tribal casinos

Online Gambling

Illegal

State Lottery

Tribal casinos and licensed charitable gambling. No commercial casinos. Blackjack games at charitable events allowed.

Yes

Age of Consent

18

Sex Education

No state sex ed mandate

Abstinence-only

Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs

No known naturist facilities

None known

Environment & Climate

Air Quality (Annual AQI)

Excellent (national avg ~38)

25

Natural Disaster Risk

Moderate

Primary Hazards

blizzardtornadoflood

Politics & Gun Laws

2024 Presidential Vote

R+33

Gun Laws

Gun ControlF
2A LibertyA+

Carry Permit

No permit required

Purchase Permit Required

No

Gambling

Legal

Jobs & Economy

Job Market

+1% job growth · 2% unemployment

Moderate

Top Industries

Oil & GasAgricultureGovernment

Tech Jobs

#47 of 50

Healthcare Jobs

#30 of 50

Remote Work

12% of workers

Median Household Income

$74,593

Business Climate

Corporate Income Tax

4.31%

LLC Formation Fee

$135 one-time

LLC Annual Fee

$50/yr

Business Climate Rank

#19 of 50

Daily Life

Gas Price (Regular)

Below avg (-0.24 vs national avg)

$3.06/gal

Consumer Fireworks

Consumer fireworks broadly legal

Legal

Weather & Natural Risks

Winter Severity

Avg January high: 14°F

Harsh

Summer Heat

Moderate summers

84°F avg July

Annual Rainfall

17" / yr

Tornado Risk

Moderate

Hurricane Risk

Very Low

Wildfire Risk

Low

Flood Risk

Moderate

Natural Hazards

23LOW danger
Polar vortex -40°FPrairie rattlesnakeBlizzard season Oct-AprFlood risk HIGH

Venomous Snakes

Low

Spider Hazard

Low

Hurricane Risk

Minimal

Tornado Risk

Moderate

Wildfire Risk

Moderate

Earthquake Risk

Minimal

Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗

Veteran Benefits

Veteran-Friendly Score

6.7% of state population are veterans

73/100

Property Tax Exemption

Disabled vet property tax credit

Partial

Military Retirement Pay

Tax Exempt

Active Duty Pay

Tax Exempt

VA Facilities Access

Adequate

Notable Benefits

Military retirement fully exempt

Explore North Dakota counties

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COL 98 vs 101 · 2.5% vs No income tax

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Trending in North Dakota

Armstrong joins Trump, Burgum for dedication of T.R. Presidential Library, arriving by train in Medora - North Dakota Office of the Governor (.gov)

North Dakota Office of the Governor (.gov) · Jul 2

All living North Dakota governors, past and present, gather in Medora for presidential library - North Dakota Monitor

North Dakota Monitor · Jul 3

Trump uses Mount Rushmore speech to allege ‘mortal threat’ from communism - South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota Searchlight · Jul 4

Why North Dakota is giving its investment staff more autonomy - Pensions & Investments

Pensions & Investments · Jul 2

Governor Kelly Armstrong declares Legal Assistant/Paralegal Day - North Dakota Court System (.gov)

North Dakota Court System (.gov) · Jun 24

What Residents Say

What's it like living in North Dakota? I may be moving there ...

Cost of living isn't terrible. Rent IS NOT ridiculously high as ... -Low Taxes in general. -Snow Removal isn't too bad. -Fargo is cool....

reddit.com ↗

Considering moving to North Dakota : r/northdakota

The cost of living is NOT cheap in North Dakota. Also, barely any ... The cost of living and taxes are low. Plus people here are friendly....

reddit.com ↗

Is North Dakota a good place to live? : r/northdakota

I need to get out of Florida. This heat is crazy.. after 30 years I can't take it anymore. *Good schools? Jobs? Good economy? ** This got a lot of comments. ......

reddit.com ↗

what is the average cost of living for a single male

I am currently trying to find out where it would be best to live after college and I am unable to find any information on what the yearly average cost of ......

reddit.com ↗

How's it living in North Dakota? : r/northdakota

I was just wondering because I’m a 25 year old and about to have a kid. Looking for a nice place to settle down and raise a family. The city I’m ......

reddit.com ↗

Weighing options for moving, how is life here? : r/northdakota

Tldr: Yes, your housing costs will be a lot lower than New Jersey. If you want urban feel I would look only at Fargo area or very reluctantly ......

reddit.com ↗

Is North Dakota right for me? : r/northdakota

20 year old white male. Self-employed (freelancer), I average let's say $60k. · Low rent. Low taxes. · Considering the amount of snow, which turns ......

reddit.com ↗

What is life like in ND? : r/northdakota

It sounds like a kid question, but honestly, I wanna know. I’m in Connecticut, so it’s very crowded. But is it safer to be in ND? Is the cost of ......

reddit.com ↗

r/northdakota

r/northdakota: Official subreddit for all things North Dakota....

reddit.com ↗

Is it worth moving to ND? : r/northdakota

For me it was cost of homes, cost of living, average wage for my profession, taxes, etc. I'll have 35 percent more money just by moving to ......

reddit.com ↗

Stay Current

Get notified when North Dakota tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.

Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable