Living in Bismarck, ND

Burleigh County

Bismarck is North Dakota's real, current state capital and its real, current second-largest city (after Fargo) -- and its most distinctly government-employment-anchored market in this project's dataset, a genuine, defining feature this record discloses directly. The State of North Dakota's own government is Bismarck's single largest employer, cited at more than 4,300 workers, ahead of the area's two major hospital systems (Sanford Health and CHI St. Alexius Health, combined 4,100+ workers) and Bismarck Public Schools and the federal government (1,000+ each). Bismarck sits on the Missouri River directly across from its real, current twin city, Mandan, and functions as North Dakota's real, central transition point between the flatter, more agricultural Red River Valley/eastern belt (Fargo, Grand Forks) and the state's central/western regions, including the oil-boom-driven Bakken. On cost: Bismarck's housing runs genuinely BELOW the national median on every citation reviewed (its cited closed-sale median, ~$357,700, runs roughly 12.5% below the ~$408,776 national figure used across this project), rent runs genuinely affordable (a cited $1,039/month average), and North Dakota's graduated state income tax tops out at a genuinely low 2.50% -- but this record discloses a real, genuinely wide cross-source spread on homeowners insurance cost (from $1,365/year to $3,425/year depending on coverage profile and source) and a property tax rate (~1.09% citywide) that runs above the national comparison figure, even as it runs below North Dakota's own state median. Crime runs genuinely ABOVE the national average on every headline figure reviewed -- a real, disclosed, more challenging safety picture than the city's low-key state-capital reputation might suggest, disclosed directly and prominently rather than downplayed. Schools present a genuinely solid picture (an 87% cited graduation rate, above North Dakota's ~84% statewide average), and Bismarck's real, documented winter severity, tornado history, and 1952 Missouri River flood (substantially mitigated since the Garrison Dam's 1953 closure) round out this record's honestly disclosed hazard profile.

Explore Bismarck in depth

Exploring the idea of moving?

We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.

Learn more

Housing

Median sale price$357,700

Cited a median sold price of approximately $357,700 for Bismarck as of a July 2026 citation -- used as this record's primary medianSalePrice figure (the field the place-page template reads directly).

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate1.09%

Not independently sourced at the Burleigh County level this session. North Dakota's top state income tax rate is 2.50%. See the North Dakota hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Bismarck-specific.

Want to know what your budget actually buys here?

Tell us a bit about what you're looking for and we'll connect you with someone local who can walk you through real numbers.

Get local guidance

The tradeoffs

Pros

North Dakota's real, genuinely low-rate graduated state income tax (topping out at 2.50% for 2026) pairs with genuinely below-national housing costs (Bismarck's cited closed-sale median, ~$357,700, runs roughly 12.5% below the national figure used across this project) and a cited $1,039/month average rent for a real, meaningfully affordable overall cost picture relative to several other Tier A+ markets in this project's dataset. Bismarck's real, defining identity as North Dakota's state capital anchors a genuinely major, distinct local economy -- the State of North Dakota government itself is the area's single largest employer (4,300+ workers) -- alongside a genuinely tight labor market (cited ~2.2%-2.5% unemployment) and strong regional healthcare access across two major hospital systems (Sanford Health and CHI St. Alexius Health). Schools present a genuinely solid picture (an 87% cited graduation rate, above the North Dakota statewide average), and Bismarck's real, distinctive Art Deco State Capitol, adjoining Heritage Center & State Museum, and Missouri River-anchored recreation (including its twin-city relationship with Mandan) give it a genuinely distinctive identity within this project's dataset.

Cons

Bismarck's real, current crime picture runs genuinely above the national average on every headline figure reviewed this pass -- an overall rate described as considerably higher than the national average, and a rate cited as higher than approximately 97% of North Dakota's own cities and towns -- a real, disclosed, more challenging safety picture this record does not soften despite the city's comparatively low-key state-capital reputation. Homeowners insurance carries a real, genuinely wide, disclosed cross-source spread this record could not resolve to one clean number (from slightly below the national average to more than double it, depending on coverage profile), and Bismarck's own effective property tax rate (~1.09%) runs above the national comparison figure even as it runs below North Dakota's own state median. Real, documented hazards -- a genuine tornado history (57 within 25 miles since 1950), severe winter conditions, and a historically significant 1952 Missouri River flood (though substantially mitigated by the Garrison Dam since 1953) -- are genuine considerations distinct from milder-climate or coastal-hazard markets elsewhere in this project's dataset. This record's own research this pass also left real, disclosed gaps on individual-school performance detail, precise citywide walkability/transit data, and a fully itemized household budget.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits movers whose specific priorities align with Bismarck's real strengths -- North Dakota's genuinely low-rate state income tax combined with genuinely below-national housing and rent costs, a real, defining state-government-anchored economy with a genuinely tight regional labor market, strong regional healthcare access across two major hospital systems, and a genuinely solid public-schools picture -- and who take the city's real, honestly-disclosed challenges (a genuinely above-national crime rate, a wide and unsettled homeowners-insurance cost picture, and real tornado/winter/historical-flood hazard exposure) seriously enough to research current, address-specific and neighborhood-specific data directly before committing to a specific Bismarck property.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers whose primary decision driver is a low, uncomplicated crime rate: Bismarck's real, current crime statistics run genuinely above the national average on every headline figure reviewed this pass, and this record discloses that directly rather than softening it despite the city's comparatively low-key state-capital reputation. Anyone specifically averse to severe winter conditions, a real, documented local tornado history, or a Missouri River flood history (even though substantially mitigated since the Garrison Dam's 1953 closure) should weigh Bismarck's real, disclosed hazard profile seriously. Movers requiring a single, settled homeowners-insurance cost figure should note this record's disclosed, genuinely wide cross-source spread and get an actual, current quote for a specific target property before budgeting. Movers wanting a large, dense-urban environment should note this record's own cited 'dense suburban feel' characterization of Bismarck rather than a major-metro urban one.

Planning a move?

Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.

Talk to a local expert
Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.