Cass County · North Dakota
Cost of living in Fargo, ND
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Fargo, ND-MN, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in Fargo, ND costs 9.1% below the national average — an all-items price level of 90.9. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $90,871 here.
- All items
- 90.9US average = 100
- Housing
- 81.118.9% below the national average
- Goods
- 95.74.3% below the national average
- Other services
- 91.38.7% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 95.7 | -4.3% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 81.1 | -18.9% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 77.3 | -22.7% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 91.3 | -8.7% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Fargo, ND
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (90.9 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $74,959
- Needed to match US average
- $61,898
- Monthly difference
- $-518
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in Fargo earns $68,116. Deflated by the local price level, that is $74,959 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 90.9.
More on Fargo
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Fargo, ND-MN. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.