Cost of Living in North Dakota
What it costs to live in North Dakota, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 796,568
- Median household income
- $77,871
- State income tax
- Up to 2.5%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 89.0
What a typical paycheck keeps in North Dakota
The typical North Dakota worker earns $52,480 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $17,112 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $52,480
- Federal income tax
- −$4,118
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,015
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$10,932
- Everyday costs
- −$16,303
a year, or $1,426 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across North Dakota.
Cost of living in North Dakota
Prices across North Dakota run 11% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing29% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities26% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)9% below the US average
- All items11% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $911 | $10,932 |
| Food | $472 | $5,664 |
| Transportation | $374 | $4,488 |
| Healthcare | $321 | $3,852 |
| Utilities | $192 | $2,304 |
| Total before taxes | $2,270 | $27,240 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
North Dakota taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 0% |
| $48,475 | 2% |
| $244,825 | 2.5% |
North Dakota starts from federal taxable income; bracket widths are 2025 amounts.
Taxes on the median household income
$77,871 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$8,302 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,957 |
| State income tax | −$259 |
| Effective tax rate | 18.6% |
Cities in North Dakota
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each North Dakota city we cover.
What common jobs keep in North Dakota
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $220,660 | $133,641 |
| Pharmacist | $142,040 | $79,604 |
| Physician assistant | $133,450 | $73,901 |
| Nurse practitioner | $130,070 | $71,657 |
| Lawyer | $106,880 | $55,960 |
| Lineman | $105,870 | $55,270 |
| Software engineer | $105,600 | $55,085 |
| Veterinarian | $102,180 | $52,745 |
| Civil engineer | $98,190 | $50,016 |
| Project manager | $96,160 | $48,628 |
| Dental hygienist | $90,530 | $44,776 |
| Mechanical engineer | $86,330 | $41,904 |
| Physical therapist | $85,330 | $41,219 |
| Occupational therapist | $83,200 | $39,763 |
| Data scientist | $81,900 | $38,874 |
Salary pages in North Dakota, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in North Dakota
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Pharmacists | $142,040 |
| Financial Managers | $135,890 |
| Nurse Practitioners | $130,070 |
| Managers, All Other | $126,440 |
| Lawyers | $106,880 |
| Software Developers | $105,600 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $105,170 |
| Construction Managers | $102,070 |
| Civil Engineers | $98,190 |
| General and Operations Managers | $98,170 |
| Project Management Specialists | $96,160 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $90,600 |
| Loan Officers | $84,650 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $81,370 |
| Registered Nurses | $80,730 |
Living in North Dakota
North Dakota against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | North Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $266,100 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $980 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 17.5 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 7.1% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare North Dakota with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in North Dakota?
Prices in North Dakota are 11% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $911 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,359 a month.
Does North Dakota have a state income tax?
Yes. North Dakota's income tax rate is up to 2.5%. On a typical wage of $52,480, a single filer pays about $0 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in North Dakota?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $31,200 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in North Dakota earns $52,480 and keeps $17,112 after those costs.
Where in North Dakota does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the North Dakota cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Bismarck ($16,715 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Fargo ($15,895).
What jobs pay the most in North Dakota?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in North Dakota goes to Pharmacists ($142,040); Financial Managers ($135,890); Nurse Practitioners ($130,070) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate