City comparison
Bismarck, ND is about 100 miles (175 km) from Minot, ND in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Bismarck, ND to Minot, ND takes about 12 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Bismarck has a population of 73,694, vs 48,038 in Minot — about 1.5× larger by population. By land area, Bismarck covers about 35 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Minot.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bismarck | Minot | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $969/mo | $937/mo | 3.4% higher in Bismarck |
| Median home value | $283,800 | $241,900 | 17.3% higher in Bismarck |
| Median household income | $76,014 | $75,545 | 0.6% higher in Bismarck |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 95.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 76.5 | 74.6 | 2.6% higher in Bismarck |
| Transportation index | 91.7 | 91.7 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 91.9 | 91.9 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bismarck, you'd need $90,546 in Minot to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Minot, ND is about 9.5% cheaper overall than Bismarck, ND, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 30% higher in Bismarck than in Minot. If you earn $80,000 in Bismarck, you'd need about $72,437 in Minot to keep the same standard of living.