North Dakota Cost of Living & Economic Score
Federal Bureau of Economic Analysis data on price levels, real income, and household-budget impact for North Dakota. Last updated 2024.
InflationRank Score
Cost of living in North Dakota
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, prices in North Dakota run 4.5% below the U.S. average (Regional Price Parity index 95.5 on a base of 100). The state sits in the Midwest region. That puts it close to the middle of the U.S. cost-of-living distribution.
Real per-capita personal income — what local residents actually earn after adjusting for cost of living — is $60.0K (vs $59K nationally). Locals have higher real purchasing power than the U.S. average — high incomes here more than compensate for any cost premium.
Notable cost factors: state-and-local taxes are roughly in line with the U.S. average.
Cost of living in North Dakota's major metro areas
- Fargo, ND RPP 92.0 B
How does cost of living in North Dakota compare to other states?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in North Dakota?
North Dakota's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 95.5 (U.S.=100), meaning prices are 4.5% below the national average. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024.
Is North Dakota affordable to live in?
North Dakota has an InflationRank score of 80/100 (grade B-), reflecting costs above the national average relative to local incomes. Real per-capita income is $60.0K (U.S. avg $59K).
What is the InflationRank score for North Dakota?
North Dakota's InflationRank score is 80/100 (grade B-). The score blends cost burden (60%), inflation pressure (25%), and income resilience (15%), using Bureau of Economic Analysis and Bureau of Labor Statistics federal data.
About the InflationRank Score
The InflationRank Score is a proprietary 0–100 composite that summarizes a place's cost-of-living and economic conditions on a familiar A–F grading scale. Higher scores reflect a better cost-of-living-adjusted economic situation.
The composite weighs three dimensions sourced from federal government datasets: cost level (how local prices compare to the national average), inflation pressure (recent direction and pace of cost movements), and income resilience (real, cost-adjusted earning power of local residents). The score is anchored to the U.S. national average and reviewed annually as federal data refreshes.
Underlying data is drawn from authoritative federal economic agencies and public housing datasets. See full data sources →