Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bismarck, North Dakota
A $291,000 home here costs
$2,295per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,496. The real number is $799 higher every month — 53% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Bismarck against Burleigh County and North Dakota
| Measure | Bismarck | Burleigh County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $291,400 | $314,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,893 | $2,764 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.993% | 0.878% |
| Median gross rent | $992 | $996 |
| Population | 74,146 | 98,986 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bismarck sits in Burleigh County, which averages a high of 84.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 2.4°F in its coldest, with 19.05" of precipitation a year and 47% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 536 cooling and 8,471 heating degree days, which is what sets the $122 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Burleigh County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Burleigh County
Full Burleigh County cost breakdown · Every county in North Dakota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bismarck?
A $291,000 home in Bismarck, North Dakota costs approximately $2,295 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,496 principal and interest, $241 property tax, $125 homeowners insurance, $190 utilities and $243 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bismarck?
Bismarck has an effective property tax rate of 0.993%, based on a median home value of $291,400 and median real estate taxes of $2,893. That is higher than the Burleigh County average of 0.878%.
What is the average home price in Bismarck?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bismarck, North Dakota is $291,400, against $314,700 across Burleigh County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bismarck?
Median gross rent in Bismarck is $992 a month, against $2,295 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Bismarck — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Dakota.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.