What it's like to live in Minot
Minot is a small city in North Dakota with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Minot deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 45" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Minot compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Minot
Based on Minot's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,946
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $38,920 a year
- 36% of Minot renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$51,420
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,710
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 31% below US
$973/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $973 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 $257,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $257,100 · 36% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 40% below US
2.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.6%, well below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 11% below US
295 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1193/100k · Minot Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 24% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 7°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 18% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
19 public schools inside the boundary
There are 19 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below 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 (61 miles away).
Bottom line
Minot's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($973/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Minot
All North Dakota guides →Not sure Minot is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.