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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 84.2
Rugby, ND
2,555 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 38/100K
Home Affordability $147,800
#2
Score 82
Hillsboro, ND
1,643 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $180,800
#3
Score 81.1
Carrington, ND
2,171 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 51/100K
Home Affordability $141,800
#4
Score 80.6
Harvey, ND
1,720 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $118,000
#5
Score 80.2
Thompson, ND
1,092 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $274,000
#6
Score 79.8
New Rockford, ND
1,325 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 48/100K
Home Affordability $101,400
#7
Score 79.7
Bowman, ND
1,523 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $181,300
#8
Score 77.5
Langdon, ND
1,835 residents
Schools 5.9
Safety 80/100K
Home Affordability $130,400
#9
Score 75.1
Bottineau, ND
2,063 residents
Schools 6.0
Safety 102/100K
Home Affordability $165,300
#10
Score 75.1
Mayville, ND
2,050 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $196,200
#11
Score 74
Hettinger, ND
1,141 residents
Schools 5.8
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $112,600
#12
Score 73.4
Kenmare, ND
1,027 residents
Schools 5.4
Safety 0/100K
Home Affordability $122,000

Full Ranking, North Dakota

Top 49 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Rugby ND 84.2
2 Hillsboro ND 82
3 Carrington ND 81.1
4 Harvey ND 80.6
5 Thompson ND 80.2
6 New Rockford ND 79.8
7 Bowman ND 79.7
8 Langdon ND 77.5
9 Bottineau ND 75.1
10 Mayville ND 75.1
11 Hettinger ND 74
12 Kenmare ND 73.4
13 Beulah ND 72.6
14 Hazen ND 72.6
15 Oakes ND 72.5
16 Larimore ND 71.3
17 Cavalier ND 71
18 West Fargo ND 70.1
19 Mapleton ND 70
20 Cando ND 69.3
21 Valley City ND 69.1
22 Surrey ND 68.9
23 Garrison ND 68.3
24 Lisbon ND 68.1
25 Grafton ND 67.5
26 Jamestown ND 66.6
27 Lincoln ND 65.9
28 Grand Forks ND 65.9
29 Wahpeton ND 64.8
30 Casselton ND 64.4
31 New Town ND 64.3
32 Devils Lake ND 63.6
33 Park River ND 63.6
34 Dickinson ND 62
35 Bismarck ND 61.9
36 Crosby ND 60.9
37 Mandan ND 60.4
38 Minot ND 59.7
39 Washburn ND 58.4
40 Horace ND 57.6
41 Belcourt ND 57.6
42 Fargo ND 54.9
43 Rolla ND 54.6
44 Burlington ND 49
45 Stanley ND 48.9
46 Shell Valley ND 47.5
47 Williston ND 45
48 Tioga ND 44.7
49 Watford City ND 35.2

Rugby, ND tops the list with a composite score of 84.2 out of 100, followed by Hillsboro and Carrington. 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

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 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 →