Scores by category

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

Safety67#5,100/15,637
Economy16#13,084/15,631
Housing81#2,806/14,977
Health38#9,610/15,609
Healthcare66#5,358/15,650
Environment100#32/15,453
Education90#1,522/15,649
Infrastructure25#11,668/15,650
Community76#3,750/15,651
Leisure & amenities99#105/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Devils Lake, North Dakota ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Ramsey 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

Distance to an Amtrak station · low2 mi
100/100North Dakota 41 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauRamsey County value
Average commute time · low12.1 min
100/100North Dakota 17.9 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Loneliness · low28.5%
100/100North Dakota 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100North Dakota 12.1 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataRamsey County value
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.6 /10k
98/100North Dakota 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsRamsey County value
Pharmacies · high3.5 /10k
98/100North Dakota 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsRamsey County value

Weaknesses

New business applications · low6.3 /1k
1/100North Dakota 11.1 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauRamsey County value
Flu vaccinations · low20.0%
1/100North Dakota 45.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRamsey County value
Broadband subscriptions · low80.3%
5/100North Dakota 88.7%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Distance to an airport · high126 mi
5/100North Dakota 136 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauRamsey County value
Median household income · low$43,220
8/100North Dakota $80,132United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Hospital quality rating · low2.0
9/100North Dakota 3.1United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesRamsey County value

Trends

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

Child poverty rateWorsening
21.6% (2015-2019) → 39.4% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
30.0% (2015-2019) → 47.1% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
New homes permittedWorsening
4.3 /1k (2021) → 1.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−68%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
69.4% (2015-2019) → 80.3% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
21.0% (2015-2019) → 27.9% (2020-2024)
+6.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
7.1% (2015-2019) → 13.1% (2020-2024)
+6 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

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, Devils Lake, North Dakota improved on 1 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 10 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

Broadband+11 points69.4% → 80.3%

Declined2

Child poverty+18 points21.6% → 39.4%
Rent burden+17 points30.0% → 47.1%

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Devils Lake, North Dakota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	13.9 min2015-2019	12.1 min2020-2024	−1.9 min	Within the margin of error	69%
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.3%2015-2019	21.9%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Broadband subscriptions	69.4%2015-2019	80.3%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	64%
Child poverty rate	21.6%2015-2019	39.4%2020-2024	+18 points	Declined	6%
Effective property tax rate	1.05%2015-2019	1.19%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	4%
High school diploma or higher	90.4%2015-2019	91.9%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	3.8×2020-2024	+0.9×	Within the margin of error	27%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4922015-2019	0.4742020-2024	−0.018	Within the margin of error	66%
Median household income	$47,2182015-2019	$43,2202020-2024	−8.5%	Within the margin of error	3%
Poverty rate	17.0%2015-2019	21.8%2020-2024	+4.7 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Rent as share of income	21.0%2015-2019	27.9%2020-2024	+6.9 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Rent-burdened households	30.0%2015-2019	47.1%2020-2024	+17 points	Declined	12%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.1%2015-2019	13.1%2020-2024	+6 points	Within the margin of error	8%

“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 Devils Lake, North Dakota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Devils Lake, 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, Devils Lake, North Dakota itself moved −13.4 points in standing on average over the same 10 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

7,308 residents (±45)

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: Under 10 women (+4.0 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

7,308 residents (±45)

Devils Lake, North Dakota
North Dakota share

White76%5,586
Black1.0%†76
Hispanic or Latino3.4%247
Asian1.2%†89
American Indian and Alaska Native14%993
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.2%†11
Other or two or more races4.2%†306

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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

4,888 residents (±187)

Devils Lake, North Dakota
North Dakota share

No high school diploma8.1%†396
High school or GED34%1,656
Some college24%1,193
Associate degree12%†573
Bachelor's degree19%911
Graduate degree3.3%†159

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Some college (+11.7 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 B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

3,747 households (±178)

Devils Lake, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $25k26%975
$25k–50k30%1,118
$50k–75k15%†560
$75k–100k11%†400
$100k–150k10.0%†374
$150k–200k4.9%†185
$200k or more3.6%†135

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 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

3,747 households (±178)

Devils Lake, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Own39%1,477
Rent61%2,270

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

2,251 households (±239)

Devils Lake, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $75063%1,425
$750–1,00016%†349
$1,000–1,50017%†386

Home values

1,477 homes (±245)

Devils Lake, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $150k45%†665
$150k–250k38%†561
$250k–400k15%†

Age of homes

3,876 homes (±160)

Devils Lake, North Dakota
North Dakota share

2010 or later8.6%†332
2000–20099.8%†379
1980–199922%870

Size of homes

3,876 homes (±160)

Devils Lake, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Studio11%†422
1 bedroom15%†568
2 bedrooms40%1,556

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

3,808 workers (±281)

Devils Lake, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Drive alone77%2,947
Carpool9.7%†371
Public transit0.0%0
Walk6.9%†264
Bike0.0%0
Work from home5.6%†213
Other0.3%†13

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Other (−2.5 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

3,595 workers (±306)

Devils Lake, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under 15 min72%2,584
15–29 min16%†569
30–44 min9.7%†347

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 Ramsey County, the county holding most of Devils Lake's residents.

Ramsey County has 416 employer establishments, 362 for every 10,000 residents (1.46× the US rate of 248; 1.12× North Dakota's), with 4,092 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,303. The Census Bureau also counts 895 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 416; 895 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 362; US 248 · North Dakota 323
Paid employees: 4,092
Average annual pay: $51,303; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	34	29.6	1.91×More than typical	107	$60,383	73
Ambulatory health care services	23	20	0.96×About typical	173	$86,341	33
Restaurants and other eating places	23	20	1.09×About typical	445	$19,998	8
Construction of buildings	12	10.4	1.38×More than typical	15	$51,133	19
Insurance agencies and brokerages	12	10.4	2.38×More than typical	34	$64,794	23
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	11	9.6	7.89×More than typical	54	$16,056	—
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	11	9.6	3.04×More than typical	33	$44,970	18
Services to buildings and dwellings	11	9.6	1.42×More than typical	36	$46,361	52
Banks and credit unions	10	8.7	2.69×More than typical	160	$95,656	—
Building equipment contractors	10	8.7	1.45×More than typical	61	$70,852	13
Full-service restaurants	10	8.7	1.13×About typical	234	$20,577	5
Limited-service restaurants	10	8.7	1.08×About typical	176	$20,386	—

Rank places for an industry Open Ramsey County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 11,495 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

In FY2026, an estimated $101.8K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Devils Lake, North Dakota: $13.93 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $101.8K; −74% vs FY2025
Per resident: $13.93; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.3%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.5%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Agricultural Marketing Service$72.8K71%
Department of the Army$15.6K15%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$7,0586.9%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$3,3813.3%
Department of the Air Force$1,6271.6%
Department of Energy$1,3431.3%

Top recipients

PW MONTGOMERY LLC$52.6K52%
NEW COAST TRADING, (NCT) LLC$20.2K20%
SUPER-NATURAL EATS LLC$15.6K15%
METAL WORKS OF MONTANA, INC.$2,7202.7%
W.W. WHEELER & ASSOCIATES, INC.$1,9441.9%

Spending by fiscal year

51.8KFY2017
38.4KFY2018
44.8KFY2019
91.3KFY2020
103.5KFY2021
111.3KFY2022
493.6KFY2023
67.2K

Top industries (NAICS)

Other food manufacturing · 3119$72.8K71%
Special food services · 7223$16K16%
Automotive repair and maintenance · 8111$2,7202.7%
Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing · 3341$2,1102.1%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$1,9441.9%
Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Devils Lake, North Dakota, so they do not add up across cities.

Devils Lake, North Dakota's figures are part of those of Ramsey County, ND ($3.7M in FY2026), never added to them: 2.8% of that total.

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

See federal money in Ramsey 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.

Devils Lake, 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.

Ramsey County91100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Ramsey 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/3819420

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends