Moving to North Dakota
New residents have 60 days to get a North Dakota driver license and should check the vehicle registration deadline with the North Dakota DOT. Prices are 11.0% below the U.S. average, and a single filer earning $100,000 pays about $691 in North Dakota income tax. 13,781 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from Minnesota and Texas.
New resident checklist for North Dakota
Driver license
You can drive on an out-of-state non-commercial license for 60 days after becoming a resident. Written and driving tests may be waived when you surrender a valid out-of-state license. Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your North Dakota address.
Vehicle title and registration
No fixed period published; vehicles must be registered once you're a resident (see residency). A title inspection by a registered repair business applies only to certain titles (e.g., reconstructed vehicles); no routine safety or emissions inspection. Check the deadline with the North Dakota DOT. Switch your auto insurance to a North Dakota policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: A 5% motor vehicle excise tax applies to vehicles acquired for use in North Dakota, with credit for sales or use tax paid in another state; a vehicle registered within 30 days of purchase is presumed bought for use in North Dakota. Bring proof of any tax you paid.
Annual registration: Based on weight and year first registered. 2026 passenger examples: $73 (<3,200 lb) / $93 (3,200-4,499 lb) if first registered 2021+; $49 / $57 if first registered 2014 or earlier.
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: $120.
Establishing residency
You're a resident if you work in ND and live there, or stay 90 consecutive days (students and daily commuters excepted). Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in North Dakota
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Make sure your employer withholds North Dakota income tax from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $1,540 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: dot.nd.gov. Sources: dot.nd.gov (2), dot.nd.gov (3), dot.nd.gov (4), dot.nd.gov (5), dot.nd.gov (6), ndlegis.gov, ndlegis.gov (2). Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the North Dakota motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to North Dakota
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in North Dakota.
Equal salary in ND: $69,700
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $69,700 in North Dakota to match $85,000 in Minnesota ($15,300 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $85,000 | Minnesota | North Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $9,870 | $9,870 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $6,503 | $6,503 |
| State income tax | $4,257 | $398 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $374 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $63,997 | $68,229 |
Full reports for the most common moves to North Dakota: Minnesota to North Dakota, Texas to North Dakota, California to North Dakota, South Dakota to North Dakota, Montana to North Dakota and Arizona to North Dakota.
Living in North Dakota: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), North Dakota is in the best 10 for car insurance, rent, natural hazard risk, overall prices and state income tax, and not in the worst 10 on any.
- Median rent
- $980/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $1,750/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $78,489 $3,411 more than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 0.96% median $2,550/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 55.7 of 100 About average for U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 13,781 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in North Dakota
How North Dakota ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where North Dakota ranks best
- Top 5 Lowest car insurance costs: $808 a year per car on average (NAIC 2023), the lowest of 51.
- Top 5 Lowest rent: $980 a month at the median (Census ACS 2024), 2nd lowest of 51.
- Top 5 Lowest natural hazard risk: FEMA risk score 55.7 of 100, 3rd lowest of 51.
- Top 10 Lowest overall prices: price level 89.0 (U.S. = 100, BEA 2024), 8th lowest of 51.
- Top 10 Lowest state income tax: $691 on a $100,000 salary, 10th lowest of 51.
Where North Dakota ranks worst
North Dakota is not in the worst 10 on any of these measures. Its weakest is property tax rate, 20th highest of 51.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new North Dakota residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 13,781 households filed their taxes in North Dakota after filing in another state the year before. Minnesota sent the most, 4,094 households (30% of the total). North Dakota lost a net 46 households to other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to North Dakota from other states reached a five-year high in 2022–23: 13,781 households, up 5% from 2018–19. North Dakota lost households to other states on net in all five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 −1,476, 2019–20 −2,692, 2020–21 −3,190, 2021–22 −1,412, 2022–23 −46.
Cost of living in North Dakota vs the U.S.
Overall prices in North Dakota are 11.0% below the U.S. average, 8th cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in housing (71.4), 29% below the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $118/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $808/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $570/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in North Dakota: take-home pay at three incomes
North Dakota taxes wages. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | ND income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $0 | $42,355 | +$1,577 |
| $100,000 | $691 | $78,489 | +$3,411 |
| $150,000 | $1,666 | $112,125 | +$4,539 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and North Dakota income taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
The statewide sales tax rate is 5% before any local sales taxes. Homeowners pay a median $2,550 a year in property tax, 0.96% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how North Dakota taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in North Dakota: where a paycheck goes furthest
The Fargo metro area is the only one of the 149 U.S. metro areas we cover that is centered in North Dakota. About $67,100 there buys what $75,000 buys in an average-priced area with no state income tax.
| Metro area | Salary to match $75k | Price level | Median rent | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo | $67,100 | 90.9 | $997 | $300,200 |
Salary to match $75k: the pay that leaves the same after-tax, price-adjusted income as $75,000 in an area at U.S. average prices with no state income tax, single filer, including the principal city's own income tax where it has one. BEA 2024 price levels (U.S. = 100) and Census ACS 2024 rent and home values for each metro area.
Housing and home insurance in North Dakota
| Measure | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $980 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $266,100 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $1,750 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $74,999 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $2,550 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,540 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in North Dakota for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in North Dakota
North Dakota's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 55.7 of 100, about average for U.S. counties and 3rd safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $726 per resident a year, and no residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every North Dakota county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to North Dakota come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 13,781 households moved to North Dakota from other states. The most came from Minnesota (4,094 households), Texas (874) and California (749).
What are the pros and cons of living in North Dakota?
Where North Dakota ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: lowest car insurance costs, the lowest of 51; lowest rent, 2nd lowest of 51; lowest natural hazard risk, 3rd lowest of 51; lowest overall prices, 8th lowest of 51; lowest state income tax, 10th lowest of 51. It is not in the worst 10 on any of them; its weakest is property tax rate, 20th highest of 51.
Is North Dakota expensive to live in?
Overall prices in North Dakota are 11.0% below the U.S. average (BEA price level 89.0, 2024), 8th cheapest of 51. Median rent is $980 a month and the median home is worth $266,100.
How long do I have to get a North Dakota driver license after moving?
60 days after becoming a resident. You can drive on an out-of-state non-commercial license for 60 days after becoming a resident. Written and driving tests may be waived when you surrender a valid out-of-state license.
How long do I have to register my car in North Dakota?
No fixed period published; vehicles must be registered once you're a resident (see residency). A title inspection by a registered repair business applies only to certain titles (e.g., reconstructed vehicles); no routine safety or emissions inspection.
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to North Dakota?
A 5% motor vehicle excise tax applies to vehicles acquired for use in North Dakota, with credit for sales or use tax paid in another state; a vehicle registered within 30 days of purchase is presumed bought for use in North Dakota. Bring proof of any tax you paid.
What makes me a North Dakota resident?
You're a resident if you work in ND and live there, or stay 90 consecutive days (students and daily commuters excepted).