Scores by category

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

Safety23#12,063/15,637
Economy91#1,346/15,631
Housing93#1,053/14,977
Health44#8,679/15,609
Healthcare18#12,812/15,650
Environment80#3,157/15,453
Education35#10,127/15,649
Infrastructure46#8,409/15,650
Community48#8,097/15,651
Leisure & amenities44#8,737/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Preventable hospital stays · low688 /100k
100/100North Dakota 3,048 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMcKenzie County value
Rent-burdened households · low23.0%
100/100North Dakota 38.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Loneliness · low29.4%
100/100North Dakota 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Rent as share of income · low19.6%
99/100North Dakota 25.0%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Average weekly wage · high$1,771
96/100North Dakota $1,300United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMcKenzie County value
Unemployment rate · low0.6%
95/100North Dakota 2.6%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high282 mi
0/100North Dakota 136 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauMcKenzie County value
Job growth · low-5.0%
2/100North Dakota -0.5%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMcKenzie County value
Flu vaccinations · low24.0%
2/100North Dakota 45.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMcKenzie County value
Injury deaths · high145 /100k
4/100North Dakota 80 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMcKenzie County value
Traffic deaths · high36.3 /100k
4/100North Dakota 12.6 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataMcKenzie County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low40.4%
6/100North Dakota 75.6%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMcKenzie County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
6,912 (2015-2019) → 6,039 (2020-2024)
−13%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedWorsening
5.8 /1k (2021) → 2.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−60%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateImproving
14.7% (2015-2019) → 3.8% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
27.0% (2015-2019) → 18.9% (2020-2024)
−8.1 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
14.8% (2015-2019) → 6.8% (2020-2024)
−8 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Median household incomeImproving
$74,797 (2015-2019) → $102,260 (2020-2024)
+37%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

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, Watford City, North Dakota improved on 1 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 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

Uninsured−8 points14.8% → 6.8%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Watford City, North Dakota between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	18.3 min2015-2019	20.8 min2020-2024	+2.5 min	Within the margin of error	23%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.0%2015-2019	18.9%2020-2024	−8.1 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Broadband subscriptions	88.4%2015-2019	90.0%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Effective property tax rate	0.59%2015-2019	0.72%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	5%
High school diploma or higher	90.0%2015-2019	86.8%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Home price to income ratio	3.2×2015-2019	4.0×2020-2024	+0.8×	Within the margin of error	29%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4372015-2019	0.3782020-2024	−0.059	Within the margin of error	87%
Median household income	$74,7972015-2019	$102,2602020-2024	+37%	Within the margin of error	68%
Poverty rate	10.1%2015-2019	7.8%2020-2024	−2.3 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	21.5%2015-2019	19.6%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Rent-burdened households	29.8%2015-2019	23.0%2020-2024	−6.8 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	14.8%2015-2019	6.8%2020-2024	−8 points	Improved	94%

“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 Watford City, North Dakota five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Watford 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, Watford City, North Dakota itself moved −7.3 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

6,039 residents (±29)

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 (−6.7 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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

6,039 residents (±29)

Watford City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

White67%4,023
Black2.5%†151
Hispanic or Latino25%1,480

Education

3,761 residents (±226)

Watford City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

No high school diploma13%†498
High school or GED30%1,139
Some college24%†898

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

2,629 households (±243)

Watford City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $25k6.2%†164
$25k–50k6.3%†166
$50k–75k21%†564
$75k–100k15%†397
$100k–150k22%†583
$150k–200k17%†438
$200k or more12%†317

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−10.8 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

2,629 households (±243)

Watford City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Own29%770
Rent71%1,859

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−16.0 points).

Table view

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

Rent paid

1,859 households (±268)

Watford City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $7500.9%†17
$750–1,00013%†236
$1,000–1,50054%†1,007

Home values

770 homes (±219)

Watford City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under $150k16%†126
$150k–250k10%†80
$250k–400k20%†156

Age of homes

3,491 homes (±314)

Watford City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

2010 or later69%2,411
2000–200912%†419
1980–19999.5%†331

Size of homes

3,491 homes (±314)

Watford City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Studio14%†474
1 bedroom14%†498
2 bedrooms37%1,283

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

3,438 workers (±316)

Watford City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Drive alone77%2,651
Carpool12%†406
Public transit0.0%0
Walk1.0%†36
Bike2.1%†72
Work from home7.9%†273
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−12.4 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

3,165 workers (±308)

Watford City, North Dakota
North Dakota share

Under 15 min54%1,714
15–29 min21%†656
30–44 min10%†319

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 McKenzie County, the county holding most of Watford City's residents.

McKenzie County has 594 employer establishments, 416 for every 10,000 residents (1.68× the US rate of 248; 1.29× North Dakota's), with 6,861 paid employees at an average annual pay of $94,224. The Census Bureau also counts 1,059 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 594; 1,059 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 416; US 248 · North Dakota 323
Paid employees: 6,861
Average annual pay: $94,224; US $68,342

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

Truck transportation	73	51.1	10.1×More than typical	471	$78,837	55
Specialty trade contractors	46	32.2	2.08×More than typical	507	$114,028	100
Management, scientific and technical consulting	25	17.5	2.61×More than typical	166	$107,030	36
Heavy and civil engineering construction	21	14.7	12.8×More than typical	361	$68,332	7
Restaurants and other eating places	21	14.7	0.80×About typical	318	$27,509	—
Building equipment contractors	20	14	2.33×More than typical	177	$133,740	18
Lessors of real estate	16	11.2	0.91×About typical	26	$55,346	101
Ambulatory health care services	14	9.8	0.47×Fewer than typical	164	$49,323	25
Automotive repair and maintenance	14	9.8	1.95×More than typical	58	$62,638	26
Commercial and industrial machinery repair	14	9.8	14.4×More than typical	43	$54,302	—
Full-service restaurants	14	9.8	1.28×More than typical	221	$29,729	—
Other specialty trade contractors	13	9.1	3.63×More than typical	300	$104,677	42

Rank places for an industry Open McKenzie County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 14,273 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 $11.8K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Watford City, North Dakota: $1.95 per resident (US $2,008).

Obligations: $11.8K; −31% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1.95; US $2,008
Sole-source: 2.3%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.7%

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

ALPHA CONTRACTORS GROUP INC$9,42580%
EMMONS & OLIVIER RESOURCES INC$1,1219.5%
R LAZY B ENTERPRISES LLC$5905.0%
HELICOPTER ROUNDUP SERVICE LLC$3483.0%
CHAPARRAL CONSTRUCTION, INC.$2732.3%

Spending by fiscal year

5.7KFY2017
9.4KFY2018
6.7KFY2019
11.9KFY2020
29.8KFY2021
8.4KFY2022
55.1KFY2023
50KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Other specialty trade contractors · 2389$10K85%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$1,1219.5%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$3483.0%
Utility system construction · 2371$2732.3%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$1621.4%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 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 Watford City, North Dakota, so they do not add up across cities.

Watford City, North Dakota's figures are part of those of McKenzie County, ND ($1.3M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.9% of that total.

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

See federal money in McKenzie 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.

Watford 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.

McKenzie County65100% of residents

Other cities and towns in McKenzie 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/3883860

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends