State profile
North Dakota Cost of Living Comparison
North Dakota's 2024 price level is 88.959, eighth-lowest of 51, and its renters carry the lightest burden in the country: gross rent takes 25.0% of income, rank 51.
Updated
88.959North Dakota all-items price level, U.S. = 100 · rank 8 of 51, lowest first
| Measure | North Dakota | Alabama | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 88.959 | 88.823 | +0.136 points |
| Rent price level | 71.421 | 61.785 | +9.636 points |
| Home value | $249,900±$2,909 | $209,900±$1,076 | +$40,000 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $950±$14 | $960±$10 | −$10 |
| Household income | $76,657±$1,163 | $63,999±$399 | +$12,658 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $2,468±$38 | $788±$6 | +$1,680 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in North Dakota scales to $3,994 in Alabama at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
North Dakota: cheapest services, lightest rent burden, oil-funded state
North Dakota is the cheapest place in the country for other services, at 91.158, and its utilities (73.669) rank fifth-lowest. Goods (95.701) and rents (71.421) both rank 13th-lowest. The two-bedroom gross-rent median of $950 ranks 48th.
Low rents and solid incomes add up to the lowest rent burden anywhere. A middling household median, 28th, becomes seventh place once income is averaged per person and adjusted for North Dakota's prices: $65,271, about 10.3% above the U.S. figure.
Oil money shapes the state budget. Severance taxes supplied 47.2% of fiscal 2025 collections, $3,257 per resident, the largest severance share of any state, while individual income tax supplied only 7.7%. Total collections were $6,902 per resident, rank 6, a figure that says more about production than about what households pay.
Homeowners see moderate costs: a median home value of $249,900 (rank 36), owners with a mortgage paying a median $1,762 a month and a median real estate tax of $2,468 a year, rank 31.
The relative price level has fallen from 91.816 in 2020 to 88.959 in 2024, a decline of 2.857 points, with the low point of 88.174 in 2023.
Minnesota, to the east, is the dear neighbour: its price level is 98.621 and its two-bedroom median $1,356, or $406 a month more. Montana (94.645) is also pricier, while South Dakota (88.586) is almost level. Alabama, at 88.823, is the closest price level nationally.
Category price levels in North Dakota
| Category | Parity | Rank, low first | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 88.959 | 8 | 11.04% below |
| Goods | 95.701 | 13 | 4.30% below |
| Housing (rents) | 71.421 | 13 | 28.58% below |
| Utilities | 73.669 | 5 | 26.33% below |
| Other services | 91.158 | 1 | 8.84% below |
| Real income per person, 2017 $ | $65,271 | 7 | U.S. $59,195 |
All items by year: 2020 91.816 · 2021 90.962 · 2022 88.703 · 2023 88.174 · 2024 88.959 (−2.857 since 2020). How to read categories and trends
Monthly housing costs
- Owners with a mortgage
- $1,762±$22 · rank 27, high first
- Owners without a mortgage
- $590±$7 · rank 28
- Renters: gross rent / income
- 25.0%±0.6 · rank 51
North Dakota state tax collections, FY2025
$5.52 billion in total, $6,902 per resident. Scope of these figures
| Tax | FY2025 | Share | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | $425.4 million | 7.7% | $532 |
| General sales | $1.38 billion | 25.0% | $1,726 |
| Property | $6.0 million | 0.1% | $7 |
| Motor fuel | $191.2 million | 3.5% | $239 |
| Other selective sales | $357.7 million | 6.5% | $447 |
| Corporate income | $336.2 million | 6.1% | $421 |
| Licenses | $217.1 million | 3.9% | $272 |
| Severance | $2.60 billion | 47.2% | $3,257 |
| Other taxes | $0.0 million | 0.0% | $0 |
North Dakota beside its neighbours
| Jurisdiction | All items | Rents | Goods | 2BR rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 88.959 | 71.421 | 95.701 | $950 |
| Minnesota | 98.621 | 91.281 | 100.519 | $1,356 |
| Montana | 94.645 | 84.648 | 96.006 | $1,099 |
| South Dakota | 88.586 | 67.642 | 95.473 | $987 |
Before you budget a move
For North Dakota, ask whether the proposed employment includes housing, rotations or travel arrangements. Those contract details determine personal cash outlays that a statewide median cannot recover. The price index and income median help screen alternatives but cannot replace the employer’s compensation and accommodation terms.
For Fargo-area or another destination, compare the required dwelling size and utility responsibilities with the origin plan. If the household changes from renting to owning, add financing and maintenance separately. Historical owner-value and tax medians describe surveyed units, not a purchase quote or an assessment for a future address.
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