Living in Williston, ND
Small city in North Dakota
Williston is a small city in North Dakota, home to about 28,000 people, with 31,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Williston a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 82°F
- Low taxes: about $546 state income tax per resident, 0.74% property tax
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $358k and rents for $1,580 a month
- Low natural disaster risk: 8 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 31,000 people live within 31 mi
- No dog parks within 9 mi
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Williston ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Williston: common questions
What is the cost of living in Williston?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $358k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,580 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 89, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Williston?
North Dakota collects about $546 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.74% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Williston safe?
Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.2× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Williston?
Public schools in Williston test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 15 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Williston?
Williston has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 25°F and summer days around 82°F, with roughly 48″ of snow a year.
Does Williston get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from cold waves and flooding: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 2.22 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Williston?
The nearest major airport is MSP, about 545 mi away.
How Williston scores
Each bar compares Williston with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Williston
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
See all the best places to live in North Dakota.
Is Williston right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.