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Best Cities for Retirees in North Dakota

Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.

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.

Safety · 20% Affordability · 20% Warm Climate · 15% Sunshine · 10% Doctor Access · 15% Dental Access · 10% Health · 10%

Top 12 Retirees Cities in North Dakota

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 71.2
Hettinger, ND
1,141 residents
Safety 0/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 43°F
#2
Score 70.2
Surrey, ND
1,672 residents
Safety 0/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 43°F
#3
Score 69.2
Minot AFB, ND
4,904 residents
Safety 0/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 43°F
#4
Score 66.5
Thompson, ND
1,092 residents
Safety 0/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 41°F
#5
Score 66.3
Lincoln, ND
4,309 residents
Safety 75/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 43°F
#6
Score 65.9
Hazen, ND
2,509 residents
Safety 43/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 43°F
#7
Score 65.4
Bowman, ND
1,523 residents
Safety 0/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 42°F
#8
Score 63.7
Grand Forks AFB, ND
2,072 residents
Safety 0/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 40°F
#9
Score 63
New Rockford, ND
1,325 residents
Safety 48/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 41°F
#10
Score 62.7
Harvey, ND
1,720 residents
Safety 0/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 40°F
#11
Score 62.2
Beulah, ND
3,058 residents
Safety 125/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 43°F
#12
Score 61
Washburn, ND
1,434 residents
Safety 257/100K
Affordability 89
Warm Climate 42°F

Full Ranking, North Dakota

Top 47 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Hettinger ND 71.2
2 Surrey ND 70.2
3 Minot AFB ND 69.2
4 Thompson ND 66.5
5 Lincoln ND 66.3
6 Hazen ND 65.9
7 Bowman ND 65.4
8 Grand Forks AFB ND 63.7
9 New Rockford ND 63
10 Harvey ND 62.7
11 Beulah ND 62.2
12 Washburn ND 61
13 Larimore ND 60.9
14 Mapleton ND 60.5
15 Carrington ND 59.9
16 Casselton ND 59.8
17 Minot ND 59
18 Hillsboro ND 57
19 Bismarck ND 56.5
20 Lisbon ND 56.5
21 Tioga ND 55.2
22 Stanley ND 54.5
23 Burlington ND 54.4
24 Dickinson ND 53.8
25 Oakes ND 53.7
26 Jamestown ND 53
27 Grand Forks ND 52.6
28 Mandan ND 52.4
29 Garrison ND 51.8
30 Rugby ND 51.6
31 West Fargo ND 51.1
32 Valley City ND 50.6
33 Cavalier ND 50.6
34 Mayville ND 50.2
35 Langdon ND 50.2
36 Horace ND 50.1
37 Devils Lake ND 49.9
38 Bottineau ND 48.3
39 Grafton ND 47.4
40 Rolla ND 47.4
41 Shell Valley ND 47.3
42 Belcourt ND 47
43 Wahpeton ND 45.4
44 Fargo ND 44
45 Park River ND 43.5
46 Williston ND 42.4
47 Watford City ND 27

Hettinger, ND tops the list with a composite score of 71.2 out of 100, followed by Surrey and Minot AFB. ND dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for retirees.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Safety, Affordability, Warm Climate, Sunshine, Doctor Access, Dental Access, Health. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to retirees, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

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

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Warmest Cities → Most Affordable →