Should I Move To
Fargo, North Dakota is home to about 127,319 people. On cost of living, it lands in the affordable band — 14% below the national average. The median renter pays around $900 a month against a typical household income of $64,432. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 49 out of 100 (grade D), putting it at #556 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Fargo's composite cost-of-living index lands at 86 (100 = US average), which puts it in the affordable band. At $900/mo against $64,432 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 17% of income on housing — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Median home value sits around $254,900.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is cold-winter — summer averages around 81°F, winter averages around 12°F. Precipitation totals about 32 inches a year. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere. Crime statistics are on the rougher end of the US distribution; the citywide aggregate hides safer pockets but the headline number isn't great. Air quality reads good (AQI 39).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Fargo doesn't obviously fit families. It earns 49/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on affordability (89/100); weakest on climate (3/100).
Fargo doesn't obviously fit retirees. It earns 45/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on affordability (89/100); weakest on climate (3/100).
Fargo doesn't obviously fit remote workers. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on affordability (89/100); weakest on climate (3/100).
Fargo doesn't obviously fit young professionals. It earns 51/100 (grade C-) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on affordability (89/100); weakest on climate (3/100).
Fargo, North Dakota pulls a 49/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade D), currently ranked #556 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Fargo's cost-of-living index is 86 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the affordable band — 14% below the national average. Median rent runs about $900/mo.
Cold-winter — summer averages around 81°F, winter averages around 12°F, with about 32 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 61/100. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere.
Fargo has about 127,319 residents, 42% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 32.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Fargo head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Fargo stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Fargo with other North Dakota cities scored on UrbRank.
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