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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 and household income of $66,029. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data. Quietly competitive.
#1 Ranked: Fargo — cost index 92, rent $1,096/mo, income $66,029
1 of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
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 and household income of $66,029. Assembled from 2026 Census, Zillow, and BLS data. Quietly competitive.
A closer look at Fargo: the cost index of 92 breaks down to a Housing index of 80 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). Median rent is $1,096/month — 42% below the national median — while household income sits at $66,029, meaning locals spend about 20% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
On a $75K salary, the key number is $1,875/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Fargo ($1,096/mo, 18%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $56,247 to $56,247/year across these top picks.
It's a strong position — but not without footnotes. And for the typical household, the 1 cities we track in North Dakota paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 92. Median rent: $1,096/month. Household income: $66,029. North Dakota is known for oil-patch wages in a low-cost market — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
133,188 residents · North Dakota
Dive into Fargo's numbers: cost index 92 (20 points below national average), rent $1,096/month, income $66,029, and a home price of $312,872. And more often than not, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 80, while Healthcare runs 95. With 133,188 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Fargo | 1.95% | 7.04% | 0.94% | $56,247 |
We calculate what percentage of a $75K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Fargo ranks #1 in North Dakota for this analysis with a cost index of 92 and median income of $66,029.
Yes. On a $75K salary in Fargo, rent would consume about 18% 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 $75K in Fargo is approximately $56,247/year ($4,687/month). After median rent of $1,096/month, you'd have roughly $43,095/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.