State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

North Dakota: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each North Dakota county, FY 2026.

16.2%
State avg 2BR burden
0
Counties over 30% (of 53)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about North Dakota

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom, by Census-reported median household income for each county in North Dakota. Across the 53 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 16.2%, compared with a national average of 21.7% - meaning North Dakota sits 5.5 percentage points lower than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In North Dakota, 0 of 53 counties (0%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Sioux County at 25.1%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $873 eats that share of the local median income of $41,676. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability, eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which North Dakota counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between North Dakota and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
16.2%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
0
of 53
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Sioux County $733 $873 21.1% 25.1%
2 Divide County $1,233 $1,534 16.6% 20.6%
3 Rolette County $727 $954 15.2% 20%
4 Logan County $815 $1,014 15.9% 19.8%
5 Grand Forks County $868 $1,089 15.2% 19.1%
6 Adams County $702 $873 15.2% 18.9%
7 Eddy County $665 $873 14.4% 18.9%
8 Grant County $683 $873 14.4% 18.5%
9 McKenzie County $1,124 $1,354 15.3% 18.4%
10 Oliver County $1,030 $1,175 16.1% 18.3%
11 Cass County $917 $1,112 14.7% 17.8%
12 Morton County $1,030 $1,175 15.6% 17.7%
13 Slope County $743 $924 14.3% 17.7%
14 Ward County $960 $1,165 14.5% 17.6%
15 Mercer County $881 $1,156 13.3% 17.5%
16 Stutsman County $680 $873 13.6% 17.4%
17 Ramsey County $719 $873 14.1% 17.1%
18 Wells County $796 $873 15.6% 17.1%
19 Renville County $824 $1,081 13% 17%
20 Kidder County $729 $873 14.1% 16.9%
21 Burleigh County $1,030 $1,175 14.6% 16.6%
22 Dickey County $730 $873 13.9% 16.6%
23 Pierce County $755 $873 14.3% 16.6%
24 Towner County $702 $873 13.4% 16.6%
25 Sheridan County $743 $924 13.2% 16.5%
26 McIntosh County $787 $873 14.7% 16.3%
27 Barnes County $722 $948 12.3% 16.2%
28 Griggs County $665 $873 12.3% 16.2%
29 Golden Valley County $826 $1,027 13% 16.1%
30 Williams County $1,068 $1,196 14.2% 15.9%
31 Mountrail County $850 $1,071 12.5% 15.8%
32 Hettinger County $745 $927 12.6% 15.7%
33 Pembina County $791 $873 14.2% 15.7%
34 Stark County $874 $1,056 13% 15.7%
35 Cavalier County $702 $873 12.6% 15.6%
36 Emmons County $683 $873 12.2% 15.6%
37 Benson County $769 $873 13.6% 15.4%
38 Nelson County $745 $873 13.1% 15.4%
39 Walsh County $680 $873 11.7% 15%
40 LaMoure County $704 $873 12% 14.9%
41 McHenry County $839 $1,000 12.5% 14.9%
42 Ransom County $715 $923 11.5% 14.9%
43 Richland County $665 $873 11% 14.4%
44 Sargent County $816 $935 12.6% 14.4%
45 Steele County $702 $873 10.5% 13%
46 Billings County $702 $873 10.4% 12.9%
47 McLean County $796 $873 11.7% 12.8%
48 Bottineau County $796 $873 11.4% 12.6%
49 Foster County $755 $873 10.9% 12.6%
50 Bowman County $796 $873 11.4% 12.5%
51 Dunn County $754 $938 9.6% 11.9%
52 Traill County $690 $873 9.4% 11.9%
53 Burke County $665 $873 8.3% 10.9%
National burden rankings → All North Dakota rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in North Dakota? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in North Dakota is 16.2% of household income. 0 of 53 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in North Dakota are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Sioux County at 25.1% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does North Dakota compare to the national average? ▼
North Dakota's average rent burden is 16.2% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 5.5 percentage points lower than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.