What it's like to live in Bismarck
Bismarck is a smaller city in North Dakota with rent below the national average, unemployment below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bismarck deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 51" per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Bismarck compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bismarck
Based on Bismarck's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,998
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,960 a year
- 38% of Bismarck renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$60,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $30,030
- Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 29% below US
$999/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $999 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $300,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $300,300 · 38% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 44% below US
2.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.4%, well below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 27% below US
241 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1892/100k · Bismarck Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 40% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 15.6 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 7°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
39% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 39% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
27 public schools inside the boundary
There are 27 public schools inside the boundary and 7 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (47 miles away).
Bottom line
Bismarck's strongest points are rent below the national average and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($999/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Bismarck
All North Dakota guides →Not sure Bismarck is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.