Bismarck receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Mandan
Bismarck
Opportunity
73 · Top 18%
vs78 · Top 10%
Growth
51 · Top 49%
vs63 · Top 28%
Climate
50 · Bottom 1%
vs50 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
52 · Bottom 44%
vs52 · Bottom 44%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 25%
vs91 · Top 30%
Access
0 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
65 · Top 41%
vs62 · Top 46%
Measured values
| Metric | Mandan | Bismarck | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,522 | 75,556 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $71,780 | $78,387 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,905 | $45,788 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,814/sq mi | 2,178/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $259,800 | $300,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,083 | $999 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.0% | 65.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 2.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.2% | 39.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.8% | 9.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 46 | 273 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 3.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -28.1% | 6.2% | 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 | 192 mi | 187 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.1 min | 16.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.1 | 38.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.99 | 14.63 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 39.0% | 43.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.3% | 41.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 31.4% | 23.8% | 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
Mandan
Elevated or high exposure: hail, ice storm.
Bismarck
Elevated or high exposure: hail, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Mandan, ND · Bismarck, ND · How this is calculated: methodology