This article, the forty-ninth in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in North Dakota based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, “places” are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 1,000.
Among the ten best places to live in North Dakota, four comprise the capital of Bismarck and its suburbs and exurbs, four are suburbs and exurbs of Fargo, and two are county seats. By county, two of the best places to live in North Dakota are located in Cass County, two in Mercer County, and one each in Barnes, Burleigh, McLean, Stark, Towner, and Traill counties.
After reading “Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011),” return to this link to read “Largest Cities in North Dakota (2011).” A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
For the culmination of the 50-state series, read “Best Places to Live in America (2011).”
1. Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011) – Horace, ND (Cass County)
Population: 2,273
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $110,311
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 42.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.46*
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Bismarck, ND: 195 miles W
Fargo, ND: 14 miles NNE
2. Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011) – Casselton, ND (Cass County)
Population: 2,281
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $57,848
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 32.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.46*
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Bismarck, ND: 175 miles W
Fargo, ND: 25 miles E
3. Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011) – Valley City, ND (Barnes County)
Population: 6,314
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $47,003
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 33.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.46*
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Bismarck, ND: 135 miles W
Fargo, ND: 62 miles E
4. Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011) – Beulah, ND (Mercer County)
Population: 2,895
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $73,459
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 19.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.47
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Bismarck, ND: 79 miles SE
Fargo, ND: 268 miles E
5. Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011) – Washburn, ND (McLean County)
Population: 1,238
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $75,255
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 21.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.71*
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Bismarck, ND: 40 miles SSE
Fargo, ND: 224 miles E
6. Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011) – Cando, ND (Towner County)
Population: 1,190
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $52,613
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 26.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.01
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Bismarck, ND: 190 miles SSW
Grand Forks, ND: 125 miles ESE
7. Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011) – Mayville, ND (Traill County)
Population: 1,750
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $50,006
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 32.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.86
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Bismarck, ND: 209 miles WSW
Fargo, ND: 59 miles SSE
8. Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011) – Hazen, ND (Mercer County)
Population: 2,232
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $74,597
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 17.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.47*
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Bismarck, ND: 69 miles SE
Fargo, ND: 257 miles E
9. Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011) – Bismarck, ND (Burleigh County)
Population: 59,471
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $56,275
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 32.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.02
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Fargo, ND: 196 miles E
10. Best Places to Live in North Dakota (2011) – Dickinson, ND (Stark County)
Population: 15,872
Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $57,447
Bachelor’s degree or higher (25 years and over): 25.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.05
Distance to Familiar Cities:
Bismarck, ND: 99 miles E
Fargo, ND: 292 miles E
*In some cases, municipalities do not report their crime statistics to the FBI or they contract for services with the state or a county law enforcement agency. For those towns, crime rates are extrapolated from municipal, county, state, or contiguous municipality data.
The sources used in support of this article include the latest 1, 3, and 5-year estimates from the U.S. Census and the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report.
More Articles from J.C. Grant
“Average ACT Scores by State (2010)”
“Average SAT Scores by State (2010)”
“Largest U.S. Cities: Population Size (2011)”
“Most_Dangerous_Cities_in_America – Murder Rates”
“State Education Rankings: Graduation Rates for High School, College, and Grad/Professional School”
“State Education Rankings: SAT Scores”
Source(s):
“All Cities in North Dakota,” City-Data.com
“2009 ACS 1-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2007-2009 ACS 3-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2006-2008 ACS 3-year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“2005-2009 ACS 5-Year Estimates,” U.S. Census Bureau
“Uniform Crime Report,” Federal Bureau of Investigation
