Should I Move To
Minot, North Dakota comes in at about 48,038 residents. Cost of living comes out very affordable — 21% below the national average. Rent typically lands near $937/mo, and the median household income is about $75,545. Overall, 53/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C-, putting it at #381 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
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.
Cost-of-living index of 79 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's very affordable territory. With median rent at $937/mo and median household income at $75,545, housing takes about 15% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $241,900.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Minot has a varied climate. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Air quality reads good (AQI 30).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Minot is a tougher sell for families. It earns 50/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on climate (3/100).
Minot is a tougher sell for retirees. It earns 45/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on climate (3/100).
On the remote workers profile, Minot sits squarely in the middle. It earns 59/100 (grade C) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on climate (3/100).
Minot is a tougher sell for young professionals. It earns 44/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on climate (3/100).
Minot, North Dakota pulls a 53/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #381 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Minot's cost-of-living index is 79 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very affordable band — 21% below the national average. Median rent runs about $937/mo.
Walk Score: 5/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Minot has about 48,038 residents, 30% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 33.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Minot 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 Minot 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 Minot with other North Dakota cities scored on UrbRank.
Take the 2-minute UrbRank quiz to get a personalized ranking of US cities based on your priorities — cost, climate, commute, jobs, and more.