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Life in Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck Reviews North Dakota Message Board
City/State
Are you thinking of moving or relocating to Bismarck, North Dakota? Would you like to know what the quality of life is like living in Bismarck?
Shelby Rose reports in this review:
WeatherHow much crime?What are the neighborhoods like?What are the people like?
Weather here is very unpredictable. With extremes on both ends, we regularly deal with harsh winds in the summer, temperatures up to 110 degrees F, rain and flash floods... Then on the other hand- we get to temperatures as low as -60 below 0 and don't forget to factor windchill, freezing rain, blizzarding conditions, ice, and accidents due to new inexperienced drivers all over ND thanks to the Air Base and Bakken Oil boom for bringing all kinds of 'out-of-towners'. My advice is to plan for your trip. Plenty of outdoor clothing stores in every town big or small.Crime has gone up in Bismarck in the past 10 years along with the population. Not as affected by the oil boom as much as a few others have, but we've definitely felt the change. A hike in housing and the basic cost of living. The economy is fantastic! Everywhere you go in North Dakota has jobs available if you know how to look. But along with the population increase- the crime gets worse every year. Definitely wise to lock doors, car doors, invest in a home alarm system. You can never be too safe. Anywhere you go! We've had increases in all aspects- robbery, breaking-and-entering, assault & battery, kidnapping, rape, homicide, assault with a weapon, murder, drugs & alcohol, and DUI related accidents.The best part of town is the main drag, state street, downtown , both malls, and the various shopping/food areas throughout town. Bismarck, an easy-to-navigate city in the heart if ND, has all the perks of a medium populated place and the homey feel of a mom-n-pop oriented town. As much as we'd like to believe it's just easy, refer to the crime rate description.
The malls are crowded with people of all sorts. High and low end stores. The downtown area is probably the best place to find your widest assortment of products and fun.
Honestly, ND is a place of all kinds of people. The ND native population is mostly comprised of senior republicans, any of the various nationalities are mostly liberal middle-aged men. A lot a young adults and kids. Pretty big music scenes with quite a few venues downtown. Skate parks, water parks, shopping malls, restaurants, every type of family-friendly environment you can imagine. Also plenty of bars, clubs, dance halls, pool halls and plenty more. You can find any kind of people here if you just know what to search for on google. Anyone and everyone belongs because no one really does. North Dakota isn't the most 'happenin' place, were all just trying to make our time here a little bit better so it's not too difficult to make a friend or two. Search Craigslist for events happening around town and there you go. There are also events listed in the papers and classifieds.
Downtown AreaRestaurantsSchoolsSingle life
It's wonderful! The best time to go is summer, fall, or early winter. Decked out in lights and Christmas decor as the snow is falling, during the summer there's music, community walks, kids activities, big deals/sales. It's definitely something to check out!Obviously you'll want to find our hometown places. We produce some of the best angus steaks you'll find anywhere! Otherwise we've got all the franchises you can imagine- red lobster, space aliens, hooters, up the creek, on and on.
Our school system has some of the highest scores in the nation. Thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act we have special funds set aside for all schools to employ extra help, fund groups and clubs, and basically go directly toward the well being if the student. Schools are becoming more over crowded. But the cities are working to build new schools and places for citizens to spread out.Absolutely. There's a pretty good sized populations here so many clubs, online sites, dating and singles seminars. You can find whatever your fancy here. There are both ones here looking to start a family and those looking for a good time. (Please note- be careful, a lot of the oil riggers are unfaithful and have families. I've heard countless stories of people being lied to and left)
Noisetown comparison vs.Best hospitalTourist attractions
The only extra outdoor noise is the city-wide alert system. If there is any cause for concern- they'll ring for everyone to hear. We've had some recent issues with flooding and tornados where they proved to be quite useful. (The dikes a been since built up to hold the water back in the the future, it was and extra ordinary situation)Bismarck vs. Minot
Much bigger, many more stores, more opportunity for activities, many more people. Minot is easier to navigate due to it's smaller size, but in Bismarck if you follow State St you can find just about anything. It also turns into the highway in case you're just traveling through. Also something I notice wherever I go- Bismarck has quite a few options for fast good joints open late and all night. Minot has two, and one is closed 50% of the time. McDonalds and Hardee's. Grocery stores are usually always open 24hrs 7 days though!

Bismarck vs. Grand Forks
Smaller than GF, a bit more complicated to nagivate than Bismarck. 30k or so more people so a little more crowded. Home a of large State College, UND, so there is a big load of student-age adults in some areas. Something to keep in mind if looking for an apartment or buying a house. A lot of 'country-oriented' people as well. We are in North Dakota still, haha!
Go to St Alexius for anything and everything you need. They have all the equipment and doctors you can imagine, and whatever they can't handle- Mayo Clinic is the usual next step. Which they'll fly the patient and a family member to.The largest man-made lake, Lake Sacajawea, is the best place to spend those relaxing summer months. Especially on July 4th and other holidays, you're sure to find a friendly face everywhere. Complete with MANY docks and tack shacks with boats and gear for rent, food, beer, fishing licenses, and tack for that!
General comments   
It's got a nice medium-size town impression. Not too big not too small. Just the right amount of people. Not too overcrowded but the added pleasure of regular restaurant franchises and shopping stores. It seems like a good place to raise your kids and live quiet, but please remember again to check the crime description. This place is NOT as safe as it once was.
All kinds of mom-n-pop shops around town to choose from such as food, clothes, art supplies, bakeries, music, hobby stores, bars, anywhere really. There's always a good deal going in somewhere if you check bulletin boards and events postings. Special business promotions are a good place to get aquaiinted with the people and a friendly face.
   
Bismarck, North Dakota population: 61272

How many black people live in Bismarck? How many white people?
Number of White People56616Percentage of White people92.4%
Number of Black People660Percentage of Black people1.1%
Number of Hispanic People821Percentage of Hispanic people1.4%
Number of Asian People532Percentage of Asian people0.9%
Number of American Indian People3329Percentage of American Indian people5.4%

Note: Numbers may add up to >100% because some people are more than one race.

Bismarck, North Dakota

Percent college grads: 31.9%
Percent grad school grads: 8.7%
Unemployment rate: 3.2
Median house value: 144800
Median income: 47560


How many singles in Bismarck?

Single men ages 20-34Single women ages 20-34Ratio of single men to women age
20-34
496440511.23men for each woman
Single men ages 35-44Single women ages 35-44Ratio of single men to women age
35-44
153813701.12men for each woman
Single men ages 45-54Single women ages 45-54Ratio of single men to women age
45-54
120713760.88men for each woman


Crimes in Bismarck, North Dakota
CrimesAbsolute numbersAverage percentage chance of being a victim in
by typeof crimesOne YearFive Years
Murders10%0%
Robberies170%0%
Aggr. Assault1580%1%
Burglary1821%4%
Auto Theft760%1%

Weather History for Bismarck, North Dakota


Bismarck, North Dakota Basic Temperatue and Weather (30 year averages)
MonthNumber of Days below zero (degrees)Number of Days 0-20's (degrees)Number of Days 20's (degrees)Number of Days 30's (degrees)Number of Days 40's (degrees)Number of Days 50's (degrees)Number of Days 60's (degrees)Number of Days 70's (degrees)Number of Days 80's (degrees)Number of Days 90's+ (degrees)
January00310000000
February00236000000
March000171400000
April00003198000
May00000026500
June00000002820
July00000000310
August00000009220
September000000131700
October00004189000
November000171300000
December00292000000
Average year00834234375659550
Realistic temperatures, taking into account precipitation, amount of sunlight during the day, winds during the day, and humidity during hot days.

MonthNumber of Days below zero (degrees)Number of Days 0-20's (degrees)Number of Days 20's (degrees)Number of Days 30's (degrees)Number of Days 40's (degrees)Number of Days 50's (degrees)Number of Days 60's (degrees)Number of Days 70's (degrees)Number of Days 80's (degrees)Number of Days 90's+ (degrees)
January03100000000
February02800000000
March012161200000
April00005214000
May00000671800
June000000015150
July00000000310
August00000000310
September00000042150
October00002218000
November06173400000
December02830000000
Average year010536413482354820


How many hot humid days a year does Bismarck, North Dakota have?
How many cloudy days a year does Bismarck, North Dakota have?
How many sunny days a year does Bismarck, North Dakota have? How sunny is it?
How many windy days a year does Bismarck, North Dakota have? How windy is it?
See below for the answers!
MonthNumber of hot, humid daysNumber of very windy daysNumber of windy daysNumber of somewhat windy daysNumber of calm daysNumber of clear daysNumber of moderately cloudly daysNumber of somewhat cloudy daysNumber of very cloudy days
January003100121313
February012700101312
March031000111413
April030000121410
May031000112510
June03000013357
July08230017354
August018130018255
September03000015147
October031000141410
November042600121313
December003100121313
Average year0214151001622354124


(Note: Humidity, wind, and cloudcover information is based on (a) 30 year averages and in many cases (b) a large nearby weather station. If you're in an area with a lot of "micro climates" actual conditions may vary.)


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Sources of information: Census, FBI Crime Statistics, NOAA
Disclaimer: The information presented here are for the general population, assume the same rate of crime in the future, and an evenly distributed amount of crime throughout the city in question. They are not meant to accurately predict whether one person in particular will be a victim of crime. Percentages are based on the population of the city/town in question, except for burglaries, which are based on the number of households.