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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in North Dakota beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. Fargo stands out at 92 on the index, with rent of $1,096/month — for better or worse — and household income of $66,029. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (that's pre-tax, of course…
The numbers are clear: 1 of 1 cities in North Dakota beat the national cost-of-living benchmark of 112. Fargo stands out at 92 on the index, with rent of $1,096/month — for better or worse — and household income of $66,029. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data (that's pre-tax, of course).
Fargo is one of the cheaper options here. Rent is $1,096/month, which is lower than most cities in this ranking. The cost index is 92. Income sits at $66,029. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
There's more to the story, though. And as a general rule, here's the state-level backdrop: North Dakota averages a 92 cost index, $1,096/mo rent, and $66,029 income across 1 cities. Standard stuff, really. That's $799 less than the national rent average. Oil-patch wages in a low-cost market — and that context shapes every city in this ranking (which, to be fair, is a metric that favors smaller cities).
Bottom line: Fargo leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: Fargo — cost index 92, rent $1,096/mo, income $66,029
1 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
133,188 residents · North Dakota
What does daily life actually cost in Fargo? Start with the 20% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 80) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 95) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $66,029 — a detail that tends to get overlooked — and homes at $312,872 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Fargo | 1.95% | 7.04% | 0.94% | $73,347 |
Fargo ranks #1 in North Dakota for this analysis with a cost index of 92 and median income of $66,029.
Yes. On a $100K salary in Fargo, rent would consume about 13% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Fargo is $1,096/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $799 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 1.95% state income tax, estimated take-home on $100K in Fargo is approximately $73,347/year ($6,112/month). After median rent of $1,096/month, you'd have roughly $60,195/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Fargo is $312,872, which is 4.7× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
North Dakota has a 1.95% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.04%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.94%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.