City · Dickey County, North Dakota

Oakes, North Dakota

Oakes is a city in Dickey County, North Dakota. It has 1,858 residents. Oakes, North Dakota has a quality-of-life score of 93 out of 100 (very high), ranking #1,168 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within North Dakota it ranks #17 of 56 cities and towns. It ranks best on job growth (high), pharmacies (high) and grocery stores (high). It ranks worst on new business applications (low), public EV charging ports (low) and mental health providers (low).

93Very high

Quality-of-life score: #1,168 of 15,651 cities and towns
North Dakota: #17 of 56 in ND
Population: 1,858 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,187.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 3858740

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 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.

Safety92#1,221/15,637
Economy61#6,085/15,631
Housing95#726/14,977
Health71#4,528/15,609
Healthcare55#7,092/15,650
Environment98#271/15,453
Education77#3,566/15,649
Infrastructure39#9,525/15,650
Community93#1,040/15,651
Leisure & amenities99#185/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Job growth · high34.0%
100/100North Dakota -0.5%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataDickey County value
Pharmacies · high6.1 /10k
100/100North Dakota 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDickey County value
Grocery stores · high6.1 /10k
100/100North Dakota 2.1 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDickey County value
Social associations · high26.5 /10k
100/100North Dakota 15.7 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDickey County value
Suicide rate · low0.0 /100k
100/100North Dakota 19.8 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataDickey 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 dataDickey County value

Weaknesses

New business applications · low6.9 /1k
2/100North Dakota 11.1 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauDickey County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100North Dakota 3.5 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyDickey County value
Mental health providers · low41 /100k
4/100North Dakota 261 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDickey County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low45.3%
8/100North Dakota 75.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDickey County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high91 mi
11/100North Dakota 41 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauDickey County value
Distance to an airport · high92 mi
12/100North Dakota 136 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauDickey County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
2,129 (2015-2019) → 1,858 (2020-2024)
−13%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
16.4% (2015-2019) → 47.0% (2020-2024)
+31 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
2.6% (2015-2019) → 13.3% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Child poverty rateWorsening
2.8% (2015-2019) → 13.4% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.4% (2015-2019) → 88.5% (2020-2024)
+7.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.7× (2015-2019) → 2.4× (2020-2024)
+35%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

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, Oakes, North Dakota improved on 0 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined2

Rent burden+31 points16.4% → 47.0%
Poverty+6 points6.1% → 12.1%

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Oakes, North Dakota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	14.3 min2015-2019	14.2 min2020-2024	−0.1 min	Within the margin of error	49%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.5%2015-2019	22.9%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Broadband subscriptions	81.4%2015-2019	88.5%2020-2024	+7.1 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Effective property tax rate	1.21%2015-2019	1.10%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	39%
High school diploma or higher	90.9%2015-2019	87.3%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Home price to income ratio	1.7×2015-2019	2.4×2020-2024	+0.6×	Within the margin of error	41%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3922015-2019	0.4532020-2024	+0.061	Within the margin of error	13%
Median household income	$71,2502015-2019	$67,6322020-2024	−5.1%	Within the margin of error	5%
Poverty rate	6.1%2015-2019	12.1%2020-2024	+6 points	Declined	10%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent-burdened households	16.4%2015-2019	47.0%2020-2024	+31 points	Declined	3%

“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 Oakes, North Dakota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Oakes, 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, Oakes, North Dakota itself moved −19.9 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

1,858 residents (±224)

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 (−3.6 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

1,858 residents (±224)

Oakes, North Dakota
North Dakota share

White87%1,617
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino8.6%160
Asian0.0%0
American Indian and Alaska Native2.6%†48
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races1.8%†33

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Hispanic or Latino (+3.0 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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

1,225 residents (±140)

Oakes, North Dakota
North Dakota share

No high school diploma13%†155
High school or GED34%411
Some college19%227
Associate degree12%†151
Bachelor's degree18%†218
Graduate degree5.1%†63

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Associate degree (−7.0 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 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

768 households (±107)

Oakes, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $25k17%†129
$25k–50k15%†119
$50k–75k21%†162
$75k–100k13%†102
$100k–150k24%†181
$150k–200k4.7%†36
$200k or more5.1%†39

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $75k–100k (−9.3 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

768 households (±107)

Oakes, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Own77%592
Rent23%†176

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 B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

166 households (±61)

Oakes, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $75030%†50
$750–1,00028%†46
$1,000–1,50042%†69

Home values

592 homes (±94)

Oakes, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $150k43%†252
$150k–250k37%†220
$250k–400k14%†82

Age of homes

851 homes (±105)

Oakes, North Dakota
North Dakota share

2010 or later3.6%†31
2000–20092.7%†23
1980–199920%†166

Size of homes

851 homes (±105)

Oakes, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Studio0.9%†8
1 bedroom3.3%†28
2 bedrooms34%289

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

995 workers (±162)

Oakes, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Drive alone72%716
Carpool14%†139
Public transit0.0%0
Walk4.0%†40
Bike0.1%†1
Work from home8.9%†89
Other1.0%†10

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−13.5 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

906 workers (±151)

Oakes, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under 15 min73%660
15–29 min10%†93
30–44 min13%†116

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 Dickey County, the county holding most of Oakes's residents.

Dickey County has 191 employer establishments, 387 for every 10,000 residents (1.56× the US rate of 248; 1.20× North Dakota's), with 1,447 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,398. The Census Bureau also counts 449 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 191; 449 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 387; US 248 · North Dakota 323
Paid employees: 1,447
Average annual pay: $45,398; US $68,342

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

Religious organizations	13	26.3	4.75×More than typical	37	$19,486	—
Ambulatory health care services	12	24.3	1.17×About typical	79	$70,519	11
Specialty trade contractors	10	20.3	1.31×More than typical	27	$56,926	32
Truck transportation	9	18.2	3.61×Too few to compare	10	$43,000	17
Automotive repair and maintenance	8	16.2	3.22×Too few to compare	33	$74,303	8
Child day care services	7	14.2	5.81×Too few to compare	12	$13,667	15
Banks and credit unions	6	12.2	3.76×Too few to compare	41	$64,366	—
Building material and supplies dealers (hardware, home centers)	6	12.2	7.37×Too few to compare	28	$45,179	—
Offices of other health practitioners	6	12.2	2.00×Too few to compare	6	$36,500	5
Restaurants and other eating places	6	12.2	0.66×Too few to compare	38	$10,132	—
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	5	10.1	3.81×Too few to compare	6	$29,667	—
Gasoline stations	5	10.1	3.13×Too few to compare	65	$24,523	—

Rank places for an industry Open Dickey County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 4,935 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: Oakes is mostly in Dickey County.

See federal money in Dickey 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.

Oakes, 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.

Dickey County99100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Dickey 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

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