Department of Numbers

Bismarck North Dakota Residential Rent and Rental Statistics

The median monthly gross residential rent in Bismarck, ND (the Bismarck metro area) was $862 in 2019 according to the Census ACS survey.1 Average gross rent in Bismarck was $882 in 2019. The median rent more accurately depicts rental rates in the middle of the distribution of rents and is thus preferred in the analysis below. 2020 Bismarck median and average rent data will be released in September of 2021.

Data is also available below for Bismarck rental vacancy rates, Bismarck rent as a percent of median income and the fraction of renters in Bismarck.

Show dollars as: Nominal Real

Real Gross Rent in Bismarck North Dakota (2019 dollars)2

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US Median Gross Rent $1,097 +1.86% +6.82%
North Dakota Median Gross Rent $804 -2.31% -1.11%
Bismarck, ND Median Gross Rent $862 +2.38% +2.01%

Bismarck, ND Real Gross Rent Trends

Median gross rent for Bismarck peaked in real terms in 2017 at $891 and is now $29 (3.25%) lower. Average gross rent for Bismarck peaked in real terms in 2018 at $905 and is now $23 (2.54%) lower.

Real Gross Rent in Bismarck: Bismarck ND Median, Bismarck ND Average, North Dakota Median, US Median

Lower quartile, median and upper quartile real gross rent

Real Gross Rent History for Bismarck

Date US
Median
North Dakota
Median
Bismarck, ND
Median
Bismarck, ND
Average
2019 $1,097 $804 $862 $882
2018 $1,077 $823 $842 $905
2017 $1,043 $809 $891 $876
2016 $1,027 $813 $845 $866
2015 $1,017 $822 $844 $889
2014 $986 $769 $782 $822
2013 $953 $727 $753 $819
2012 $940 $685 $762 $862
2011 $941 $676 $706 $719
2010 $955 $651 $643 $619
2009 $960 $643 $652 $672

more history ...

Bismarck Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate is the fraction of homes for rent that are not occupied.3 In 2019 the rental vacancy rate for Bismarck North Dakota was 7.94% according to Census ACS data.

Rental Vacancy Rate in Bismarck North Dakota

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 5.97% -0.18% +0.08%
North Dakota 8.04% -2.71% -1.63%
Bismarck, ND 7.94% +2.58%

Trends in Bismarck, ND Rental Vacancy Rate

The rental vacancy rate in Bismarck peaked in 2008 at 8.31%. Since then it has fallen by 0.37% to 7.94%. Data records for this series originated in 2005. From a 2012 post peak low of 2.26%, the rental vacancy rate has increased by 5.68%.

Rental Vacancy Rate: Bismarck ND, North Dakota, US

Rental vacancy rate in North Dakota

Historical Rental Vacancy Rate data for Bismarck

Date US North Dakota Bismarck, ND
2019 5.97% 8.04% 7.94%
2018 6.15% 10.75% 5.36%
2017 6.18% 12.49%
2016 5.89% 9.67%
2015 5.85% 7.41% 2.63%
2014 6.32% 6.42%
2013 6.49% 6.35% 4.31%
2012 6.77% 5.31% 2.26%
2011 7.40% 4.53%
2010 8.17% 6.39% 4.98%
2009 8.43% 7.59% 7.43%

more history ...

Rent as a Fraction of Income

Using median household income data for Bismarck, we can calculate the fraction of income the median household would use to pay rent at the median monthly gross rent rate. For Bismarck, median monthly gross rent as a fraction of median household income was 14.57% in 2019 according to the ACS.

Bismarck North Dakota Median Annual Rent as a Fraction of Median Household Income

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 20.03% -0.47% -0.40%
North Dakota 14.94% -0.25% -0.41%
Bismarck, ND 14.57% +0.51% -0.21%

Trends in Bismarck, ND Rent as a Fraction of Income

The fraction of median Bismarck household income required to pay median monthly gross rent peaked in 2017 (relative to the 2005 series origin) at 15.69%. Since then it has fallen by 1.12% to 14.57%.

Fraction of Income towards Rent: Bismarck ND, North Dakota, US

Percent of median household income going towards median monthly gross rent in Bismarck North Dakota

Historical Data for Annual Rent as a Fraction of Income in Bismarck North Dakota

Date US North Dakota Bismarck, ND
2019 20.03% 14.94% 14.57%
2018 20.50% 15.19% 14.07%
2017 20.13% 15.23% 15.69%
2016 20.43% 15.35% 14.78%
2015 20.63% 15.36% 14.66%
2014 20.89% 14.80% 14.03%
2013 20.78% 14.85% 13.28%
2012 20.65% 14.42% 13.85%
2011 20.70% 14.53% 13.35%
2010 20.50% 14.37% 12.92%
2009 20.12% 14.15% 12.31%

more history ...

Renter Fraction in Bismarck North Dakota

You can calculate the renter fraction in Bismarck in at least two ways: by housing units or by population. I've gone with the housing units measure here. This measure looks at the number of renting households in Bismarck as a fraction of total Bismarck households. In 2019 29.53% of households were renters according to Census ACS data.

Bismarck Fraction of Renters by Household Units

2019 1 Year Change 3 Year Change
US 35.89% -0.16% -0.99%
North Dakota 38.67% +1.13% +1.88%
Bismarck, ND 29.53% -1.40% -1.05%

Trends in the Bismarck, ND Renter Fraction

The Bismarck household renter fraction peaked in in 2017 at 32.58% and is now 3.05% below that level. The origin year for the series is 2005.

Fraction of Renting Households: Bismarck ND, North Dakota, US

Fraction of renters in Bismarck

History of Bismarck Renter Fraction

Date US North Dakota Bismarck, ND
2019 35.89% 38.67% 29.53%
2018 36.05% 37.54% 30.93%
2017 36.13% 36.59% 32.58%
2016 36.88% 36.79% 30.58%
2015 36.97% 38.32% 32.23%
2014 36.90% 36.16% 30.79%
2013 36.50% 35.17% 27.16%
2012 36.09% 34.97% 27.44%
2011 35.42% 34.29% 27.51%
2010 34.65% 33.07% 24.31%
2009 34.13% 34.00% 26.41%

more history ...

1. Gross rent is defined as contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuel (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Because some rentals include utilities and others don't, gross rent is a way of normalizing the variability.

2. Real dollars are calculated using the CPI-U less shelter series.

3. The rental vacancy rate is computed by dividing the number of vacant units for rent by the sum of the renter-occupied units, vacant units that are for rent, and vacant units that have been rented but not yet occupied.