Most Affordable Cities in North Dakota

The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  North Dakota

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Home Prices · 30% Rent · 20% Cost Index · 25% Rent Burden · 15% Jobs · 10%

Top 12 Affordability Cities in North Dakota

Ranked by composite score across 5 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 61.4
Belcourt, ND
1,739 residents
Home Prices $94,300
Rent $843
Cost Index 89
#2
Score 60.7
New Rockford, ND
1,325 residents
Home Prices $101,400
Rent $584
Cost Index 89
#3
Score 58.6
Hettinger, ND
1,141 residents
Home Prices $112,600
Rent $498
Cost Index 89
#4
Score 56.5
Shell Valley, ND
1,112 residents
Home Prices $55,200
Rent $377
Cost Index 89
#5
Score 55.4
Harvey, ND
1,720 residents
Home Prices $118,000
Rent $631
Cost Index 89
#6
Score 55.2
Langdon, ND
1,835 residents
Home Prices $130,400
Rent $741
Cost Index 89
#7
Score 54.6
Crosby, ND
1,116 residents
Home Prices $111,800
Rent $1,023
Cost Index 89
#8
Score 54.4
Kenmare, ND
1,027 residents
Home Prices $122,000
Rent $815
Cost Index 89
#9
Score 54.2
Cando, ND
1,199 residents
Home Prices $149,300
Rent $740
Cost Index 89
#10
Score 52.8
Bottineau, ND
2,063 residents
Home Prices $165,300
Rent $770
Cost Index 89
#11
Score 52.6
Park River, ND
1,483 residents
Home Prices $118,600
Rent $892
Cost Index 89
#12
Score 52.5
Grafton, ND
4,128 residents
Home Prices $153,800
Rent $715
Cost Index 89

Full Ranking, North Dakota

Top 48 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Belcourt ND 61.4
2 New Rockford ND 60.7
3 Hettinger ND 58.6
4 Shell Valley ND 56.5
5 Harvey ND 55.4
6 Langdon ND 55.2
7 Crosby ND 54.6
8 Kenmare ND 54.4
9 Cando ND 54.2
10 Bottineau ND 52.8
11 Park River ND 52.6
12 Grafton ND 52.5
13 Wahpeton ND 51.4
14 Hillsboro ND 51.2
15 Devils Lake ND 50.9
16 Carrington ND 50.4
17 Garrison ND 49.8
18 Valley City ND 49.1
19 Lisbon ND 49.1
20 Oakes ND 48.8
21 Bowman ND 48.8
22 New Town ND 48.7
23 Cavalier ND 47.8
24 Washburn ND 47.7
25 Larimore ND 47.4
26 Rolla ND 47.1
27 Hazen ND 46.9
28 Mayville ND 46.6
29 Rugby ND 46.4
30 Surrey ND 45.8
31 Jamestown ND 45.3
32 Casselton ND 45.3
33 Tioga ND 44
34 Thompson ND 43.7
35 Stanley ND 41.4
36 Lincoln ND 40.8
37 Minot ND 40.7
38 Mandan ND 39.5
39 Burlington ND 39.4
40 Grand Forks ND 39.1
41 Dickinson ND 38.6
42 Fargo ND 37.7
43 Williston ND 37.5
44 Beulah ND 37.3
45 West Fargo ND 35.6
46 Bismarck ND 35.4
47 Horace ND 29.7
48 Watford City ND 27.8

Belcourt, ND tops the list with a composite score of 61.4 out of 100, followed by New Rockford and Hettinger. ND dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for affordability.

Rankings combine 5 independent metrics: Home Prices, Rent, Cost Index, Rent Burden, Jobs. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to affordability, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

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