Williston receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Williston
Dickinson
Opportunity
71 · Top 21%
vs72 · Top 19%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
46 · Bottom 1%
vs49 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 22%
vs66 · Top 42%
Housing affordability
93 · Top 24%
vs98 · Top 13%
Access
0 · Bottom 1%
vs0 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
62 · Top 48%
vs55 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Williston | Dickinson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,056 | 25,357 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $79,381 | $82,696 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,046 | $40,079 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,090/sq mi | 1,921/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $286,200 | $263,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,122 | $957 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 47.1% | 61.0% | 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 | 25.8% | 31.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.1% | 13.6% | 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 | 283 mi | 197 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.8 min | 17.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.0 | 33.3 | 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
Williston
Elevated or high exposure: winter weather, ice storm.
Dickinson
Elevated or high exposure: winter weather, hail.
Full profiles: Williston, ND · Dickinson, ND · How this is calculated: methodology