Housing decision brief
Grant County, ND Housing Market
Grant County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a higher tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
3rd lowest home value out of 53 North Dakota counties with data | 15th lowest rent out of 53
Median home value
$85,800
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$650/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$590/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.5x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
32.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$60/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$85,800 median home value is 43% below North Dakota county median
Lower rent
$650/mo is 14% below North Dakota county median
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $60/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 85.2 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$56,750 median income is 20% below North Dakota county median
Tax rate needs attention
0.98% effective property-tax rate is 5% above North Dakota county median
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Grant County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $85,800 | $149,600 | $281,900 | 43% favorable43% below North Dakota county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $650 | $756 | $1,163 | 14% favorable14% below North Dakota county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $590 | $712 | $1,672 | 17% favorable17% below North Dakota county median |
Median household income | $56,750 | $70,827 | $74,755 | 20% pressure20% below North Dakota county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.98% | 0.93% | 1.02% | 5% pressure5% above North Dakota county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 32.00% | 22.00% | N/A | 45% pressure32.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$30,750
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$31,464
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Grant County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $650/month , about 13.7% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
Renters in Grant County pay $650/month on average, compared to $590/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 9%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $26,000/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $25,286/year. With a median household income of $56,750, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 32.0% of renter households in Grant County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Nelson County where rent averages $593/month, Grant County is approximately 10% more expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benson County, ND | $83,100 | $616/mo | Same-state comparison near $83,100 home value and $616/mo rent. |
| McIntosh County, ND | $80,300 | $600/mo | Same-state comparison near $80,300 home value and $600/mo rent. |
| Wells County, ND | $106,400 | $630/mo | Same-state comparison near $106,400 home value and $630/mo rent. |
| Eddy County, ND | $115,500 | $615/mo | Same-state comparison near $115,500 home value and $615/mo rent. |
| Rolette County, ND | $93,000 | $479/mo | Same-state comparison near $93,000 home value and $479/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Grant County
Is Grant County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Grant County?
How much income do you need for housing in Grant County?
What should I double-check before moving to Grant County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.