58801 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
58801
58601
Opportunity
70 · Top 20%
vs71 · Top 19%
Growth
43 · Bottom 38%
vs44 · Bottom 39%
Climate
46 · Bottom 1%
vs49 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs66 · Top 42%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 23%
vs97 · Top 16%
Access
0 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
61 · Top 47%
vs58 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | 58801 | 58601 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,277 | 29,916 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $84,702 | $85,821 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $43,744 | $40,962 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 48/sq mi | 52/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $298,300 | $278,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,129 | $962 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 50.3% | 64.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 2.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.9% | 31.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.7% | 12.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 62 | 51 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 2.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -34.0% | 4.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 1°F | 6°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.1" | 15.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 281 mi | 198 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.9 min | 18.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.4 | 34.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.34 | 11.46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 33.2% | 31.2% | 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
58801
Elevated or high exposure: winter weather, ice storm.
58601
Elevated or high exposure: winter weather, hail.
Full profiles: 58801 — Williston, ND · 58601 — Dickinson, ND · How this is calculated: methodology