Bismarck and Dickinson receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Bismarck
Dickinson
Opportunity
78 · Top 10%
vs72 · Top 19%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
50 · Bottom 1%
vs49 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 44%
vs66 · Top 42%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 30%
vs98 · Top 13%
Access
0 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
62 · Top 46%
vs55 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Bismarck | Dickinson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 75,556 | 25,357 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $78,387 | $82,696 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,788 | $40,079 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,178/sq mi | 1,921/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $300,300 | $263,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $999 | $957 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.5% | 61.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 2.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.6% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.2% | 31.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.3% | 13.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 273 | 51 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.6 | 2.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 6.2% | 4.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 2°F | 6°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 19.1" | 15.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 187 mi | 197 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 16.8 min | 17.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.9 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 29 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.63 | 11.46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 43.7% | 36.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 41.2% | 43.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 23.8% | 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
Bismarck
Elevated or high exposure: hail, inland flooding.
Dickinson
Elevated or high exposure: winter weather, hail.
Full profiles: Bismarck, ND · Dickinson, ND · How this is calculated: methodology