Getty Images|iStockphoto
#14 Getty Images|iStockphoto
Overview of North Dakota
- Area
- 70,699 SQ. MI.
- GDP
- $73 Billion
- College Educated
- 46.2%
- Population
- 779,261
- Capital
- Bismarck
- Median Income
- $39,438
- Area
- 70,699 SQ. MI.
- GDP
- $73 Billion
- College Educated
- 46.2%
- Population
- 779,261
- Capital
- Bismarck
- Median Income
- $39,438
Rankings Scorecard
- Crime & Corrections #30
- Economy #41
- Education #28
- Fiscal Stability #6
- Health Care #30
- Infrastructure #2
- Natural Environment #10
- Opportunity #4
Native Americans inhabited this land before white settlers – the word Dakota is Sioux for “friend.”
The land that comprises North Dakota today became U.S. territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. It had been part of the Minnesota and Nebraska territories until it and South Dakota were combined to form the Dakota territory in 1861. It remained largely unsettled until the arrival of railroads. When both North Dakota and South Dakota were admitted to the Union, in November 1889, President Benjamin Harrison didn't reveal which bill he signed first.
Much of the land in North Dakota is devoted to farming, and much of the state's population is employed in agriculture.
Amid the economic recession that began in 2008 oil and gas exploration transformed remote regions of North Dakota, attracting billions of dollars in investments and workers in search of high pay.
North Dakota is known for its Badlands, now part of the 70,000-acre Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Roosevelt’s journey to the Dakota Territory in 1883 to hunt bison was among his Western ventures that instilled in him a fervor for preservation of natural lands, and ultimately the first national parks.
North Dakota Rankings
| Crime & Corrections | #30 |
|---|---|
| Economy | #41 |
| Education | #28 |
| Fiscal Stability | #6 |
| Health Care | #30 |
| Infrastructure | #2 |
| Natural Environment | #10 |
| Opportunity | #4 |
| Crime & Corrections | #30 |
|---|---|
| Economy | #41 |
| Education | #28 |
| Fiscal Stability | #6 |
| Health Care | #30 |
| Infrastructure | #2 |
| Natural Environment | #10 |
| Opportunity | #4 |
| Corrections Outcomes | #35 |
|---|---|
| Public Safety | #26 |
| Corrections Outcomes | #35 |
|---|---|
| Public Safety | #26 |
Incarceration Rate
National: 307
Juvenile Incarceration
National: 66
Violent Crime Rate
National: 399
| Business Environment | #50 |
|---|---|
| Employment | #4 |
| Growth | #48 |
| Business Environment | #50 |
|---|---|
| Employment | #4 |
| Growth | #48 |
Venture Capital per GDP
National: $7.65
Job Growth
National: 0.2%
Net Migration
National: 0.1%
| Higher Education | #16 |
|---|---|
| Pre-K-12 | #36 |
| Higher Education | #16 |
|---|---|
| Pre-K-12 | #36 |
Debt at Graduation
National: $29,300
High School Graduation Rate
National: 86.5%
NAEP Math Scores
National: 274
| Long-Term Fiscal Stability | #38 |
|---|---|
| Short-Term Fiscal Stability | #1 |
| Long-Term Fiscal Stability | #38 |
|---|---|
| Short-Term Fiscal Stability | #1 |
Government Credit Rating
National: N/A
Budget Balancing
National: 1.014
Liquidity
National: 3.6
| Health Care Access | #26 |
|---|---|
| Health Care Quality | #40 |
| Public Health | #24 |
| Health Care Access | #26 |
|---|---|
| Health Care Quality | #40 |
| Public Health | #24 |
Population Without Health Insurance
National: 12.2%
Preventable Hospital Admissions
National: 2,781
Obesity Rate
National: 33.7%
| Energy | #5 |
|---|---|
| Internet Access | #4 |
| Transportation | #6 |
| Energy | #5 |
|---|---|
| Internet Access | #4 |
| Transportation | #6 |
Renewable Energy Usage
National: 12.3%
Average Commute Time
National: 25.6
Roads in Poor Condition
National: 19.0%
| Air & Water Quality | #20 |
|---|---|
| Pollution | #18 |
| Air & Water Quality | #20 |
|---|---|
| Pollution | #18 |
Days With Unhealthy Air Quality
National: 114
Drinking Water Violation Points
National: 1.91
Industrial Toxins
National: 926
| Affordability | #12 |
|---|---|
| Economic Opportunity | #14 |
| Equality | #29 |
| Affordability | #12 |
|---|---|
| Economic Opportunity | #14 |
| Equality | #29 |
Cost of Living Index
National: 100.0
Median Household Income
National: $69,717
Poverty Rate
National: 12.8%
North Dakota in Photos
Best States Methodology
The overall Best State ranking from U.S. News & World Report shows how each of the 50 U.S. states ranks in 71 metrics across eight categories.
Rankings Scorecard
- Crime & Corrections #30
- Economy #41
- Education #28
- Fiscal Stability #6
- Health Care #30
- Infrastructure #2
- Natural Environment #10
- Opportunity #4
Explore the Data
- Compare
- North Dakota
To
