Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is North Dakota a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in North Dakota.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Peace Garden State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of North Dakota, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 53 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In North Dakota For 2024
Burleigh County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in North Dakota. And you should avoid Sioux County if you can — at least according to the 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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In North Dakota For 2024
1. Burleigh County
Biggest Place: Bismarck
Population: 98,443
Median Income: $82,141 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $334,884 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (32nd best)
More on Burleigh County: Data
2. Foster County
Biggest Place: Carrington
Population: 3,388
Median Income: $78,426 (17th best)
Median Home Price: $151,806 (26th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.2% (best)
More on Foster County: Data
3. Traill County
Biggest Place: Mayville
Population: 8,004
Median Income: $81,157 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $183,694 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (20th best)
More on Traill County: Data
4. Morton County
Biggest Place: Mandan
Population: 33,192
Median Income: $79,555 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $286,516 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (19th best)
More on Morton County: Data
5. Sargent County
Biggest Place: Gwinner
Population: 3,828
Median Income: $75,648 (2best)
Median Home Price: $119,526 (34th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5% (14th best)
More on Sargent County: Data
6. Mclean County
Biggest Place: Garrison
Population: 9,781
Median Income: $80,556 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $183,357 (18th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4% (12th best)
More on Mclean County: Data
7. Burke County
Biggest Place: Bowbells
Population: 2,184
Median Income: $94,583 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $103,207 (42nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (2best)
More on Burke County: Data
8. Billings County
Biggest Place: Medora
Population: 839
Median Income: $74,000 (22nd best)
Median Home Price: $256,426 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (22nd best)
More on Billings County: Data
9. Cass County
Biggest Place: Fargo
Population: 186,328
Median Income: $73,249 (23rd best)
Median Home Price: $300,997 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (33rd best)
More on Cass County: Data
10. Renville County
Biggest Place: Mohall
Population: 2,282
Median Income: $77,067 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $141,552 (27th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3% (27th best)
More on Renville County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which North Dakota county is the best?
To give you the best county in North Dakota, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. 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 two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in North Dakota across each of the criteria from one to 53, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In North Dakota.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Peace Garden State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in North Dakota.
Read on to see why Burleigh County is the best county, while Sioux County is probably in contention for being the worst county in North Dakota.
Summary: The Best Counties In North Dakota To Call Home For 2024
Living in North Dakota can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in North Dakota are Burleigh County, Foster County, Traill County, Morton County, Sargent County, McLean County, Burke County, Billings County, Cass County, and Renville County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in North Dakota according to the data:
- Sioux County
- Rolette County
- Towner County
For more North Dakota reading, check out:
- Safest Places In North Dakota
- Best Places To Retire In North Dakota
- Richest Cities In North Dakota
- Cheapest Places To Live In North Dakota
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In North Dakota
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burleigh County | 98,443 | $82,141 | $334,884 |
| 2 | Foster County | 3,388 | $78,426 | $151,806 |
| 3 | Traill County | 8,004 | $81,157 | $183,694 |
| 4 | Morton County | 33,192 | $79,555 | $286,516 |
| 5 | Sargent County | 3,828 | $75,648 | $119,526 |
| 6 | Mclean County | 9,781 | $80,556 | $183,357 |
| 7 | Burke County | 2,184 | $94,583 | $103,207 |
| 8 | Billings County | 839 | $74,000 | $256,426 |
| 9 | Cass County | 186,328 | $73,249 | $300,997 |
| 10 | Renville County | 2,282 | $77,067 | $141,552 |
| 11 | Steele County | 1,774 | $85,750 | $129,454 |
| 12 | Oliver County | 1,832 | $69,722 | $196,515 |
| 13 | Ward County | 69,532 | $78,143 | $243,070 |
| 14 | Golden Valley County | 1,734 | $84,750 | $137,341 |
| 15 | Williams County | 39,076 | $86,139 | $301,985 |
| 16 | Stark County | 32,989 | $78,734 | $269,194 |
| 17 | Slope County | 837 | $70,625 | $118,657 |
| 18 | Cavalier County | 3,691 | $61,174 | $139,118 |
| 19 | Dunn County | 4,049 | $91,758 | $244,210 |
| 20 | Divide County | 2,195 | $95,938 | $175,881 |
| 21 | Griggs County | 2,309 | $66,688 | $86,623 |
| 22 | Richland County | 16,548 | $67,089 | $192,413 |
| 23 | Mckenzie County | 14,081 | $83,813 | $301,103 |
| 24 | Ransom County | 5,663 | $71,462 | $156,475 |
| 25 | Logan County | 1,849 | $59,750 | $101,922 |
| 26 | Grand Forks County | 72,927 | $64,698 | $247,098 |
| 27 | Bottineau County | 6,411 | $80,113 | $181,102 |
| 28 | Nelson County | 3,025 | $62,219 | $98,882 |
| 29 | Sheridan County | 1,338 | $68,684 | $71,761 |
| 30 | Pierce County | 3,999 | $59,583 | $166,703 |
| 31 | Mercer County | 8,366 | $82,155 | $193,490 |
| 32 | Kidder County | 2,391 | $57,240 | $157,504 |
| 33 | Ramsey County | 11,613 | $61,490 | $200,052 |
| 34 | Emmons County | 3,297 | $63,750 | $103,182 |
| 35 | Barnes County | 10,826 | $64,447 | $155,974 |
| 36 | Lamoure County | 4,135 | $70,227 | $126,215 |
| 37 | Wells County | 3,990 | $59,732 | $113,251 |
| 38 | Adams County | 2,190 | $57,950 | $115,967 |
| 39 | Mountrail County | 9,648 | $81,886 | $198,290 |
| 40 | Dickey County | 5,003 | $60,250 | $129,639 |
| 41 | Walsh County | 10,553 | $68,082 | $120,667 |
| 42 | Mchenry County | 5,326 | $78,071 | $117,509 |
| 43 | Bowman County | 2,975 | $79,709 | $166,896 |
| 44 | Pembina County | 6,853 | $64,243 | $108,868 |
| 45 | Stutsman County | 21,609 | $59,167 | $196,343 |
| 46 | Mcintosh County | 2,529 | $64,375 | $89,938 |
| 47 | Grant County | 2,320 | $57,069 | $95,876 |
| 48 | Eddy County | 2,345 | $50,375 | $90,590 |
| 49 | Hettinger County | 2,477 | $66,797 | $96,234 |
| 50 | Benson County | 5,960 | $63,220 | $112,825 |
| 51 | Towner County | 2,152 | $61,250 | $86,241 |
| 52 | Rolette County | 12,292 | $53,806 | $97,387 |
| 53 | Sioux County | 3,896 | $41,201 | $104,945 |