Scores by category

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

Safety86#132/924
Economy63#344/925
Housing13#806/925
Health75#230/925
Healthcare98#22/923
Environment98#20/917
Education62#354/925
Infrastructure60#375/925
Community90#96/925
Leisure & amenities79#196/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Average commute time · low14.1 min
99/100North Dakota 17.9 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Child poverty rate · low6.4%
99/100North Dakota 11.7%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Preventable hospital stays · low1,230 /100k
98/100North Dakota 3,048 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University 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
Mammography screening · high59.0%
96/100North Dakota 55.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Loneliness · low30.1%
95/100North Dakota 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.497
6/100North Dakota 0.457United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
10/100North Dakota 0.3%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Grocery stores · low0.9 /10k
12/100North Dakota 2.1 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
New business applications · low8.5 /1k
14/100North Dakota 11.1 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-1.9%
16/100North Dakota -0.5%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Rent-burdened households · high53.2%
18/100North Dakota 38.9%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
92% (2021) → 13% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−79 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
35.6% (2015-2019) → 53.2% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Child poverty rateImproving
18.3% (2015-2019) → 6.4% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Property crime rateImproving
2,021 /100k (2020) → 1,103 /100k (2025)
−45%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
2.5 /1k (2021) → 1.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−45%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Physical inactivityImproving
32.4% (2019) → 23.5% (2023)
−8.9 pts4 yearsUS 25.9% → 26.5%

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, Jamestown, ND micropolitan area improved on 9 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 7 moved within the margin of error and 8 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.

Improved9

Pharmacies+34%1.4 /10k → 1.9 /10k
Child poverty−12 points18.3% → 6.4%
Traffic deaths−38%18.1 /100k → 11.2 /100k
Violent crime−37%206 /100k → 130 /100k
Real income+36%$55,833 → $75,981

Declined5

Rent burden+18 points35.6% → 53.2%
Rent / income+6.9 points24.3% → 31.2%
Inequality+0.0480.450 → 0.497
Firearm deaths+17%10.8 /100k → 12.6 /100k
Price / income+0.7×2.7× → 3.4×

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Jamestown, ND micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	6.0 /10k2020	6.1 /10k2025	+0.6%	Little change	30%
Average commute time	15.0 min2015-2019	14.1 min2020-2024	−0.9 min	Within the margin of error	87%
Average weekly wage	$9082020	$1,1362025	+25%	Improved	67%
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.7%2015-2019	25.9%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Broadband subscriptions	78.3%2015-2019	87.2%2020-2024	+8.9 points	Improved	50%
Child poverty rate	18.3%2015-2019	6.4%2020-2024	−12 points	Improved	97%
Distance to an airport	91 mi2020	91 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	10.6 /100k2020	10.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+2.8%	Little change	26%
Effective property tax rate	1.06%2015-2019	1.02%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Firearm deaths	10.8 /100k2020	12.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+17%	Declined	27%
Grocery stores	0.9 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+0.6%	Little change	54%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.4 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+0.6%	Little change	45%
High school diploma or higher	90.9%2015-2019	93.0%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	64%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	28%
Income adjusted for local prices	$55,8332019	$75,9812024	+36%	Improved	77%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4502015-2019	0.4972020-2024	+0.048	Declined	2%
Median household income	$57,6742015-2019	$61,8562020-2024	+7.3%	Within the margin of error	1%
New business applications	5.9 /1k2020	8.5 /1k2025	+44%	Improved	47%
Pharmacies	1.4 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+34%	Improved	98%
Poverty rate	12.1%2015-2019	12.6%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	17%
Property crime rate	2,021 /100k2020	1,103 /100k2025	−45%	Improved	77%
Public libraries	1.4 /10k2019	1.4 /10k2024	−3.5%	Little change	34%
Rent as share of income	24.3%2015-2019	31.2%2020-2024	+6.9 points	Declined	1%
Rent-burdened households	35.6%2015-2019	53.2%2020-2024	+18 points	Declined	0%
Restaurants and bars	13.5 /10k2020	13.5 /10k2025	+0.6%	Little change	48%
Traffic deaths	18.1 /100k2015-2019	11.2 /100k2020-2024	−38%	Improved	97%
Unemployment rate	3.3%2020	2.5%2025	−0.8 points	Little change	3%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.4%2015-2019	6.9%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Within the margin of error	90%
Violent crime rate	206 /100k2020	130 /100k2025	−37%	Improved	84%

“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 Jamestown, ND micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Jamestown, ND micropolitan 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, Jamestown, ND micropolitan area itself moved −4.3 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

21,549 residents

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

9,437 households (±226)

Jamestown, ND micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k23%2,125
$25k–50k19%1,778
$50k–75k15%1,402

Homes

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

Owners and renters

9,437 households (±226)

Jamestown, ND micropolitan area
United States share

Own63%5,951
Rent37%3,486

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

10,292 workers (±386)

Jamestown, ND micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone79%8,177
Carpool9.1%932
Public transit0.0%†4

Jobs and pay

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

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Jamestown, ND micropolitan area.

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.

Jamestown, ND has 636 employer establishments, 296 for every 10,000 residents (1.19× the US rate of 248), with 8,574 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,386. The Census Bureau also counts 1,545 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 636; 1,545 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 296; US 248
Paid employees: 8,574
Average annual pay: $52,386; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	41	19.1	1.23×About typical	247	$66,085	100
Restaurants and other eating places	37	17.2	0.94×About typical	583	$21,497	4
Ambulatory health care services	33	15.3	0.74×Fewer than typical	373	$70,689	63
Truck transportation	25	11.6	2.30×More than typical	210	$68,138	76
Construction of buildings	19	8.8	1.17×About typical	64	$69,703	42
Insurance agencies and brokerages	19	8.8	2.01×More than typical	68	$84,544	32
Religious organizations	19	8.8	1.59×More than typical	151	$20,603	—
Full-service restaurants	18	8.4	1.09×About typical	260	$21,312	—
Lessors of real estate	18	8.4	0.68×Fewer than typical	41	$40,780	193
Automotive repair and maintenance	16	7.4	1.48×More than typical	74	$52,014	24
Offices of other health practitioners	16	7.4	1.22×About typical	89	$53,809	35
Building equipment contractors	15	7	1.16×About typical	124	$71,089	16

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 21,512 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 $18.7M on contracts performed in Jamestown, ND micropolitan area: $875 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $18.7M; −62% vs FY2025
Per resident: $875; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.1%; 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

Agricultural Marketing Service$15.2M81%
Department of the Army$1.6M8.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs$692K3.7%
U.S. Geological Survey$580.9K3.1%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$441.9K2.4%
Defense Logistics Agency$96.7K0.5%
Department of Energy$68.3K0.4%
Bureau of Reclamation$49.4K0.3%

Top recipients

LEGUME MATRIX LLC$12.7M68%
BARNARD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED$2.6M14%
LUNA ENTERPRISES INTERNATIONAL INC$2.5M13%
SISTERS OF MARY OF THE PRESENTATION LONG TERM CARE$466.7K2.5%
EVENTIDE JAMESTOWN LLC$225.2K1.2%

Spending by fiscal year

3.9MFY2017
6.8MFY2018
7.6MFY2019
14.4MFY2020
7.7MFY2021
138.9MFY2022
28.8MFY2023
42.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other food manufacturing · 3119$15.2M81%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$2.6M14%
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) · 6231$692K3.7%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$257.7K1.4%
Other wood product manufacturing · 3219$236.8K1.3%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$205.4K

Largest awards

PIPESTEM SPILLWAY MODIFICATION PROJECT$201.1M
BARNARD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INCORPORATED· Stutsman County, ND· Construction & real property· Sep 22, 2022 – May 7, 2026· W9128F22C0034
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, PIPESTEM RESIDENT OFFICE, JAMESTOWN, ND.$10.5M
PARAGON-JACOBS JOINT VENTURE, LLC· Stutsman County, ND· Construction & real property· Feb 28, 2023 – May 18, 2026· W9128F23F0031
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000011488/4100035059/BEANS DRY GARBANZO PKG-12/2 LB,BEANS DRY SPLIT PEA GREEN PKG-12/2LB,BEANS BLACK TURTLE DRY PKG-12/2 LB,LENTILS DRY PKG 12/2 LB$5.4M
LEGUME MATRIX LLC· Stutsman County, ND· Other equipment & supplies· Sep 24, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026· 123J1426C1999

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 $194.4M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Jamestown, ND micropolitan area: $9,080 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $194.4M; −4.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $9,080; US $12,955
Loan face value: $4.5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 16%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$88.7M46%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$16.1M8.3%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$11.4M5.9%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$10.2M5.2%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$9.6M4.9%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$9.2M4.7%
20.901 · Payments for Essential Air Services$7.8M4.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$7.6M3.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$19.1M9.8%
BISMARCK, ND
SKYWEST AIRLINES INC$7.8M4.0%
SAINT GEORGE, UT
GREAT PLAINS HOUSING AUTHORITY$4.2M2.1%
JAMESTOWN, ND
JAMESTOWN REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY$2.5M1.3%
JAMESTOWN, ND
UNIVERSITY OF JAMESTOWN

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$108.7M56%
Farm Service Agency$26.7M14%
Department of Agriculture
Federal Highway Administration$19.1M9.8%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$10.9M5.6%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Immediate Office of the Secretary of Transportation

Assistance by fiscal year

186MFY2021
227.8MFY2022
153.6MFY2023
154.7MFY2024
203.2MFY2025
194.4MFY2026

County aggregates

63%

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 Jamestown, 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.

Stutsman CountyCentral county9521,414

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

JamestownPrincipal city15,787

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.

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

JSON · /api/v1/places/M27420

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved9

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Jamestown, ND micropolitan 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

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 Jamestown, ND

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in North Dakota

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved9

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

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type