Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety64#329/924
Economy99#14/925
Housing79#197/925
Health93#67/925
Healthcare86#126/923
Environment55#412/917
Education93#68/925
Infrastructure67#309/925
Community94#61/925
Leisure & amenities67#307/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Bismarck, ND metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Frequent mental distress · low14.1%
100/100North Dakota 15.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Lack of reliable transportation · low5.8%
99/100North Dakota 6.7%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Loneliness · low28.9%
99/100North Dakota 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Food insecurity · low9.3%
98/100North Dakota 11.2%United States 15.6%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Poor or fair health · low14.0%
98/100North Dakota 16.6%United States 19.9%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · low2.5%
97/100North Dakota 2.6%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high190 mi
2/100North Dakota 136 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Days with unhealthy air · high3.6%
8/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Grocery stores · low1.0 /10k
15/100North Dakota 2.1 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high100 mi
16/100North Dakota 41 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · high22.8 /100k
20/100North Dakota 19.8 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.1%
22/100North Dakota 0.3%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
97% (2021) → 18% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−79 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Homicide rateWorsening
1.5 /100k (2021) → 3.2 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+119%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
69.7% (2010 & 2021) → 81.2% (2022 & 2024)
+12 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
New homes permittedWorsening
5.9 /1k (2021) → 2.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−56%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Suicide rateWorsening
15.4 /100k (2022) → 22.8 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+49%4 yearsUS 14.8 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
2,821 /100k (2020) → 1,507 /100k (2025)
−47%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k

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, Bismarck, ND metro area improved on 12 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 10 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Property crime−47%2,821 /100k → 1,507 /100k
Restaurants+8.2%8.6 /10k → 9.3 /10k
Violent crime−33%307 /100k → 207 /100k
Gyms+18%1.3 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Firearm deaths−13%13.9 /100k → 12.2 /100k

Declined5

Libraries−20%0.5 /10k → 0.4 /10k
Homicides+6.5%3.0 /100k → 3.2 /100k
Overdose deaths+6.4%11.3 /100k → 12.0 /100k
Traffic deaths+22%8.3 /100k → 10.1 /100k
Pharmacies−12%1.9 /10k → 1.6 /10k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Bismarck, ND metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.9 /10k2020	5.5 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	61%
Average commute time	18.3 min2015-2019	18.2 min2020-2024	−0.1 min	Within the margin of error	67%
Bachelor's degree or higher	33.3%2015-2019	36.3%2020-2024	+3 points	Improved	54%
Broadband subscriptions	82.3%2015-2019	89.6%2020-2024	+7.3 points	Improved	28%
Child poverty rate	7.3%2015-2019	7.7%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Distance to an airport	190 mi2020	189 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	87%
Drug overdose deaths	11.3 /100k2020	12.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+6.4%	Declined	24%
Effective property tax rate	0.84%2015-2019	0.88%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Firearm deaths	13.9 /100k2020	12.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−13%	Improved	72%
Grocery stores	1.0 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−4.3%	Little change	35%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.3 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+18%	Improved	68%
High school diploma or higher	93.6%2015-2019	94.9%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	39%
Home price to income ratio	3.5×2015-2019	3.6×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	88%
Homicide rate	3.0 /100k2020	3.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+6.5%	Declined	17%
Income adjusted for local prices	$61,1812019	$79,8092024	+30%	Improved	39%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4392015-2019	0.4392020-2024	0.000	Within the margin of error	54%
Median household income	$71,3982015-2019	$85,1562020-2024	+19%	Improved	11%
New business applications	7.4 /1k2020	10.3 /1k2025	+38%	Improved	38%
Pharmacies	1.9 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	−12%	Declined	41%
Poverty rate	7.9%2015-2019	7.9%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Property crime rate	2,821 /100k2020	1,507 /100k2025	−47%	Improved	80%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−20%	Declined	4%
Rent as share of income	25.4%2015-2019	24.7%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	72%
Rent-burdened households	42.0%2015-2019	40.1%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Restaurants and bars	8.6 /10k2020	9.3 /10k2025	+8.2%	Improved	75%
Traffic deaths	8.3 /100k2015-2019	10.1 /100k2020-2024	+22%	Declined	26%
Unemployment rate	4.2%2020	2.5%2025	−1.7 points	Improved	15%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.4%2015-2019	5.8%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Violent crime rate	307 /100k2020	207 /100k2025	−33%	Improved	79%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Bismarck, ND metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Bismarck, ND metro area 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, Bismarck, ND metro area itself moved +0.3 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

136,216 residents (±107)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

55,940 households (±580)

Bismarck, ND metro area
United States share

Under $25k11%6,152
$25k–50k17%9,470
$50k–75k17%9,416

Homes

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

Owners and renters

55,940 households (±580)

Bismarck, ND metro area
United States share

Own72%40,397
Rent28%15,543

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.8 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

70,529 workers (±1,061)

Bismarck, ND metro area
United States share

Drive alone79%55,688
Carpool8.9%6,245
Public transit0.1%†84

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Bismarck, ND employ 16,940 people. 7 pay a median above the US median and 3 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Bismarck, ND by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Registered Nurses2,400 jobs	2,400	$81,120US $97,550	−17%	1.55×
Retail Salespersons2,280 jobs	2,280	$36,730US $35,410	+4%	1.28×
Fast Food and Counter Workers2,180 jobs	2,180	$29,940US $31,200	−4%	1.23×
General and Operations Managers1,740 jobs	1,740	$93,540US $105,770	−12%	1.08×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides1,680 jobs	1,680	$38,850US $35,800	+9%	0.85×
Office Clerks, General1,470 jobs	1,470	$50,400US $45,010	+12%	1.3×
Nursing Assistants1,430 jobs	1,430	$46,720US $42,260	+11%	2.15×
Cashiers1,390 jobs	1,390	$33,260US $32,880	+1%	0.98×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners1,200 jobs	1,200	$37,620US $36,840	+2%	1.19×
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive1,170 jobs	1,170	$47,580US $47,540	0%	1.49×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Bismarck, ND.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

Bismarck, ND has 4,160 employer establishments, 304 for every 10,000 residents (1.22× the US rate of 248), with 59,165 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,173. The Census Bureau also counts 11,388 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 4,160; 11,388 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 304; US 248
Paid employees: 59,165
Average annual pay: $57,173; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	358	26.1	1.69×More than typical	2,789	$72,980	661
Ambulatory health care services	293	21.4	1.03×About typical	4,305	$79,537	438
Restaurants and other eating places	221	16.1	0.88×About typical	4,642	$23,821	36
Lessors of real estate	189	13.8	1.12×About typical	437	$45,238	1,591
Construction of buildings	138	10.1	1.33×More than typical	792	$68,020	281
Services to buildings and dwellings	138	10.1	1.49×More than typical	752	$45,043	673
Offices of other health practitioners	137	10	1.65×More than typical	554	$54,338	199
Truck transportation	118	8.6	1.70×More than typical	1,376	$58,363	212
Building equipment contractors	116	8.5	1.41×More than typical	1,596	$78,711	87
Insurance agencies and brokerages	106	7.7	1.76×More than typical	318	$59,223	255
Building finishing contractors	100	7.3	1.92×More than typical	567	$54,131	239
Automotive repair and maintenance	98	7.2	1.42×More than typical	571	$54,275	122

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 137,062 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $13.5M on contracts performed in Bismarck, ND metro area: $96.63 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $13.5M; −8.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $96.63; US $1,994
Sole-source: 25%; US 30%
Single offer: 19%; 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

Federal Aviation Administration$2.1M16%
Office of the Chief Financial Officer$1.9M14%
Defense Logistics Agency$1.7M12%
Department of Energy$1.6M12%
Social Security Administration$1.2M8.9%
Public Buildings Service$876.7K6.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs$482.6K3.6%
Department of the Army$477.7K3.5%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

17.8MFY2017
20MFY2018
14.6MFY2019
16.1MFY2020
14.1MFY2021
14.6MFY2022
13.5MFY2023
19.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$2.2M16%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$2M15%
Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing · 3118$1.2M8.7%
Natural gas distribution · 2212$1.1M8.2%
Utility system construction · 2371$510.1K3.8%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$509.6K

Largest awards

ND STATEWIDE FULL FACILITY O&M - OPTION YEAR 1$5.2M
PACARCTIC, LLC· Burleigh County, ND· Facilities & utilities· Sep 28, 2026 – Sep 28, 2026· 47PJ0026F0018
ND-LONG LAKE NWR-CONSTRUCT MULTI-PURPOSE$5.1M
RJS CONSTRUCTION INC· Burleigh County, ND· Construction & real property· May 8, 2024 – Jul 21, 2026· 140FC124C0012
REPLACE WATER SUPPLY INFRASTRUCTURE, MANDAN$3.9M
GREENSTONE CONSTRUCTION, INC.· Morton County, ND· Construction & real property· Sep 15, 2025 – Aug 25, 2026· 1232SA25F0260
HEATING SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION AT THE BISMARCK MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (BIS) AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER IN BISMARCK, ND

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $916.4M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Bismarck, ND metro area: $6,557 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $916.4M; −41% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,557; US $12,955
Loan face value: $99.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 2.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$534.8M58%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$63.5M6.9%
81.089 · Fossil Energy Research and Development$48.6M5.3%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$42.2M4.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$40M4.4%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$17.5M1.9%
97.139 · Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program$16.6M1.8%
97.036 · Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters)$16.6M1.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

DCC EAST PROJECT LLC$48.6M5.3%
GRAND FORKS, ND
NORTH DAKOTA, STATE OF$40.9M4.5%
BISMARCK, ND
UNITED TRIBES TECHNICAL COLLEGE$27M2.9%
BISMARCK, ND
CITY OF BISMARCK$13.2M1.4%
BISMARCK, ND
NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$8.1M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$626.4M68%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$72.5M7.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Energy$53.6M5.9%
Federal Emergency Management Agency$40.9M4.5%
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Education$19.6M

Assistance by fiscal year

992.7MFY2021
879.1MFY2022
884.6MFY2023
917.3MFY2024
1.6BFY2025
916.4MFY2026

County aggregates

79%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Bismarck, ND

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

BismarckPrincipal city75,556

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in North Dakota

Areas based in North Dakota, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Dickinson, ND88

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M13900

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Bismarck, ND metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Bismarck, ND

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in North Dakota

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought