What is the cost of living in Fargo, ND?

Fargo indexes at 85 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $972/mo and a acs median home value of $281,900.

How much does a house cost in Fargo?

The acs median home value in Fargo is $281,900, 7% above the North Dakota median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).

How much is rent in Fargo?

A two-bedroom in Fargo rents for about $972/mo.

City data & comparisons

Cass County · North Dakota · Midwest · 132k residents

Fargo, ND: cost of living, taxes & quality of life

Residential facts for Fargo: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the North Dakota median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.

Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.

The acs median home value in Fargo is $281,900, 7% above the North Dakota median. A two-bedroom rents for about $972/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 85 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $66,998 a year.

What the numbers show

Source-confirmed findings

Housing value: The ACS median home value in Fargo is $281,900, 6.9% above the median for ACS-covered places in North Dakota.
Household income: Median household income is $66,998, 8.5% below the median for ACS-covered places in North Dakota.
Adult education: 42.9% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 34.5% above the median for ACS-covered places in North Dakota.
Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 4.2 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.

What makes this place distinctive

A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.

A Red River college city with prairie energy, a strong arts scene, and a practical sense of humor.

Known for: North Dakota State, agriculture, the Red River, and regional healthcare.

Calendar note: Fargo Street Fair and Fargo Film Festival are annual anchors.

Story source: Fargo-Moorhead CVB

Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
Setting: The profile places Fargo about 157 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
Climate signal: The profile records 200 sunny days and 51 inches of annual snow.
Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 18 minutes.

WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.

Compare Fargo for residents

Compare Fargo side by side

Cost of living index

cheaper than 80% of US cities

ACS median home value

$281,900

+6.9% vs state mediancheaper than 65% of US cities

2-bedroom rent

$972/mo

cheaper than 89% of US cities

Median household income

$66,998

−8.5% vs state medianhigher than 30% of US cities

Housing momentum

How fast Fargo's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.

75/100

Heating

Home prices YoY: +4.0% (top 19%)Rents YoY: +4.3% (top 25%)Rents MoM: +0.6% (top 25%)

Momentum rising · +28 over 2 yr

Ranks Fargo's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.

What does your salary buy in Fargo?

$a year

Adjusted by Fargo's cost-of-living index versus the US average.

All facets · Fargo

Housing — Buy
ACS median home value	$281,900
Price per sq. ft.	$165
Property tax rate	0.98%

Housing — Rent
1-bedroom rent	$842/mo
2-bedroom rent	$972/mo

Taxes
State & local income tax	0%
Sales tax	7%

Monthly Costs
Cost of living index	85
Groceries index	97
Utilities	$140/mo
Transit pass	$40/mo
Gas price	$3.05/gal
Healthcare index	98
Childcare (per child)	$950/mo

Economy & Jobs
Median household income	$66,998
Unemployment rate	2.3%
Population	132k

Quality of Life
Crime index	42/100
School rating	6.0/10
Walkability	38/100
Disaster risk	82/100
Avg. commute	18 min

Climate
Sunny days / year	200 days
July high	82°F
January low	0°F
Annual snowfall	51 in

Market Trends
Home price YoY	+4.0%
Home price MoM	-0.1%
Rent YoY	+4.3%
Rent MoM	+0.6%

Location & Access
Ocean coast	1187 mi
Big lake	157 mi
Mountains	290 mi
Major airport	< 3 mi
Ski resort	217 mi

Compare & explore

Popular comparisons

Nearby

Similar size

Real listings in Fargo

Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗

Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.

Questions & answers

What is the cost of living in Fargo, ND?: Fargo indexes at 85 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $972/mo and a acs median home value of $281,900.
How much does a house cost in Fargo?: The acs median home value in Fargo is $281,900, 7% above the North Dakota median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
How much is rent in Fargo?: A two-bedroom in Fargo rents for about $972/mo.