County housing intelligence
North Dakota Housing Market by County
North Dakota is not one housing market. Across 53 counties, the median county home value is $163,200 and the median county rent is $765/mo. The useful question is not whether North Dakota is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$163,200
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$765/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
53
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The North Dakota Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
McKenzie County, Billings County, Burleigh County sit at the top of the purchase market, while McIntosh County, Sioux County, Benson County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
McKenzie County, Williams County, Divide County lead on rent, while Sheridan County, Sioux County, Rolette County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
McIntosh County, Benson County, LaMoure County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. McIntosh County
$84,200
- 2. Sioux County
$85,400
- 3. Benson County
$90,000
- 4. Grant County
$93,200
- 5. Logan County
$102,000
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. McIntosh County
1.3x home-value-to-income
- 2. Benson County
1.4x home-value-to-income
- 3. LaMoure County
1.5x home-value-to-income
- 4. Grant County
1.6x home-value-to-income
- 5. Hettinger County
1.6x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Sheridan County
$373/mo
- 2. Sioux County
$444/mo
- 3. Rolette County
$505/mo
- 4. Slope County
$525/mo
- 5. Emmons County
$568/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Slope County
10.0% rent burden
- 2. Billings County
11.5% rent burden
- 3. Oliver County
11.5% rent burden
- 4. Divide County
14.3% rent burden
- 5. Burke County
15.4% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Slope County
0.23% effective tax rate
- 2. Billings County
0.37% effective tax rate
- 3. McKenzie County
0.43% effective tax rate
- 4. Sioux County
0.49% effective tax rate
- 5. Mountrail County
0.52% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Divide County
$524/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Kidder County
$300/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Mountrail County
$284/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Mercer County
$221/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Logan County
$202/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Burke County
$91,591 income, 1.7x value-to-income
- 2. LaMoure County
$80,664 income, 1.5x value-to-income
- 3. Divide County
$91,852 income, 1.8x value-to-income
- 4. McIntosh County
$64,419 income, 1.3x value-to-income
- 5. Foster County
$87,831 income, 1.9x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | McIntosh County $84,200 home value, $64,419 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | McIntosh County $84,200 home value, 1.08% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Foster County $780/mo rent, 35.60% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | McKenzie County $349,600 home value, $93,404 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Best value-to-income
Compare Every North Dakota County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McIntosh County | $84,200 | $608/mo | $64,419 | 1.3x | 1.08% |
| Benson County | $90,000 | $588/mo | $64,033 | 1.4x | 0.91% |
| LaMoure County | $117,200 | $766/mo | $80,664 | 1.5x | 1.01% |
| Grant County | $93,200 | $675/mo | $57,875 | 1.6x | 0.91% |
| Hettinger County | $117,300 | $785/mo | $73,026 | 1.6x | 1.12% |
| Logan County | $102,000 | $838/mo | $62,750 | 1.6x | 1.00% |
| Burke County | $158,100 | $684/mo | $91,591 | 1.7x | 0.54% |
| Pembina County | $119,200 | $684/mo | $68,393 | 1.7x | 1.01% |
| Rolette County | $103,800 | $505/mo | $59,517 | 1.7x | 0.94% |
| Steele County | $130,700 | $738/mo | $77,500 | 1.7x | 1.01% |
| Wells County | $114,500 | $648/mo | $66,114 | 1.7x | 0.98% |
| Adams County | $113,200 | $594/mo | $62,500 | 1.8x | 1.00% |
| Cavalier County | $125,800 | $786/mo | $69,531 | 1.8x | 1.34% |
| Divide County | $167,600 | $1,105/mo | $91,852 | 1.8x | 0.60% |
| Emmons County | $117,200 | $568/mo | $66,538 | 1.8x | 0.91% |
| Golden Valley County | $123,900 | $638/mo | $68,021 | 1.8x | 0.89% |
| Sheridan County | $110,300 | $373/mo | $62,639 | 1.8x | 0.70% |
| Walsh County | $132,700 | $748/mo | $71,944 | 1.8x | 1.07% |
| Foster County | $167,500 | $780/mo | $87,831 | 1.9x | 1.19% |
| Griggs County | $119,300 | $573/mo | $61,711 | 1.9x | 0.91% |
| McHenry County | $151,000 | $713/mo | $80,733 | 1.9x | 0.66% |
| Sioux County | $85,400 | $444/mo | $42,083 | 2.0x | 0.49% |
| Towner County | $134,800 | $757/mo | $67,350 | 2.0x | 0.88% |
| Nelson County | $139,700 | $582/mo | $67,193 | 2.1x | 0.75% |
| Sargent County | $163,200 | $816/mo | $77,946 | 2.1x | 1.12% |
| Renville County | $166,000 | $828/mo | $74,301 | 2.2x | 0.68% |
| Bottineau County | $193,200 | $796/mo | $85,000 | 2.3x | 0.72% |
| Bowman County | $164,900 | $765/mo | $72,109 | 2.3x | 0.73% |
| Traill County | $200,700 | $717/mo | $87,004 | 2.3x | 1.03% |
| Dickey County | $162,400 | $840/mo | $68,654 | 2.4x | 0.92% |
| Eddy County | $124,000 | $590/mo | $50,850 | 2.4x | 1.00% |
| Kidder County | $156,600 | $853/mo | $65,610 | 2.4x | 0.58% |
| Richland County | $183,600 | $740/mo | $75,432 | 2.4x | 1.13% |
| Slope County | $170,000 | $525/mo | $71,250 | 2.4x | 0.23% |
| Mercer County | $198,500 | $1,031/mo | $80,946 | 2.5x | 1.10% |
| Pierce County | $147,300 | $850/mo | $59,365 | 2.5x | 1.09% |
| Ransom County | $193,000 | $691/mo | $75,736 | 2.5x | 1.01% |
| Barnes County | $173,700 | $779/mo | $68,038 | 2.6x | 1.03% |
| McLean County | $227,100 | $784/mo | $83,583 | 2.7x | 0.76% |
| Dunn County | $275,000 | $922/mo | $97,689 | 2.8x | 0.61% |
| Oliver County | $215,700 | $756/mo | $77,240 | 2.8x | 0.62% |
| Mountrail County | $232,700 | $950/mo | $80,717 | 2.9x | 0.52% |
| Stark County | $271,700 | $960/mo | $84,449 | 3.2x | 0.89% |
| Morton County | $263,900 | $1,076/mo | $79,382 | 3.3x | 1.02% |
| Ramsey County | $199,300 | $714/mo | $61,006 | 3.3x | 0.99% |
| Williams County | $284,800 | $1,123/mo | $85,595 | 3.3x | 0.68% |
| Stutsman County | $208,400 | $774/mo | $61,856 | 3.4x | 1.10% |
| Ward County | $267,100 | $1,048/mo | $78,238 | 3.4x | 1.07% |
| Burleigh County | $324,000 | $998/mo | $86,851 | 3.7x | 0.88% |
| Grand Forks County | $252,700 | $992/mo | $68,075 | 3.7x | 1.15% |
| McKenzie County | $349,600 | $1,284/mo | $93,404 | 3.7x | 0.43% |
| Billings County | $331,000 | $621/mo | $86,806 | 3.8x | 0.37% |
| Cass County | $298,000 | $958/mo | $75,555 | 3.9x | 1.20% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in North Dakota by county?
What is the typical rent in North Dakota by county?
Which North Dakota counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.