Living in North Dakota · 2026
Is $27,000 enough to live in North Dakota?
Single adult · ND · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data
Monthly take-home
$1,982
Avg monthly expenses
$1,922
Avg monthly surplus
$60
Savings potential
~3%
After-tax take-home in North Dakota
How $27,000 feels in North Dakota cities
Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL
Fargo
COL index: 0.91× national avg
Bismarck
COL index: 0.88× national avg
Grand Forks
COL index: 0.85× national avg
Minot
COL index: 0.85× national avg
West Fargo
COL index: 0.91× national avg
Williston
COL index: 0.98× national avg
50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner
Based on your monthly take-home of $1,982 ($23,784/yr)
$991
per month
- ›Rent / mortgage
- ›Groceries
- ›Utilities
- ›Insurance
- ›Minimum debt payments
- ›Transportation
$595
per month
- ›Dining out
- ›Streaming services
- ›Gym
- ›Hobbies
- ›Travel
- ›Shopping
$396
per month
- ›Emergency fund
- ›401(k) / IRA
- ›Investments
- ›Down payment fund
- ›Debt payoff (extra)
Needs / year
$11,892
Wants / year
$7,135
Savings / year
$4,757
Salary Intelligence
Financial pressure in FargoRent alone would take 53% of take-home income. This salary creates significant financial pressure in this city — a $42,000 annual income or lower rent is needed to reach affordability.
Lifestyle Assessment
A $27,000 salary can cover essential living costs for a single adult in Fargo, North Dakota, but leaves little room for savings (~2% of take-home). Lifestyle is rated challenging, with careful budgeting required to avoid month-to-month shortfalls.
Purchasing Power
Fargo is near the national cost-of-living average (index: 0.91). $27,000 here is roughly equivalent to $54,890 in San Francisco or $26,110 in an affordable city like Birmingham.
State & National Benchmark
$27,000 is 38% below the North Dakota individual median of $43,800. Consider negotiating a higher salary or exploring higher-paying roles in this state.
State individual median
$43,800
-38%
State household median
$73,959
-63%
Tax reduction strategies
$27,000 vs. North Dakota income benchmarks
Individual median (North Dakota)
$43,800
-38% vs. this salary
Household median (North Dakota)
$73,959
-63% vs. this salary
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023
Related salary insights
Explore other salary levels in North Dakota
Data Sources
- •Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
- •Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
- •Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index
Data updated monthly using government datasets.