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 $149,600 and the median county rent is $756/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
$149,600
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$756/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, Benson County, Grant 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
Benson County, McIntosh County, Burke 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
$80,300
- 2. Benson County
$83,100
- 3. Grant County
$85,800
- 4. Sioux County
$87,400
- 5. Rolette County
$93,000
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Benson County
1.2x home-value-to-income
- 2. McIntosh County
1.3x home-value-to-income
- 3. Burke County
1.5x home-value-to-income
- 4. Grant County
1.5x home-value-to-income
- 5. Steele County
1.5x 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
$466/mo
- 3. Rolette County
$479/mo
- 4. Adams County
$545/mo
- 5. Emmons County
$551/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Billings County
12.0% rent burden
- 2. Divide County
13.0% rent burden
- 3. Burke County
15.0% rent burden
- 4. Benson County
16.0% rent burden
- 5. Dunn County
17.0% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Billings County
0.37% effective tax rate
- 2. Slope County
0.38% effective tax rate
- 3. McKenzie County
0.41% effective tax rate
- 4. Sioux County
0.47% effective tax rate
- 5. Mountrail County
0.53% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Divide County
$460/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Golden Valley County
$331/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Kidder County
$322/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Mercer County
$249/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Mountrail County
$237/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Burke County
$96,339 income, 1.5x value-to-income
- 2. Benson County
$68,049 income, 1.2x value-to-income
- 3. Steele County
$80,313 income, 1.5x value-to-income
- 4. McIntosh County
$64,236 income, 1.3x value-to-income
- 5. Golden Valley County
$76,528 income, 1.6x 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 $80,300 home value, $64,236 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | McIntosh County $80,300 home value, 1.08% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Grant County $650/mo rent, 32.00% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | McKenzie County $357,300 home value, $88,289 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson County | $83,100 | $616/mo | $68,049 | 1.2x | 0.87% |
| McIntosh County | $80,300 | $600/mo | $64,236 | 1.3x | 1.08% |
| Burke County | $141,900 | $725/mo | $96,339 | 1.5x | 0.68% |
| Grant County | $85,800 | $650/mo | $56,750 | 1.5x | 0.98% |
| Steele County | $120,400 | $630/mo | $80,313 | 1.5x | 0.95% |
| Golden Valley County | $119,200 | $856/mo | $76,528 | 1.6x | 0.93% |
| Hettinger County | $110,900 | $830/mo | $70,827 | 1.6x | 1.13% |
| Rolette County | $93,000 | $479/mo | $57,355 | 1.6x | 0.98% |
| Sheridan County | $107,700 | $373/mo | $67,361 | 1.6x | 0.70% |
| Emmons County | $112,400 | $551/mo | $67,368 | 1.7x | 0.90% |
| LaMoure County | $118,000 | $607/mo | $70,263 | 1.7x | 0.97% |
| Logan County | $101,800 | $847/mo | $61,339 | 1.7x | 0.93% |
| Nelson County | $114,500 | $593/mo | $68,051 | 1.7x | 0.80% |
| Pembina County | $116,600 | $692/mo | $66,884 | 1.7x | 1.00% |
| Wells County | $106,400 | $630/mo | $61,346 | 1.7x | 1.04% |
| Cavalier County | $122,300 | $859/mo | $67,064 | 1.8x | 1.25% |
| McHenry County | $143,200 | $737/mo | $80,614 | 1.8x | 0.66% |
| Walsh County | $125,700 | $766/mo | $69,976 | 1.8x | 1.10% |
| Divide County | $173,100 | $1,064/mo | $89,297 | 1.9x | 0.60% |
| Sargent County | $149,600 | $835/mo | $77,697 | 1.9x | 1.14% |
| Slope County | $121,300 | $719/mo | $62,500 | 1.9x | 0.38% |
| Towner County | $122,800 | $719/mo | $63,017 | 1.9x | 0.88% |
| Adams County | $108,300 | $545/mo | $55,417 | 2.0x | 1.02% |
| Foster County | $162,800 | $756/mo | $83,412 | 2.0x | 1.28% |
| Griggs County | $128,200 | $606/mo | $64,737 | 2.0x | 0.91% |
| Bowman County | $176,400 | $869/mo | $83,773 | 2.1x | 0.75% |
| Eddy County | $115,500 | $615/mo | $55,389 | 2.1x | 0.89% |
| Renville County | $163,400 | $846/mo | $76,311 | 2.1x | 0.68% |
| Sioux County | $87,400 | $466/mo | $41,676 | 2.1x | 0.47% |
| Kidder County | $138,500 | $847/mo | $61,850 | 2.2x | 0.66% |
| Traill County | $193,200 | $758/mo | $88,289 | 2.2x | 1.04% |
| Bottineau County | $190,900 | $763/mo | $83,460 | 2.3x | 0.70% |
| Pierce County | $143,400 | $807/mo | $63,214 | 2.3x | 1.03% |
| Ransom County | $174,800 | $710/mo | $74,521 | 2.3x | 1.05% |
| Barnes County | $168,100 | $779/mo | $70,230 | 2.4x | 1.10% |
| Richland County | $177,600 | $751/mo | $72,524 | 2.4x | 1.13% |
| Mercer County | $196,200 | $1,043/mo | $79,405 | 2.5x | 1.07% |
| Dickey County | $167,100 | $749/mo | $63,125 | 2.6x | 0.92% |
| Dunn County | $244,000 | $941/mo | $94,688 | 2.6x | 0.60% |
| Mountrail County | $222,200 | $864/mo | $81,292 | 2.7x | 0.53% |
| McLean County | $233,100 | $768/mo | $81,847 | 2.8x | 0.75% |
| Oliver County | $217,000 | $725/mo | $76,953 | 2.8x | 0.63% |
| Williams County | $267,800 | $1,108/mo | $90,224 | 3.0x | 0.71% |
| Morton County | $249,600 | $1,036/mo | $79,483 | 3.1x | 1.03% |
| Ramsey County | $197,400 | $687/mo | $61,319 | 3.2x | 0.94% |
| Stark County | $260,400 | $966/mo | $80,744 | 3.2x | 0.92% |
| Stutsman County | $200,300 | $742/mo | $60,172 | 3.3x | 1.09% |
| Ward County | $259,100 | $1,000/mo | $79,273 | 3.3x | 1.07% |
| Grand Forks County | $244,200 | $971/mo | $68,450 | 3.6x | 1.13% |
| Burleigh County | $314,700 | $996/mo | $84,948 | 3.7x | 0.88% |
| Cass County | $284,700 | $930/mo | $75,023 | 3.8x | 1.21% |
| Billings County | $322,500 | $630/mo | $81,250 | 4.0x | 0.37% |
| McKenzie County | $357,300 | $1,153/mo | $88,289 | 4.0x | 0.41% |
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.