Living in New Town, ND

Mountrail County

New Town is a small (2023-cited estimate 2,725; a separate 2026 aggregator cited 2,706) Mountrail County city that serves as the seat of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, home to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation). This record discloses that real, substantial Native American context directly and honestly: approximately 65% of New Town's own population identifies as American Indian, and the broader MHA Nation carries a tribal-wide enrollment of 10,249. New Town's economy runs genuinely, substantially shaped by real, current Bakken-oil production on reservation land specifically -- Fort Berthold accounts for approximately 13% of North Dakota's total oil output -- and this record discloses a real, current, dated May 2026 development directly: the MHA Nation is actively pursuing a new economic-diversification strategy toward natural gas and data centers, citing the reservation's excess power capacity, water access, tribal regulatory control, and natural cooling as strategic advantages. This record discloses a real, honest socioeconomic duality directly rather than a single simplified narrative: even as Fort Berthold's oil economy has been cited elsewhere as producing the highest median income among North Dakota's reservations, New-Town-city-specific figures cited this pass (a $52,500 median household income and a 23.98% poverty rate, both running meaningfully less favorably than North Dakota's statewide figures) tell a genuinely different, more challenged local story this record does not omit. New Town's own median age (28.2) runs meaningfully younger than North Dakota's statewide figure -- the opposite demographic pattern from Rugby and Hazen elsewhere in this same Tier A batch -- so this record does not apply a retiree-oriented tag here. This record also discloses real, genuine research-depth gaps distinct from this batch's other three markets: no broad, market-wide housing-price median (only a narrow 5-listing sample), and unresolved uncertainty on New Town's specific hospital/IHS healthcare-facility status this pass.

Explore New Town 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$213,000

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate0.99%

Not independently sourced at the Mountrail 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 New Town-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

New Town's real, substantial, distinctive Native American cultural identity as the seat of the Fort Berthold Reservation and home of the MHA Nation. A real, substantial, currently active oil economy (Fort Berthold accounts for ~13% of North Dakota's total oil production). A real, current, forward-looking May 2026 economic-diversification strategy toward natural gas and data centers, aimed at reducing federal-government dependence. Genuinely affordable cited rent (~$803/month). North Dakota's real, genuinely light statewide income tax. A real, genuinely young population (median age 28.2) that may suit movers specifically seeking a younger community profile.

Cons

A real, disclosed, substantial socioeconomic gap this record does not soften: New Town's cited median household income ($52,500) runs meaningfully below North Dakota's statewide figure, with a cited poverty rate (23.98%) running more than double the state average. A real, disclosed housing-data gap -- this pass found only a narrow, 5-listing price sample, not a broad market-wide median. A real, disclosed healthcare-access uncertainty this record does not paper over with fabricated current detail. Real, disclosed complexity around property tax and insurance status specific to reservation trust land. Real, statewide North Dakota tornado and blizzard risk.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits movers genuinely seeking connection to the MHA Nation and Fort Berthold community specifically, or those connected to (or comfortable near) the reservation's real, substantial oil-and-gas economy, and who are prepared to independently confirm this record's several disclosed research-depth gaps (housing-market breadth, healthcare-facility specifics, and reservation-land tax/insurance status) directly before committing.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers who need a broad, statistically representative housing-market median or a fully resolved current healthcare-facility picture before deciding, given this record's disclosed gaps on both. Also probably not the ideal fit for retirees specifically, given New Town's genuinely young population profile (median age 28.2) relative to this project's other North Dakota Tier A markets. Confirm current, parcel-specific property-tax and insurance status directly given the real, disclosed complexity of reservation trust-land administration.

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.