Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to North Dakota

You think about moving to North Dakota but want to get additional information on overall quality of life, living costs, housing, entertainment options, public infrastructure, job market, safety, climate and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of living in North Dakota in the following chapters.

Living in North Dakota – Overview

Advantages of Living in North Dakota

1. More than enough housing options in most parts of North Dakota
2. Most people in North Dakota don’t complain about housing shortage
3. Rents are still pretty low in many parts of North Dakota
4. Property prices are still affordable for the general public
5. Easy to get a mortgage in most parts of North Dakota
6. Many people can easily save up enough money for making a down payment for a home
7. Many people in North Dakota can still live the American dream
8. Living costs in North Dakota are lower than in many other regions
9. Low overall financial pressure for people moving to North Dakota
10. You don’t have to make a fortune to make a decent living in North Dakota
11. People in North Dakota not only care about your money
12. You can live a rather relaxed life in North Dakota
13. People in North Dakota may be less career-focused than in other states
14. Low unemployment rate in North Dakota
15. Decent income level in North Dakota
16. People with solid education can make decent money from their jobs
17. Social inequality in North Dakota is not as severe as in many other states
18. Low population density in North Dakota
19. North Dakota is not crowded with tourists yet
20. You have more than enough space for yourself in public
21. Many recreational spaces in North Dakota
22. North Dakota is not a hectic place
23. People in North Dakota don’t lose lots of time in traffic jams
24. Finding a parking lot is pretty easy in North Dakota
25. Most people in North Dakota can enjoy pretty decent air quality
26. You can enjoy beautiful nature in North Dakota
27. You get the incentive of spending lots of time outdoors
28. Many people in North Dakota exercise through nature activities
29. You can learn quite a lot about our beautiful planet
30. North Dakota can be a great place to slow down your life
31. Many people in North Dakota still live a pretty traditional lifestyle
32. You may be able to live a self-sufficient life in North Dakota
33. North Dakota may be a great place to retire
34. Pretty low crime rates in North Dakota
35. You can meet many friendly people in North Dakota
36. Many people are willing to help you out in this region
37. Many people in North Dakota are honest and real
38. Easy to make friends for a lifetime in North Dakota
39. Moving to North Dakota is great if you don’t like big city life
40. You can live a pretty quiet life in North Dakota
41. You can enjoy warm summers and cold winters in North Dakota
42. North Dakota is a rather pet-friendly state
43. North Dakota may still be an underrated place to live
44. Decent future outlook for North Dakota

More than enough housing options in most parts of North Dakota

One advantage of living in North Dakota is that you will find more than enough housing options and no matter whether you just search for a small place for yourself or need a home for a big family, chances are you will have almost freedom of choice regarding where you want to live and can choose out of many options so you will have a rather easy time finding your dream home.

Most people in North Dakota don’t complain about housing shortage

Also overall housing shortage is not a real problem in most parts of North Dakota and while people moving to California often complain about fierce competition in the housing market, you will have a pretty relaxed time in this regard in North Dakota.

Rents are still pretty low in many parts of North Dakota

Thanks to the rather low demand in the North Dakota housing market, also rents are still pretty low and people don’t have to spend a high fraction of their income on housing yet but many of them have enough money left to afford many other nice and important things, for example saving up enough money for retirement to avoid old-age poverty later in life.

Property prices are still affordable for the general public

Not only rents are pretty low but also property prices in most regions of North Dakota are pretty affordable and many people in those regions are still able to afford to buy a home without having to financially overextend themselves.

Easy to get a mortgage in most parts of North Dakota

Thanks to rather low property prices, many people in North Dakota also have a rather easy time getting a mortgage while this will often be much harder for people moving to NYC or other much more expensive places where people have to make a fortune to be able to afford a decent home from a bank’s perspective.

Many people can easily save up enough money for making a down payment for a home

Since property prices are fairly low, also saving up enough money for making a down payment for your home purchase is rather easy and you may therefore not have to save up money for decades but may be able to afford your dream home in your early 30s or even late 20s.

Many people in North Dakota can still live the American dream

Thanks to rather housing costs, many people in North Dakota are still able to live the classic American dream including owning a nice home, a decent car and so on without having to go into debt as many people who aspire to this kind of lifestyle have to do when moving to San José or other much more expensive regions.

Living costs in North Dakota are lower than in many other regions

Another upside to living in North Dakota is that living costs are also fairly low and this means you will be able to afford much more than people living in more expensive regions and may therefore not have to deal with financial problems as much as people in those more expensive states which may give you far more peace of mind in the long run.

Low overall financial pressure for people moving to North Dakota

In general, thanks to rather low living and housing costs, many people in North Dakota also don’t have to deal with high financial pressure and can live their lives in a rather relaxed manner while people in more expensive regions often become increasingly desperate since they no longer know how to pay their bills and may suffer from serious mental health problems sooner or later due to that.

You don’t have to make a fortune to make a decent living in North Dakota

Since many things in North Dakota are not as expensive as in many other states, you also don’t have to make really good money to afford a decent lifestyle in this region and may therefore not have to work as much overtime as people moving to Seattle or other regions where living and housing costs are often far higher.

People in North Dakota not only care about your money

Another benefit of living in North Dakota is that many people still care about your character more than about your money and even if you don’t make good money from what you are doing, you can still become a valued member of society and can have a great time in this region while this would be much harder in states where people are shallower and may mainly care about what you have than what you do for society.

You can live a rather relaxed life in North Dakota

Since overall financial pressure is rather low, many people in North Dakota don’t have to worry about financial problems as much as in other states and this helps them relax and live a rather laid-back life since they will be able to make a decent living without having to overwork in most cases.

People in North Dakota may be less career-focused than in other states

In general, many people in North Dakota may also be less career-focused than in many other regions and may take more time to get in touch with you and may also be far less in a rush compared to regions where people are just really busy and have to rush from one meeting to the other.

Low unemployment rate in North Dakota

Another advantage of moving to North Dakota is that unemployment rate is pretty low and this means you will have a rather easy time finding a solid job as long as you have skills needed in the job market.

Decent income level in North Dakota

Also overall income level in North Dakota is pretty decent and if you are willing to put in the work, you may be able to make decent money from an average job and may be able to afford a decent lifestyle in this region.

People with solid education can make decent money from their jobs

If you hold a fancy degree, chances are you will even be able to make really good money from what you are doing and may be able to afford many nice things you would not be able to afford in more expensive places where you might have to spend far more money on housing and living expenses in general.

Social inequality in North Dakota is not as severe as in many other states

While social inequality is about to increase in North Dakota as it does in most other states, you should still know that the overall level of inequality in this state is far lower than in many other regions in the US and social cohesion is still rather strong in most regions of North Dakota.

Low population density in North Dakota

Since population density is rather low, you will also find many quiet spots where you can relax and reload your batteries so you may be able to stay balanced with your professional and private life in the long run without having to deal with burnout or other unpleasant issues.

North Dakota is not crowded with tourists yet

You should also know that North Dakota is not the most popular place for tourists and this means you will not run into large groups of people often and may be able to live your life in a much more relaxed and efficient manner since you will not get distracted from your own tasks as much as in many other regions.

You have more than enough space for yourself in public

In general, thanks to low population density, you will also find many spaces in public where you can just hang out on your own without having to worry about other people or loud noises distracting you and this can be great during times when you just need a quiet space to think about your life and complex problems that need to be dealt with urgently in a proper manner.

Many recreational spaces in North Dakota

You will also find many recreational spaces in the big cities of North Dakota and during lunch break or after work, you can just sit down on a bench and enjoy your leisure so you can reload your batteries for the stressful times yet to come.

North Dakota is not a hectic place

Another upside to moving to North Dakota is that it is not a hectic place at all.

In fact, it is pretty quiet and relaxed most of the time and you can just wake up in the morning and be in a pretty good mood since when you leave your home, you will not be surrounded by many busy people but will rather be able to start your day in a pretty peaceful atmosphere.

People in North Dakota don’t lose lots of time in traffic jams

Since population density is rather low, also traffic levels are rather limited and you will therefore be able to get around by car in a pretty efficient manner while people moving to Los Angeles may lose lots of time in traffic jams during rush hour on a regular basis.

Finding a parking lot is pretty easy in North Dakota

Not only will you have a rather easy time navigating through traffic but also finding a parking lot is pretty easy in this region and you don’t have to spend lots of time and money in this regard.

Most people in North Dakota can enjoy pretty decent air quality

You should also know that air quality is pretty decent in many parts of North Dakota and while you may not deem this important at first, you should still know that air quality and overall health often correlate and by moving to a region with high air quality, you may be less likely to suffer from serious health conditions in the long run.

You can enjoy beautiful nature in North Dakota

You should also not forget that North Dakota offers lots of beautiful nature.

In fact, you can experience nice mountains, rivers, lakes and forests and this can really improve your overall quality of life and may also help you relax quite a lot.

You get the incentive of spending lots of time outdoors

Since you can spend lots of time on nature activities like fishing, hunting and much more, you will also get the incentive to spend lots of time outdoors and this can help you get lots of fresh air so your body and your brain can get lots of oxygen and you may be able to stay healthy and vital in the long run.

Many people in North Dakota exercise through nature activities

Since many of those nature activities also involve some level of physical exercise, you may also be able to stay in shape even without having to go to the gym or doing other annoying things to stay attractive while many other people in more rural regions may just not have this luxury.

You can learn quite a lot about our beautiful planet

Since you can spend lots of time in nature, you will also learn quite a lot about our environment in the long run and may also become more eager to protect it as best as possible so we can all hand over a livable planet to the next generations.

North Dakota can be a great place to slow down your life

Moving to North Dakota may also make quite a lot of sense in case you are really stressed out with your life right now and live in a pretty busy region where you are just not able to relax enough to stay mentally healthy in the long run.

If this is you, besides seeing a professional who can often help you out, you may also want to consider moving to North Dakota or other quiet regions since everything is just slower and more laid-back and you may learn that your career is not everything and other things in life just matter much more to you so you may be able to become more mature and happy in the long run through this location change.

Many people in North Dakota still live a pretty traditional lifestyle

Since North Dakota is surrounded by beautiful nature, many people in this region can still live a pretty traditional lifestyle and are also able to preserve some noble traditions their ancestors have handed over from generation to generation.

You may be able to live a self-sufficient life in North Dakota

Since land prices in the rural parts of North Dakota are rather low, many people in this region are also able to buy a large lot of land and grow their own crops, raise farm animals and so on so they may be able to become independent of society and may no longer have to rely on conventional stores to survive which may be a great feeling and may also let you become much more confident.

North Dakota may be a great place to retire

Since there are many great and free things you can do in North Dakota nature and living costs are still affordable, North Dakota can also be a great place to retire for people who love nature and don’t want to spend as much money as people retiring in New York City or other much more expensive regions.

Pretty low crime rates in North Dakota

Since crime rates in most parts of North Dakota are rather low, many people still feel pretty safe in this state and this can greatly increase your overall quality of life since you don’t always have to worry when leaving your home while people moving to Detroit or many other regions with higher crime rates often have to worry about this issue much more.

You can meet many friendly people in North Dakota

Another benefit of moving to North Dakota is that you will also be able to meet many friendly and open people in this state and can just have a great time together so you can make many new social connections rather quickly and may not have to worry about getting socially isolated.

Many people are willing to help you out in this region

You should also know that many people in North Dakota are also pretty helpful and in case you need assistance during your first weeks in this region, chances are you will always find someone who is willing to support you so you can get important things done and become a valued member of society rather quickly.

Many people in North Dakota are honest and real

Since many people in North Dakota are still honest and genuine, you can not only have a great time with those people but may also learn to really rely on those people and may be able to get emotional support from them during the most difficult periods of your life when you may need someone to help you overcome your problems.

Easy to make friends for a lifetime in North Dakota

Since you can meet many great people in this region and people often don’t care about your money but rather about your character, you will also have a rather easy time making great friendships that may even last for a lifetime.

Moving to North Dakota is great if you don’t like big city life

Whether moving to North Dakota makes sense for you or not also greatly depends on whether you like big city life or are the type of person who wants to spend his or her life in rather smaller towns.

If you belong to the second group, you will be well-off moving to North Dakota since there are just not many big cities but rather smaller towns where you can really enjoy yourself in a rather relaxed atmosphere.

You can live a pretty quiet life in North Dakota

In general, unlike many other hectic and busy states, North Dakota still enables you to live a rather quiet life and you may be able to avoid all the stress that often comes along with moving to bigger metropolitan areas.

You can enjoy warm summers and cold winters in North Dakota

Since you can enjoy warm summers and pretty cold winters, you can also enjoy real seasons in North Dakota and may have a more interesting life compared to people moving to Florida or other regions where it is just pretty warm all year long.

North Dakota is a rather pet-friendly state

You should also know that North Dakota is a rather pet-friendly place and in case you love pets, you will be able to meet many like-minded people and will also be able to socialize in a pretty natural manner by just walking down the streets with your dog.

North Dakota may still be an underrated place to live

Since North Dakota has many nice things to offer at a rather affordable price level, it may still be an underrated place to live and by moving to North Dakota, you may be able to reap many of those benefits while people in many other regions may have to pay much more to live a similar lifestyle.

Decent future outlook for North Dakota

Thanks to rather low unemployment rates, decent income levels and low crime rates, North Dakota may also have a pretty decent future outlook and may become more popular by people from all over the US in the long run.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to North Dakota.

Yet, it is still not all sunshine and we also have to talk about the negative things of living in North Dakota so you will be better able to decide whether you still want to move to North Dakota or rather want to spend your life in a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in North Dakota

1. Not many big cities in North Dakota
2. Not many great sports teams in North Dakota
3. You may miss fancy shopping opportunities in North Dakota
4. Limited number of entertainment options outside of the big cities
5. North Dakota may not be as exciting as many other states
6. North Dakota may not be the most popular state
7. Natural disasters may become more common in North Dakota
8. Cost of homeowners insurance is on the rise
9. You may miss cultural diversity in many parts of North Dakota
10. You may not find as many interesting foods as in many other states
11. Hard to meet many international tourists in North Dakota
12. You may not get happy with living in North Dakota if you don’t like nature
13. Agricultural processes may cause a certain smell
14. Hard to find really good education outside of the big cities of North Dakota
15. Some rural regions in North Dakota still don’t have decent internet connection
16. Some regions in North Dakota are just not well-connected to the world
17. Distances can be pretty long in the rural parts of North Dakota
18. Public transport is often not great in most regions of North Dakota
19. You will often not be mobile enough without a car
20. You may have to drive long distances to find good doctors and hospitals
21. Your loved ones may not understand your decision of moving to North Dakota
22. Not many really big companies to work for in North Dakota
23. North Dakota may not attract as many ambitious people as many other states
24. Rather hard to build a strong business network in North Dakota
25. North Dakota doesn’t have a coastline
26. Cold winters may become annoying in North Dakota
27. North Dakota may be too quiet for you
28. Nightlife is not great in many parts of North Dakota

Not many big cities in North Dakota

One problem with moving to North Dakota is that you will just not find as many big cities as in many other states.

In fact, big city life is almost non-existent and in case you want to be surrounded by big skyscrapers and other things you are used to from big metropolitan regions, you may not get happy with your life in North Dakota in the long run.

Not many great sports teams in North Dakota

You should also know that the number of great sports teams in North Dakota will be rather limited and if you are a sports fan and want to watch different sports games at the highest level live in person, chances are you will be better off moving to Chicago or other places where you will have far more variety in this regard.

You may miss fancy shopping opportunities in North Dakota

You should also not expect to find many fancy shopping options in North Dakota.

In fact, you will not find many nice boutiques or shopping malls outside of the biggest cities and if you are the type of person who wants to follow latest fashion trends on a regular basis, chances are you will just not get happy in many regions of North Dakota.

Limited number of entertainment options outside of the big cities

Another downside to moving to North Dakota is that also entertainment options are rather limited and many young people in the rural regions of North Dakota often don’t know what they should do with their leisure and become increasingly frustrated due to that.

North Dakota may not be as exciting as many other states

In general, while North Dakota offers many nice things to do in nature, it may just not be the best state for people who need adrenaline and action 24/7 since most people in this region just live a rather relaxed life and don’t want to engage in those rather hectic things but rather want to spend their lives fishing or doing other quiet things in nature.

North Dakota may not be the most popular state

While North Dakota has become increasingly popular by people from all over the US over the past decades, it is still not the most popular state yet and you may therefore not get the same high social standing among your peers by moving to North Dakota compared to people moving to Washington D.C. or other more renowned places.

Natural disasters may become more common in North Dakota

Another disadvantage of moving to North Dakota is that natural disasters will become more likely due to climate change and storms or other unpleasant things may therefore damage or even destroy your home in this region sooner or later and you may just lose everything you have during one of those catastrophic events.

Cost of homeowners insurance is on the rise

Since natural disasters will become more common, also cost of homeowners insurance will increase quite a lot in the future which will make living in North Dakota more expensive on average.

You may miss cultural diversity in many parts of North Dakota

While you may find many interesting cultural influences in the big cities of North Dakota, you may still miss cultural diversity in the rural parts of the state and may not be able to hang out with as many interesting people as you may have wanted.

You may not find as many interesting foods as in many other states

You should also know that the number of great restaurants will be rather limited in many parts of North Dakota and you may therefore not be able to try as many delicious foods from all over the world as you would be able to do in bigger metropolitan regions.

Hard to meet many international tourists in North Dakota

Another downside to living in North Dakota is that you will also not be able to meet as many international tourists as you would be able to do in many other states and this means you will likely also meet fewer interesting people from all over the world and may miss out on many great conversations in the long run.

You may not get happy with living in North Dakota if you don’t like nature

Before moving to North Dakota, you should take an honest look in the mirror and ask yourself whether you really like nature or not since in case the answer to this question is no, you may just not get happy with the North Dakota lifestyle in the long run since entertainment options apart from doing things in nature may be rather limited in many rural regions of this state.

Agricultural processes may cause a certain smell

If you want to move to the rural regions of North Dakota, you should also know that agricultural businesses are still present in this region and you may therefore also have to deal with a certain kind of smell not all people like.

Hard to find really good education outside of the big cities of North Dakota

While you may find solid schools and colleges in the big cities, you should also know that education opportunities in many rural parts of North Dakota are rather limited and you may therefore have to drive long distances for bringing your kids to school and back which may eat up lots of your precious time in the long run.

Some rural regions in North Dakota still don’t have decent internet connection

If you want to move to a rather remote region in North Dakota, you may also run into serious problems regarding internet connection and this may prevent you from working from home and succeeding in life in general since a working internet connection will just be crucial to live an efficient life now and in the future.

Some regions in North Dakota are just not well-connected to the world

Another disadvantage of living in North Dakota is that you will also have many regions that don’t have solid airports nearby and you may therefore have a hard time traveling and also your loved ones may have a rather difficult time visiting you in an efficient manner.

Distances can be pretty long in the rural parts of North Dakota

You should also not forget that distances can be pretty long in many parts of North Dakota and road conditions are often rather poor so you may have trouble visiting your friends in other parts of the state.

Public transport is often not great in most regions of North Dakota

You may also not be able to rely on buses or trains to get around in an efficient manner in many parts of North Dakota since the overall public transport system is rather poor and those public transport options are also later often so you may not want to rely on them in case you have an important meeting and need to be there on time.

You will often not be mobile enough without a car

Due to rather poor public transport, you will also often need a car to get around in an efficient manner and people who are no longer able to drive may just get stuck at home and may not have the opportunity to visit many beautiful places in this region.

You may have to drive long distances to find good doctors and hospitals

Another problem with living in North Dakota is that you also have to drive pretty long distances to find a good doctor or hospital that will be able to treat your health condition in a proper manner and this can be a real problem in case of medical emergency when you may need medical assistance as quickly as possible.

Your loved ones may not understand your decision of moving to North Dakota

Since North Dakota may not be the most popular state to move to, your family and friends may also not understand your decision of moving to North Dakota and you may have to spend lots of time convincing them that this would be a good idea indeed.

Not many really big companies to work for in North Dakota

You should also keep in mind that you may not find as many big corporations to work for in North Dakota as you would do in many other states and this may prevent you from starting a fancy career or may just slow down your career progress in the corporate world.

North Dakota may not attract as many ambitious people as many other states

Since North Dakota may not be the most popular state and doesn’t offer as many exciting things as bigger metropolitan regions, you should also know that many ambitious and talented people often rather move to Boston or other places where they can get the best education possible and may have better chances for a fancy career later on so you may just not be able to talk to as many really smart people as in many other regions.

Rather hard to build a strong business network in North Dakota

Since you may have problems meeting many ambitious people in this region, people in North Dakota may also have a harder time building a strong business network and this may make it harder for them to succeed in the corporate world.

North Dakota doesn’t have a coastline

Since North Dakota doesn’t have a coastline, you will also not have the same luxury of being able to go surfing or swimming on a regular basis compared to people moving to Maine or other coastal regions which may lower your overall quality of life quite a lot.

Cold winters may become annoying in North Dakota

You should also know that winters in North Dakota can be pretty cold and if you are the type of person who can’t stand cold weather at all, you may be better off moving to Austin or other regions where even winters are rather warm.

North Dakota may be too quiet for you

Since North Dakota is not the most exciting state and entertainment options are often rather limited outside of the big cities, it may also just be too quiet for you and you may want to move to a more exciting place in the long run, especially if you are still young and want to explore yourself.

Nightlife is not great in many parts of North Dakota

While you may find decent bars and clubs in the big cities of North Dakota, nightlife is still not great in many regions and party people may just not get happy with the North Dakota lifestyle in the long run.

Top 10 Moving To North Dakota Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is North Dakota A Good Place To Live?

While moving to North Dakota can make sense since living and housing costs are rather low, it is a pretty safe state and unemployment is not a big problem, you should also know that you will not be able to enjoy big city life, public infrastructure may be rather poor and North Dakota may also not be the most exciting state in general.

In the end, it is on you to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of moving to North Dakota by yourself so you can make the best possible decision according to your individual preferences.

Most Popular Cities To Live In North Dakota – Comparison

Alternative States To Live

If you no longer want to move to North Dakota, you may also want to have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in New Mexico

Advantages and disadvantages of living in New York State

Advantages and disadvantages of living in North Carolina

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ND

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.