Best Cities for Families in North Dakota

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

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.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in North Dakota

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 84.1
Rugby, ND
2,555 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 41/100K
Home Affordability $147,800
#2
Score 81.2
Carrington, ND
2,171 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 50/100K
Home Affordability $141,800
#3
Score 77.7
Bowman, ND
1,523 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 72/100K
Home Affordability $181,300
#4
Score 75.7
Harvey, ND
1,720 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 126/100K
Home Affordability $118,000
#5
Score 73.8
Beulah, ND
3,058 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 99/100K
Home Affordability $194,300
#6
Score 73.7
Kenmare, ND
1,027 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $122,000
#7
Score 73.1
Jamestown, ND
15,774 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 102/100K
Home Affordability $192,500
#8
Score 72.9
Cavalier, ND
1,304 residents
Schools 5.9
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $155,500
#9
Score 71.8
Grafton, ND
4,128 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 50/100K
Home Affordability $153,800
#10
Score 69.7
Devils Lake, ND
7,170 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 140/100K
Home Affordability $171,000
#11
Score 69.6
West Fargo, ND
39,325 residents
Schools 5.7
Safety 169/100K
Home Affordability $302,200
#12
Score 69.4
Hazen, ND
2,509 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 132/100K
Home Affordability $189,300

Full Ranking, North Dakota

Top 27 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Rugby ND 84.1
2 Carrington ND 81.2
3 Bowman ND 77.7
4 Harvey ND 75.7
5 Beulah ND 73.8
6 Kenmare ND 73.7
7 Jamestown ND 73.1
8 Cavalier ND 72.9
9 Grafton ND 71.8
10 Devils Lake ND 69.7
11 West Fargo ND 69.6
12 Hazen ND 69.4
13 Lisbon ND 68.6
14 Lincoln ND 67.2
15 Surrey ND 67
16 New Town ND 64.7
17 Mandan ND 64.4
18 Grand Forks ND 64.1
19 Bismarck ND 63.9
20 Wahpeton ND 63.4
21 Dickinson ND 60
22 Minot ND 58.9
23 Fargo ND 54.5
24 Rolla ND 52.1
25 Williston ND 47.3
26 Tioga ND 46.9
27 Stanley ND 45.6

Rugby, ND tops the list with a composite score of 84.1 out of 100, followed by Carrington and Bowman. ND dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

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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 Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →