Scores by category

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

Safety79#3,227/15,637
Economy24#11,946/15,631
Housing94#832/14,977
Health62#5,904/15,609
Healthcare88#1,844/15,650
Environment95#717/15,453
Education86#2,192/15,649
Infrastructure32#10,668/15,650
Community89#1,772/15,651
Leisure & amenities65#5,493/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Loneliness · low28.5%
100/100North Dakota 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Rent-burdened households · low35.7%
99/100North Dakota 38.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Hospital quality rating · high5.0
98/100North Dakota 3.1United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesBarnes County value
Mammography screening · high59.0%
98/100North Dakota 55.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBarnes County value
Rent as share of income · low22.9%
98/100North Dakota 25.0%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Average commute time · low15.8 min
97/100North Dakota 17.9 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013

Weaknesses

Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
4/100North Dakota 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsBarnes County value
Broadband subscriptions · low80.8%
6/100North Dakota 88.7%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Job growth · low-3.2%
6/100North Dakota -0.5%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataBarnes County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.501
11/100North Dakota 0.457United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Mental health providers · low120 /100k
18/100North Dakota 261 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBarnes County value
Injury deaths · high113 /100k
21/100North Dakota 80 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBarnes County value

Trends

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

New homes permittedWorsening
7.0 /1k (2021) → 0.9 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−87%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateWorsening
11.0% (2015-2019) → 18.1% (2020-2024)
+7.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Median household incomeImproving
$46,926 (2015-2019) → $60,339 (2020-2024)
+29%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
40.1% (2015-2019) → 35.7% (2020-2024)
−4.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Poverty rateWorsening
12.5% (2015-2019) → 16.7% (2020-2024)
+4.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
77.0% (2015-2019) → 80.8% (2020-2024)
+3.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

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, Valley City, North Dakota improved on 1 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 12 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

Household income+29%$46,926 → $60,339

Declined1

Unemployment+2.9 points2.0% → 4.9%

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Valley City, North Dakota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.9 min2015-2019	15.8 min2020-2024	−0.1 min	Within the margin of error	49%
Bachelor's degree or higher	31.2%2015-2019	31.4%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Broadband subscriptions	77.0%2015-2019	80.8%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Child poverty rate	11.0%2015-2019	18.1%2020-2024	+7.1 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Effective property tax rate	1.20%2015-2019	1.05%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	47%
High school diploma or higher	90.8%2015-2019	93.2%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	−0.2×	Within the margin of error	85%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4722015-2019	0.5012020-2024	+0.029	Within the margin of error	27%
Median household income	$46,9262015-2019	$60,3392020-2024	+29%	Improved	52%
Poverty rate	12.5%2015-2019	16.7%2020-2024	+4.2 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Rent as share of income	24.6%2015-2019	22.9%2020-2024	−1.7 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Rent-burdened households	40.1%2015-2019	35.7%2020-2024	−4.3 points	Within the margin of error	70%
Unemployment rate	2.0%2015-2019	4.9%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Declined	10%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.1%2015-2019	5.7%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	53%

“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 Valley City, North Dakota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Valley City, 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, Valley City, North Dakota itself moved +0.5 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

6,541 residents (±24)

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 (+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

6,541 residents (±24)

Valley City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

White88%5,758
Black0.4%†25
Hispanic or Latino2.9%189

Education

4,239 residents (±151)

Valley City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

No high school diploma6.8%†287
High school or GED27%1,156
Some college21%903

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

2,984 households (±124)

Valley City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $25k27%802
$25k–50k17%494
$50k–75k17%518
$75k–100k13%392
$100k–150k16%†463
$150k–200k7.4%†220
$200k or more3.2%†95

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−8.4 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

2,984 households (±124)

Valley City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Own56%1,657
Rent44%1,327

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

1,283 households (±210)

Valley City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $75047%600
$750–1,00032%†414
$1,000–1,50018%†227

Home values

1,657 homes (±197)

Valley City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $150k43%714
$150k–250k30%501
$250k–400k19%321

Age of homes

3,304 homes (±132)

Valley City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

2010 or later11%†347
2000–20094.7%†154
1980–199914%†450

Size of homes

3,304 homes (±132)

Valley City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Studio2.4%†80
1 bedroom18%588
2 bedrooms37%1,206

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

3,058 workers (±255)

Valley City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Drive alone83%2,525
Carpool4.3%†131
Public transit0.0%0
Walk7.5%†229
Bike0.0%0
Work from home3.5%†108
Other2.1%†65

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−6.3 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

2,950 workers (±259)

Valley City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under 15 min72%2,114
15–29 min11%†328
30–44 min6.0%†178

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 Barnes County, the county holding most of Valley City's residents.

Barnes County has 349 employer establishments, 325 for every 10,000 residents (1.31× the US rate of 248; 1.01× North Dakota's), with 3,389 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,846. The Census Bureau also counts 861 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 349; 861 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 325; US 248 · North Dakota 323
Paid employees: 3,389
Average annual pay: $43,846; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	31	28.9	1.87×More than typical	126	$58,048	82
Truck transportation	20	18.6	3.69×More than typical	50	$38,640	31
Religious organizations	18	16.8	3.02×More than typical	94	$22,596	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	16	14.9	3.40×More than typical	34	$63,000	17
Building equipment contractors	14	13	2.17×More than typical	57	$57,965	17
Restaurants and other eating places	14	13	0.71×Fewer than typical	220	$17,650	10
Ambulatory health care services	12	11.2	0.54×Fewer than typical	144	$62,597	21
Individual and family services	11	10.3	3.66×More than typical	222	$27,811	—
Construction of buildings	10	9.3	1.23×About typical	47	$55,021	26
Electrical contractors and wiring installation	10	9.3	3.77×More than typical	29	$64,793	8
Automotive repair and maintenance	9	8.4	1.67×Too few to compare	44	$47,045	23
Gasoline stations	9	8.4	2.59×Too few to compare	147	$41,544	—

Rank places for an industry Open Barnes County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 10,730 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 $19.6K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Valley City, North Dakota: $3.00 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $19.6K; +65% vs FY2025
Per resident: $3.00; US $1,995
Sole-source: 2.7%; US 30%
Single offer: 2.1%; 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

Top recipients

M GROUP PARTNERS, L.L.C.$12.5K63%
SISTERS OF MARY OF THE PRESENTATION LONG TERM CARE$3,64219%
SHARP CLEANING SERVICES LLC$1,0475.3%
KIM JOHNSON$6243.2%
WASHPROS LLC$5002.5%

Spending by fiscal year

9.7KFY2017
11.9KFY2018
20.3KFY2019
11.2KFY2020
14.2KFY2021
51.6KFY2022
23.3KFY2023
29.8KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Other food manufacturing · 3119$12.5K63%
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) · 6231$3,64219%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$1,9329.8%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$6243.2%
Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331$3541.8%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 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 Valley City, North Dakota, so they do not add up across cities.

Valley City, North Dakota's figures are part of those of Barnes County, ND ($1.6M in FY2026), never added to them: 1.2% of that total.

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

See federal money in Barnes 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.

Valley City, 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.

Barnes County98100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Barnes 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/3881180

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends