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With just over 635,000 people, North Dakota ranks 48th in population in the United States. The largest
cities in the Peace Garden State are Fargo, the
state capital Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot,
Mandan, Dickinson, Jamestown,
West Fargo, Williston, and Wahpeton.
Agriculture contributes tremendously to the economy of North Dakota. The Peace Garden State is in
fact the top producer of flaxseed, canola, durum wheat, dry edible beans, dry edible peas, spring
wheat, honey, lentils, sunflowers, barley, and oats. Additional important crops include sugar beets,
potatoes, corn, and soybeans. Other important agricultural products include livestock, such as beef
cattle, dairy cattle, and hogs; and wool from sheep.
North Dakota holds significant mineral wealth, with one of the world’s largest lignite coal
deposits. Oil, natural gas, and synthetic fuels are of great importance. Additionally, North Dakota
is known for its renewable energy sources, such as wind power and GoE, an ethanol-blended fuel. Other valuable mineral resources include sand,
gravel, lime, salt, and clay.
Other vital economic contributors to North Dakota include manufacturing, food processing, and
tourism, which is the state’s second-largest industry.
With regards to North Dakota’s cost of living, in 2005, the Peace Garden State had a median
household income of $41,030 and a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $31,357. The average annual
growth rate of PCPI between 1995 and 2005 was 5.2 percent, compared to the average annual rate of 4.1
percent for the nation. North Dakota has a home ownership rate of 68.5 percent. The unemployment
rate is 3.2 percent. North Dakota levies a sales tax of 5 percent, with food and prescription drugs
exempt, and its highest tax rate for personal income is 5.54 percent.
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