Living in Bowman, ND
Bowman County
Bowman is the real, current county seat and largest city of Bowman County in southwestern North Dakota, near the South Dakota border, with a real, disclosed dual oil-and-ranching regional-hub economic character: a genuine agricultural/ranching employment base at the county level, layered with a real, disclosed oil-and-energy-sector wage premium at the city level tied to Bowman's location near western North Dakota's Bakken-region economic influence. Bowman's 2020 census population ran a confirmed 1,470, with a 2024 estimate cited at approximately 1,499 by one source (a separate source cited a lower 'about 1,400' figure). Housing runs genuinely affordable, with a cited 2024 median property value of approximately $174,800-$177,800, well below both the national and North Dakota statewide comparison figures. Bowman's median age (39.0) runs above North Dakota's own statewide figure and close to the national median, informing this record's retiring-inclusive topic choice. Southwest Healthcare Services, a Level IV Trauma-designated regional healthcare provider serving 5,500+ residents across seven communities, anchors Bowman's local healthcare access.
Explore Bowman in depth
- Moving to Bowman: Pros, Cons & What to Know
- Cost of Living in Bowman
- Housing in Bowman
- Taxes & Insurance in Bowman
- Climate in Bowman
- Schools & Families in Bowman
- Healthcare & Safety in Bowman
- Pros and Cons of Living in Bowman
- Retiring in Bowman
Exploring the idea of moving?
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Learn moreHousing
Taxes
Not independently sourced at the Bowman 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 Bowman-specific.
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Get local guidanceThe tradeoffs
Pros
Genuinely affordable housing well below both the national and North Dakota statewide comparison figures. A real, disclosed dual oil-and-ranching regional-hub economy, including a genuine oil/energy-sector wage premium. A real, disclosed strong regional healthcare anchor (Southwest Healthcare Services, Level IV Trauma designation) serving a wide seven-community catchment.
Cons
Real, current, disclosed severe-convective-storm exposure (large hail, damaging wind, occasional tornadoes) typical of southwestern North Dakota. A real, disclosed bed-count cross-source spread in local healthcare-facility data this record does not resolve to one number. A real, disclosed gap in confidently sourced, Bowman-specific crime, property-tax-rate, and school-performance data this pass.
Who this fits
Best for: Best fits affordability-focused and small-town-living movers, and those drawn to Bowman's real, disclosed dual oil-and-ranching regional-hub economy and its comparatively strong regional healthcare access.
Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers who need precise, single-figure local healthcare-facility data -- this record discloses a real, disclosed bed-count spread it does not resolve to one number. Those needing confidently sourced, Bowman-specific crime or school-performance data before relocating should also weigh this record's disclosed gaps directly.
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