Cost of living in Bismarck research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Bismarck is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in North Dakota, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Bismarck is 103, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Bismarck is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Bismarck ranks as the #10 cheapest in North Dakota out of 14.
Bismarck ranks as the #3,487 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Bismarck is $254,400.
The median income in Bismarck is $70,125.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bismarck has an overall cost of living index of 103, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to North Dakota, Bismarck has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than North Dakota's index of 96.
The standard of living in Bismarck ranks as #10 most affordable out of the 14 places we measured in North Dakota. By definition, that implies Bismarck ranks as the #4 most expensive place in the Peace Garden State.
For more reading on life in Bismarck, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bismarck. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Bismarck is 102.
The Groceries index in Bismarck is 102.
The Health index in Bismarck is 116.
The Housing index in Bismarck is 102.
The Transportation index in Bismarck is 107.
The Utilities index in Bismarck is 89.
Living Expense | Bismarck | North Dakota | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 103 | 96 | 100 | |
Services | 102 | 98 | 100 | |
Groceries | 102 | 97 | 100 | |
Health | 116 | 112 | 100 | |
Housing | 102 | 86 | 100 | |
Transportation | 107 | 99 | 100 | |
Utilities | 89 | 100 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in North Dakota, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Bismarck is $254,400.
The Median Rent in Bismarck is $904.
The Median Income in Bismarck is $70,125.
The Home Value To Income in Bismarck is 3.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Bismarck is 0.15x.
Statistic | Bismarck | North Dakota | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $254,400 | $209,900 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $904 | $853 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $70,125 | $68,131 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.6x | 3.1x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.15x | 0.15x | 0.2x |
Item | Bismarck | North Dakota |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.19 | $1.06 |
Movie | $9.73 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $15.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $19.28 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $40.26 | $39.05 |
Item | Bismarck | North Dakota |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.09 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.85 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.33 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.24 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.99 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.36 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.32 | $2.34 |
Item | Bismarck | North Dakota |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $130.44 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $168.02 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $99.4 | $99.13 |
Item | Bismarck | North Dakota |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.24 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $57.24 | $50.07 |
Item | Bismarck | North Dakota |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $131.33 | $167.67 |
Phone | $187.57 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bismarck. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Mandan, ND has a cost of living index of 97, 0.9x Bismarck.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Bismarck |
---|---|---|---|
Mandan, ND | 23,784 | 97 | 0.9x |