Top 10 poorest towns in North Dakota 2025: income and poverty

Drive through North Dakota long enough, and you’ll spot towns that haven’t changed in years. A diner still running on black coffee and conversation. A gas station doubling as the local hangout. But behind those familiar sights, numbers tell a harder truth. Some families earn just enough to keep the lights on, while others rely on part-time work and faith that next year will be better. The poorest towns in North Dakota in 2025 reveal that gap—small communities surviving quietly between oil wealth and open prairie.

Across the country, similar contrasts appear. The Top Richest Cities in Florida thrive on growth, while reports like Top 10 Poorest Cities in America show towns trying to stay afloat. North Dakota’s struggle sits somewhere in between—steady, cold, and quietly determined.

Top 10 Poorest Towns in North Dakota 2025 | Income & Poverty

Rank	Town	Median Household Income (USD)	Poverty Rate (%)	County
1	Devils Lake	42,700	24.1	Ramsey
2	New Town	43,200	23.6	Mountrail
3	Belcourt	39,800	29.2	Rolette
4	Fort Totten	38,900	31.4	Benson
5	Dunseith	40,300	27.8	Rolette
6	Rolla	41,200	26.7	Rolette
7	Cando	44,100	21.5	Towner
8	Ellendale	45,600	20.3	Dickey
9	Lakota	46,400	19.8	Nelson
10	Carrington	47,200	18.9	Foster

Economic Divide Behind the Rankings

The numbers don’t surprise locals. Jobs tied to farming or oil rise and fall like the weather. One bad harvest, one closed rig, and whole neighborhoods tighten their belts. Main Street storefronts that once sold everything from tools to wedding dresses now sit dark. In some places, the school gym is still the warmest building in town, and the coffee shop acts like a job board. The poorest towns in North Dakota show how easily a small-town economy can slip when one income source disappears.

1. Devils Lake

Fishing draws tourists each summer, but most residents depend on service work that dries up when the season ends.

2. New Town

Oil brought boom years, then left behind slow ones. Many live between jobs, waiting for the next project.

3. Belcourt

Strong in culture, short on jobs. Families often patch together incomes from teaching, healthcare, or crafts.

4. Fort Totten

Home to the Spirit Lake Nation, the town faces long commutes and limited infrastructure. Winters make costs even tougher.

5. Dunseith

This border town feels the pressure of isolation. When fuel prices climb, every delivery costs more.

6. Rolla

Rolla keeps its sense of community, but steady work is scarce. Locals still show up for fundraisers and football games.

7. Cando

Farm life defines Cando. A good season helps everyone. A bad one leaves deep cuts across families.

8. Ellendale

The college keeps things moving, but outside campus, the economy depends on a handful of small shops.

9. Lakota

Aging population, fewer kids, fewer businesses. Yet the town still holds tight to its roots.

10. Carrington

Carrington once thrived on grain and trade routes. Now most jobs sit in retail and basic services.

Statewide Patterns and Pressures

Distance defines much of North Dakota’s struggle. A two-hour drive between towns makes travel costly, and freight even more. Broadband access still lags, cutting residents off from digital jobs or training. Cold months stretch bills higher while wages stay flat. The poorest towns in North Dakota rely heavily on seasonal work, government support, or neighbor-to-neighbor help.

You can feel the pattern just standing downtown. A gust through empty parking lots. Old shop signs fading but never replaced. It’s quiet resilience mixed with frustration—a waiting game for new investment that rarely comes.

Government and Community Interventions

Programs like the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency and USDA Rural Development loans aim to keep towns livable. Local co-ops reopen small stores, and volunteers organize skills workshops in school gyms. Some residents use new internet grants to start online businesses from home. It’s small progress but visible—steady instead of spectacular.

Belcourt and Fort Totten have leaned on community-led projects, turning cultural programs into part-time income. In Cando, renewable projects add temporary work during installation periods. The scale is small, but it keeps hope alive.

Social and Economic Outlook 2025

The poorest towns in North Dakota don’t measure success by sudden growth. They measure it by what survives. A reopened bakery. A working water line through another winter. A family staying instead of leaving.

Each place on this list carries that same quiet toughness. The statistics might define them as poor, but poverty here looks different—less about giving up, more about holding on. They may not see rapid change in 2025, but they still stand, still fight for what remains theirs.

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