Moving to Oakes: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Oakes means moving to a real, small southeastern North Dakota agricultural city with a distinctive research identity most small farm towns don't share.
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Learn moreA genuinely agricultural trade hub
Oakes functions as the largest city in and trade/service center for Dickey County, with an economy built on soybeans, corn, wheat, and livestock (base record).
A distinctive, currently-active research anchor
The real, genuine Oakes Irrigation Research Site (NDSU Extension, established 1970) continues active crop-irrigation testing today, approximately 4.5 miles south of town -- a real identity most comparably-sized towns don't have (base record).
Dramatically affordable housing
Oakes's ~$170,053 median home value runs well below both the ~$408,776 national and ~$290,642 North Dakota statewide comparison figures (base record).
A real, disclosed population spread
Sources disagree on Oakes's current population (~1,769 to ~2,042) -- this record discloses that spread rather than picking the more flattering figure (base record).
Key takeaways
- A genuinely agricultural economy anchored by Dickey County's own trade and service needs.
- A distinctive, currently-active agricultural research identity via the Oakes Irrigation Research Site.
- Housing runs dramatically affordable relative to both national and North Dakota statewide averages.
- A real, disclosed cross-source population spread worth confirming directly before relying on one figure.
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