Dickinson receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Dickinson
Mandan
Opportunity
72 · Top 19%
vs73 · Top 18%
Growth
47 · Bottom 44%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
49 · Bottom 1%
vs50 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
66 · Top 42%
vs52 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
98 · Top 13%
vs93 · Top 25%
Access
0 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 41%
vs65 · Top 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Dickinson | Mandan | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,357 | 24,522 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $82,696 | $71,780 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $40,079 | $46,905 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,921/sq mi | 1,814/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $263,700 | $259,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $957 | $1,083 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.0% | 69.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 2.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.9% | 30.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.6% | 9.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 51 | 46 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 1.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 4.1% | -28.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 6°F | 2°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.6" | 19.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 197 mi | 192 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.7 min | 19.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.3 | 36.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.46 | 14.99 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 36.7% | 39.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.8% | 40.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.2% | 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
Dickinson
Elevated or high exposure: winter weather, hail.
Mandan
Elevated or high exposure: hail, ice storm.
Full profiles: Dickinson, ND · Mandan, ND · How this is calculated: methodology