58503 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
58503
58554
Opportunity
82 · Top 5%
vs73 · Top 16%
Growth
61 · Top 31%
vs48 · Bottom 46%
Climate
50 · Bottom 1%
vs50 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
51 · Bottom 44%
vs52 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 31%
vs95 · Top 21%
Schools
68 · Top 29%
vs36 · Bottom 31%
Access
0 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
79 · Top 14%
vs70 · Top 30%
Measured values
| Metric | 58503 | 58554 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,683 | 29,479 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $102,333 | $80,120 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $52,843 | $47,451 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 278/sq mi | 51/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $393,700 | $277,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,132 | $1,091 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.3% | 72.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 2.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.4% | 30.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.3% | 8.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 273 | 46 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6.2% | -28.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 2°F | 2°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.1" | 19.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 186 mi | 196 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.4 min | 20.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.8 | 37.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.97 | 14.99 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.4% | 39.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 48.8% | 40.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 14.1% | 31.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
58503
Elevated or high exposure: hail, inland flooding.
58554
Elevated or high exposure: hail, ice storm.
Full profiles: 58503 — Bismarck, ND · 58554 — Mandan, ND · How this is calculated: methodology