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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match North Dakota's value. 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Fargo at index 92, where median rent of $1,096/month saves renters $9,588/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: Fargo — cost index 92, rent $1,096/mo, income $66,029
1 of 1 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match North Dakota's value. 1 out of 1 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: Fargo at index 92, where median rent of $1,096/month saves renters $9,588/year versus the national median.
Here's Fargo by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 92. Rent: $1,096/month. Income: $66,029/year. Home price: $312,872. Population: 133,188. The strongest category is Housing at 80; the most expensive is Healthcare at 95. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $9,588 per year vs. the national median. When healthcare costs are this low, the savings ripple across every other category (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
The broader context shifts things: State context matters: North Dakota's 1 cities average a 92 cost index with $1,096/month median rent and $66,029 household income. Oil-patch wages in a low-cost market. Below, we name the single metric that lifts this city past every competitor.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. And in practical terms, 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
The #1 spot goes to Fargo, and the breakdown explains why. And as a general rule, renters here pay $1,096/month — make of that what you will — — saving renters $9,588 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 80, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 95. At a 20% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
Cities are ranked by their healthcare cost sub-index within North Dakota. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. 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.
Fargo, ND has the lowest healthcare index at 95, compared to the national average of 100.
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.
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.