City · Bowman County, North Dakota

Bowman, North Dakota

Bowman is a city in Bowman County, North Dakota. It has 1,499 residents. Bowman, North Dakota has a quality-of-life score of 94 out of 100 (very high), ranking #979 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within North Dakota it ranks #12 of 56 cities and towns. It ranks best on dentists (high), grocery stores (high) and rent-burdened households (low). It ranks worst on flu vaccinations (low), distance to an airport (high) and comfortable days (low).

94Very high

Quality-of-life score: #979 of 15,651 cities and towns
North Dakota: #12 of 56 in ND
Population: 1,499 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 804.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 3808700

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 69 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety—
Economy61#6,164/15,631
Housing99#207/14,977
Health88#1,941/15,609
Healthcare64#5,667/15,650
Environment97#537/15,453
Education72#4,394/15,649
Infrastructure45#8,675/15,650
Community99#91/15,651
Leisure & amenities89#1,760/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Bowman, North Dakota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Bowman County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Dentists · high209 /100k
100/100North Dakota 70 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBowman County value
Grocery stores · high7.2 /10k
100/100North Dakota 2.1 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBowman County value
Rent-burdened households · low13.4%
100/100North Dakota 38.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070High uncertainty
Suicide rate · low0.0 /100k
100/100North Dakota 19.8 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataBowman County value
Restaurants and bars · high29.0 /10k
99/100North Dakota 12.1 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBowman County value
Firearm deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100North Dakota 13.0 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataBowman County value

Weaknesses

Flu vaccinations · low12.0%
0/100North Dakota 45.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBowman County value
Distance to an airport · high249 mi
0/100North Dakota 136 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauBowman County value
Comfortable days · low21.6%
2/100North Dakota 24.3%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationBowman County value
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100North Dakota 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBowman County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high137 mi
6/100North Dakota 41 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauBowman County value
Broadband subscriptions · low84.2%
13/100North Dakota 88.7%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
1.9 /1k (2021) → 5.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+185%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateWorsening
3.6% (2015-2019) → 20.9% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateWorsening
7.2% (2015-2019) → 15.5% (2020-2024)
+8.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
20.7% (2015-2019) → 13.4% (2020-2024)
−7.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
High school diploma or higherImproving
86.3% (2015-2019) → 90.3% (2020-2024)
+4 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Income inequality (Gini index)Improving
0.420 (2015-2019) → 0.353 (2020-2024)
−16%5 yearsCensus table B19083US 0.482 → 0.483

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Bowman, North Dakota improved on 1 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Inequality−0.0670.420 → 0.353

Declined1

Poverty+8.2 points7.2% → 15.5%

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Bowman, North Dakota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	10.2 min2015-2019	11.8 min2020-2024	+1.6 min	Within the margin of error	30%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.2%2015-2019	29.2%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Broadband subscriptions	82.3%2015-2019	84.2%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Effective property tax rate	0.91%2015-2019	0.87%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	23%
High school diploma or higher	86.3%2015-2019	90.3%2020-2024	+4 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	2.8×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	70%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4202015-2019	0.3532020-2024	−0.067	Improved	90%
Median household income	$60,4172015-2019	$62,7862020-2024	+3.9%	Within the margin of error	10%
Poverty rate	7.2%2015-2019	15.5%2020-2024	+8.2 points	Declined	6%
Rent as share of income	25.1%2015-2019	22.0%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.7%2015-2019	9.0%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	43%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Bowman, North Dakota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Bowman, North Dakota in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Bowman, North Dakota itself moved +0.7 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,499 residents (±136)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 men (+6.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,499 residents (±136)

Bowman, North Dakota
North Dakota share

White91%1,359
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino4.6%†69

Education

960 residents (±104)

Bowman, North Dakota
North Dakota share

No high school diploma9.7%†93
High school or GED34%325
Some college11%†103

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

664 households (±79)

Bowman, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $25k6.3%†42
$25k–50k32%†212
$50k–75k21%†137
$75k–100k9.2%†61
$100k–150k20%†136
$150k–200k8.9%†59
$200k or more2.6%†17

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−16.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

664 households (±79)

Bowman, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Own79%527
Rent21%†137

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+12.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

127 households (±47)

Bowman, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $75058%†74
$750–1,00014%†18
$1,000–1,50020%†

Home values

527 homes (±73)

Bowman, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $150k36%†188
$150k–250k46%242
$250k–400k14%†72

Age of homes

862 homes (±60)

Bowman, North Dakota
North Dakota share

2010 or later6.1%†53
2000–20096.8%†59
1980–199919%†162

Size of homes

862 homes (±60)

Bowman, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Studio3.7%†32
1 bedroom7.5%†65
2 bedrooms31%263

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

775 workers (±97)

Bowman, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Drive alone78%604
Carpool6.5%†50
Public transit1.0%†8
Walk7.9%†61
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.2%†25
Other3.5%†27

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

750 workers (±100)

Bowman, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under 15 min76%573
15–29 min9.7%†73
30–44 min4.9%†37

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Bowman County, the county holding most of Bowman's residents.

Bowman County has 148 employer establishments, 519 for every 10,000 residents (2.09× the US rate of 248; 1.61× North Dakota's), with 1,043 paid employees at an average annual pay of $58,018. The Census Bureau also counts 290 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 148; 290 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 519; US 248 · North Dakota 323
Paid employees: 1,043
Average annual pay: $58,018; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Bowman County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	13	45.6	2.94×More than typical	49	$86,306	23
Ambulatory health care services	11	38.5	1.85×More than typical	88	$44,364	6
Banks and credit unions	7	24.5	7.59×Too few to compare	43	$77,372	—
Building equipment contractors	7	24.5	4.08×Too few to compare	38	$93,395	—
Restaurants and other eating places	7	24.5	1.34×Too few to compare	37	$8,946	4
Religious organizations	6	21	3.79×Too few to compare	13	$20,538	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	5	17.5	3.99×Too few to compare	20	$82,050	—
Traveler accommodation	5	17.5	9.71×Too few to compare	41	$24,390	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	4	14	2.78×Too few to compare	10	$46,300	8
Electrical contractors and wiring installation	4	14	5.66×Too few to compare	36	$94,028	—
Full-service restaurants	4	14	1.82×Too few to compare	17	$13,588	4
Offices of other health practitioners	4	14	2.31×Too few to compare	11	$32,182	—

Rank places for an industry Open Bowman County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 2,854 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Bowman is mostly in Bowman County.

See federal money in Bowman County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Bowman, North Dakota is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Julie FedorchakR-ND · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 2.1%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Bowman County100100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Bowman County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3808700