The 58401 zip code in Jamestown tops our ranking of the most affordable places to live in North Dakota.
We looked at 16 zip codes in the state, evaluating home values, rental costs, energy rates, property taxes, and five other affordability indicators. We used the data we gathered to calculate our proprietary Affordability Score for each zip code.
Top 10 most affordable places to live in North Dakota
| Rank | City | Affordability Score | Median home value | Rental costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamestown 🥇 | 100.0 | $209,064 | $868 |
| 2 | Minot 🥈 | 99.9 | $245,333 | $951 |
| 3 | Devils Lake 🥉 | 96.9 | $223,442 | $1,185 |
| 4 | Mandan | 91.1 | $320,477 | $900 |
| 5 | Williston | 89.8 | $340,983 | $1,293 |
| 6 | Bismarck | 88.6 | $278,059 | $1,050 |
| 7 | Fargo | 86.0 | $253,457 | $896 |
| 8 | Dickinson | 84.4 | $301,199 | $1,600 |
| 9 | Grand Forks | 83.1 | $294,422 | $1,082 |
| 10 | West Fargo | 80.2 | $338,780 | $1,793 |
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1. Jamestown
Here's why the 58401 zip code in Jamestown is North Dakota's most affordable place to live.
🔎 Key data about Jamestown
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 16 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 100.0 | No. 1 | N/A |
| Median home value | $209,064[1] | No. 1 | -$95,551 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.6 | No. 4 | -0.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 12.0%[2] | No. 1 | -11% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -2.1%[3] | No. 2 | -0.9% |
| Rental costs | $868[4] | No. 1 | -$317 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.52% | No. 7 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $57,278[5] | No. 13 | -$18,524 |
| Property taxes | $2,433[6] | No. 6 | -$450 |
| Energy costs | $0.10 kWh[7] | No. 1 | -$0.01 |
Jamestown's 58401 zip code is the cheapest place to live in North Dakota, leading the 16 markets we evaluated.
The median home value is $209,064, making it the 1st-cheapest housing market in the state. Forecasts project a -2.1% change in home values in the next year. Rent in the zip code averages $868 per month, which is the 7th cheapest amount in North Dakota.
The median property tax for homeowners in Jamestown is $2,433 per household, the No. 6 ranked market in North Dakota.
Residents pay $0.10 per kWh of electricity, which ranks No. 1 among North Dakota markets.
2. Minot
The 58703 zip code is the 2nd-cheapest place to live in North Dakota.
🔎 Key data about Minot
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 16 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 99.9 | No. 2 | N/A |
| Median home value | $245,333[8] | No. 4 | -$59,282 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.0 | No. 1 | -1.0 |
| Home value five-year change | 34%[9] | No. 15 | 11% |
| Home value one-year forecast | 0.2%[10] | No. 15 | 1.4% |
| Rental costs | $951[11] | No. 5 | -$234 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.18% | No. 2 | -0.4% |
| Median household income | $80,639[12] | No. 6 | $4,837 |
| Property taxes | $2,701[13] | No. 9 | -$182 |
| Energy costs | $0.12 kWh[14] | No. 10 | $0.00 |
Minot's 58703 zip code has a median home value of $245,333, which is the 15th-cheapest housing market in North Dakota. You can rent for an average of $951 per month. That's the 5th-cheapest price in the state.
The average household income in the zip code is $80,639, which ranks 6th-highest in the state.
Homeowners in Minot pay a median property tax of $2,701 per year, making it the 9th-most affordable market in North Dakota.
Minot ranks No. 10 among North Dakota energy markets. You'll pay $0.12 per kWh of electricity.
3. Devils Lake
The 3rd-cheapest place to live in North Dakota is Devils Lake's 58301 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Devils Lake
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 16 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 96.9 | No. 3 | N/A |
| Median home value | $223,442[15] | No. 3 | -$81,172 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.8 | No. 6 | -0.2 |
| Home value five-year change | 19%[16] | No. 6 | -4% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -1.221444885%[17] | No. 9 | 0.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,185[18] | No. 9 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.56% | No. 8 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $58,272[19] | No. 12 | -$17,530 |
| Property taxes | $1,987[20] | No. 2 | -$896 |
| Energy costs | $0.10 kWh[21] | No. 1 | -$0.01 |
The No. 3 cheapest housing market in North Dakota is Devils Lake's 58301 zip code, with a median home value of $223,442. Rents in the market average $1,185 per month, making it the 9th-most affordable rental market in the state.
The median property tax for households in Devils Lake is $1,987, which makes it the 2nd-cheapest place in North Dakota. Devils Lake ranks No. 1 among North Dakota markets by energy costs. Residents pay $0.10 per kWh of electricity.
4. Mandan
The 58554 zip code in Mandan comes in at No. 4 on our list of the cheapest places to live in North Dakota.
🔎 Key data about Mandan
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 16 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 91.1 | No. 4 | N/A |
| Median home value | $320,477[22] | No. 11 | $15,863 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.8 | No. 7 | -0.2 |
| Home value five-year change | 31%[23] | No. 14 | 7% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.8%[24] | No. 12 | 0.4% |
| Rental costs | $900[25] | No. 3 | -$285 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.08% | No. 1 | -0.5% |
| Median household income | 83542[26] | No. 5 | $7,740 |
| Property taxes | $2,674[27] | No. 8 | -$209 |
| Energy costs | $0.11 kWh[28] | No. 4 | -$0.01 |
The No. 11 cheapest housing market in North Dakota is Mandan's 58554 zip code, where the median home value is $320,477. Renters here pay an average of $900 per month.
When it comes to energy costs, Mandan ranks 4th among North Dakota markets. Residents pay $0.11 per kWh of electricity.
The median property tax for households in the zip code is $2,674, which makes it the 8th-cheapest market in North Dakota.
5. Williston
The 58801 zip code in Williston ranks No. 5 among North Dakota's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Williston
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 16 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 89.8 | No. 5 | N/A |
| Median home value | $340,983[29] | No. 14 | $36,368 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.0 | No. 9 | 0.0 |
| Home value five-year change | 14%[30] | No. 3 | -10% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -3%[31] | No. 1 | -1.8% |
| Rental costs | $1,293[32] | No. 11 | $109 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.51% | No. 6 | -0.1% |
| Median household income | $85,913[33] | No. 4 | $10,111 |
| Property taxes | $1,865[34] | No. 1 | -$1,018 |
| Energy costs | $0.11 kWh[35] | No. 4 | -$0.01 |
Williston's 58801 zip code has a median home value of $340,983, the 14th-cheapest market in the state. Forecasts project a -3% change in home values in the next year.
The median property tax per household in Williston is $1,865. It's the 1st-cheapest market by tax rate in North Dakota.
6. Bismarck
The No. 6 most affordable place to live in North Dakota is the 58501 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Bismarck
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 16 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 88.6 | No. 6 | N/A |
| Median home value | $278,059[36] | No. 8 | -$26,555 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.2 | No. 12 | 0.2 |
| Home value five-year change | 27%[37] | No. 10 | 4% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.9%[38] | No. 10 | 0.3% |
| Rental costs | $1,050[39] | No. 7 | -$135 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.60% | No. 10 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $65,777[40] | No. 10 | -$10,025 |
| Property taxes | $2,493[41] | No. 7 | -$390 |
| Energy costs | $0.11 kWh[42] | No. 4 | -$0.01 |
The back half of our top 10 kicks off with Bismarck's 58501 zip code, which has the 8th-cheapest home values in North Dakota. The median home value is $278,059. Rents average $1,050 per month, making it the 7th-most affordable rental market in the state.
Residents pay $0.11 per kWh of electricity. It's the 4th-cheapest energy market.
7. Fargo
Fargo's 58103 zip code is the 7th-cheapest place to live in North Dakota.
🔎 Key data about Fargo
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 16 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 86.0 | No. 7 | N/A |
| Median home value | $253,457[43] | No. 5 | -$51,158 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.5 | No. 14 | 0.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 17%[44] | No. 4 | -6% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -1.5%[45] | No. 5 | -0.3% |
| Rental costs | $896[46] | No. 2 | -$288 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.58% | No. 9 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $56,786[47] | No. 15 | -$19,016 |
| Property taxes | $2,830[48] | No. 10 | -$53 |
| Energy costs | $0.13 kWh[49] | No. 13 | $0.01 |
You'll find the 5th-cheapest home values in North Dakota in Fargo's 58103 zip code. The median value: $253,457. Renters in Fargo pay an average of $896 per month.
Homeowners in Fargo pay a median property tax of $2,830 per year, which is North Dakota's 10th-most affordable market.
The average household income is $56,786, which ranks 15th-highest in the state.
8. Dickinson
The 8th-cheapest place to live in North Dakota is Dickinson's 58601 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Dickinson
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 16 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 84.4 | No. 8 | N/A |
| Median home value | $301,199[50] | No. 10 | -$3,416 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.8 | No. 5 | -0.2 |
| Home value five-year change | 19%[51] | No. 5 | -4% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -0.9%[52] | No. 10 | 0.3% |
| Rental costs | $1,600[53] | No. 15 | $415 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 2.03% | No. 15 | 0.5% |
| Median household income | $78,864[54] | No. 8 | $3,062 |
| Property taxes | $2,336[55] | No. 4 | -$547 |
| Energy costs | $0.11 kWh[56] | No. 4 | -$0.01 |
The 10th-cheapest housing market in North Dakota is Dickinson's 58601 zip code, with a median home value of $301,199. Renters pay an average of $1,600 per month, the No. 15 rental market in the state.
The median property tax for households in Dickinson is $2,336, which makes it the 4th-cheapest place in North Dakota. The average household income of $78,864 ranks 8th.
9. Grand Forks
Grand Forks's 58201 zip code sneaks into the top ten of North Dakota's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Grand Forks
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 16 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 83.1 | No. 9 | N/A |
| Median home value | $294,422[57] | No. 9 | -$10,193 |
| Home affordability ratio | 4.5 | No. 15 | 0.5 |
| Home value five-year change | 21%[58] | No. 8 | -2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -1.7%[59] | No. 4 | -0.5% |
| Rental costs | $1,082[60] | No. 8 | -$103 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.65% | No. 11 | 0.1% |
| Median household income | $65,498[61] | No. 11 | -$10,304 |
| Property taxes | $3,096[62] | No. 13 | $213 |
| Energy costs | $0.12 kWh[63] | No. 10 | $0.00 |
The 9th-cheapest housing market in North Dakota is Grand Forks's 58201 zip code, where the median home value is $294,422. Renters pay an average of $1,082 per month. It's the state's 8th-cheapest rental market.
The median property tax for households within the zip code is $3,096, which makes it the 13th-cheapest property tax rate in North Dakota.
10. West Fargo
The final spot on our list of the most affordable places to live in North Dakota goes to the 58078 zip code in West Fargo.
🔎 Key data about West Fargo
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 16 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 80.2 | No. 10 | N/A |
| Median home value | $338,780[64] | No. 13 | $34,166 |
| Home affordability ratio | 3.5 | No. 2 | -0.5 |
| Home value five-year change | 28%[65] | No. 13 | 5% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -1.4%[66] | No. 7 | -0.2% |
| Rental costs | $1,793[67] | No. 16 | $609 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.84% | No. 14 | 0.3% |
| Median household income | $97,231[68] | No. 2 | $21,429 |
| Property taxes | $3,680[69] | No. 15 | $797 |
| Energy costs | $0.13 kWh[70] | No. 13 | $0.01 |
The 13th-most affordable market in North Dakota is West Fargo's 58078 zip code. The median home value is $338,780. Rent in the market costs $1,793 per month on average, making it the 16th-most affordable rental market in North Dakota.
The median property tax for households in West Fargo is $3,680, which is the 15th-cheapest property tax rate in the state.
West Fargo ranks No. 13 among North Dakota markets by energy costs, with households paying $0.13 per kWh of electricity.
How we ranked the most affordable places in North Dakota
We evaluated 16 zip codes in North Dakota with a population over 10,000 on nine metrics. We then assigned each market an Affordability Score based on its weighted and combined rankings.
Our proprietary Affordability Score is a score on a scale of 0 (worst in state) to 100 (best in state) that estimates the affordability of a particular zip code. It takes into account these key data points for each zip code.
- Median home value: The median home value for each zip code comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. The lower the median home value relative to the median value in North Dakota, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 23.8% to median home value.
- Home affordability ratio. The home affordability ratio is the typical median home value divided by the median household income in the zip code, which reveals the number of years of household income needed to afford a home in that zip code. A lower ratio is better because it means more households can afford a home. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 23.8% to the home affordability ratio.
- Home value five-year change: The home value five-year change is the amount that the median home value in the zip code has risen or fallen during the last five years. Our data comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. We assign a weight of 4.8% to the home value five-year change.
- Home value one-year forecast: The home value one-year forecast comes from Zillow Forecast data. It projects how much home values in the zip code are forecasted to change in the next year. We assign a weight of 4.8% to the home value one-year forecast.
- Rental costs. The rental costs are the observed rents in the zip code, sourced from the Zillow Observed Rent Index. The index includes "listed rents that fall into the 40th to 60th percentile range for all homes and apartments in a given region." We assign a weight of 11.9% to rental costs.
- Median household income: The inflation-adjusted median household income figures for the zip code comes from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 4.8% to median household income.
- Rent affordability ratio. The rent affordability ratio is the ratio of rental costs divided by median household income, which provides the percentage of household income needed to pay a typical month’s rent in the zip code. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 11.9% to the rent affordability ratio.
- Property taxes: The property tax figures are the median real estate taxes paid in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The lower the property tax rate relative to the North Dakota average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 7.1% to property taxes.
- Energy costs: The energy costs are the costs of a kilowatt hour (kWh) of residential electricity in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Department of Energy. The lower the cost of electricity relative to the North Dakota average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 7.1% to energy costs.
✍️ Editor’s note: Our Affordability Score identifies the most affordable places in a state by zip code. Often the zip code we identify will represent an entire city or portion of a city.
Occasionally the zip code we identify will encompass an area that includes one or more small towns. In these cases, the data we’ve gathered applies to the entire zip code, not just the single town we’re using to help identify the zip code's location.
If you’re looking to move to one of these affordable places, we recommend doing additional research to make sure the costs in the area — and the quality of life it offers — meet your specific needs.
