Williston, ND
Census place 3886220 · pop 28,056
Boomtown epicenter of North Dakota's Bakken shale oil rush, which sent its population soaring.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
47.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
40.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
15.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
25.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$286,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$79,381 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
23.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
93.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
8.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
72/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.69% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,289/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
18 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Williston: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Williston, ND a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Williston scores 61/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 18 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unemployment rate and its weakest is homeownership. North Dakota overall ranks #2 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Williston, ND expensive to live in?
- Williston has a median home value of $286,200 and typical rent around $1,289/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Williston, ND?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (47.1%) — 11/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Williston, ND best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.5%) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Boomtown epicenter of North Dakota's Bakken shale oil rush, which sent its population soaring.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.