Is New York or North Dakota a better state to live in?

Based on our composite scoring, North Dakota ranks higher overall. New York is #25 and North Dakota is #7 out of 50 states. New York wins 5 of 11 categories, while North Dakota wins 6.

How does New York compare to North Dakota in cost of living?

New York has a cost of living index of 108, while North Dakota's is 89 (100 = national average). North Dakota is more affordable.

Which state is safer, New York or North Dakota?

New York has 364 violent crimes per 100K residents, vs 267 in North Dakota. North Dakota has the lower crime rate.

What are the median incomes in New York vs North Dakota?

New York's median household income is $81,386, compared to $72,583 in North Dakota.

New York vs North Dakota: Side-by-Side (2026)

New York

#25·Northeast

58.4Composite Score

VSNorth Dakota leads

North Dakota

#7·Midwest

76.6Composite Score

5NY wins

6ND wins

Category Overlay

New YorkNorth Dakota

Category Scores

💰 EconomyND +24.0

43.7

67.7

🛡️ SafetyNY +3.5

66.0

62.5

🏥 HealthNY +8.2

73.5

65.3

🎓 EducationND +22.4

59.2

81.6

💼 Fiscal HealthND +25.3

44.5

69.8

📈 GrowthND +33.8

19.9

53.7

🏠 AffordabilityND +49.3

35.4

84.7

🌿 EnvironmentNY +19.9

58.4

38.5

🏞️ Outdoor AccessND +8.9

30.2

39.1

🚇 TransportationNY +10.2

60.5

50.3

🎭 LivabilityNY +7.8

55.1

47.3

Key Metrics Comparison

Metric	New York	North Dakota	Winner
Population	19,571,216	783,926	NY
Median Income	$81,386	$72,583	NY
Unemployment	4.5%	2.2%	ND
Violent Crime Rate(per 100K)	364	267	ND
Cost of Living(100 = national avg)	108	89	ND
HS Graduation Rate	85%	89%	ND
Life Expectancy	79.1 yr	79 yr	NY
Pop Growth	+0.4%	+0.8%	ND

New York vs North Dakota: How Do They Compare?

New York ranks #25 overall with a composite score of 58.4, earning a B grade. North Dakota sits at #7 with 76.6 and a A grade. North Dakota has the edge overall, winning 6 of 11 categories.

On the economic front, New York has 4.5% unemployment and a $81,386 median income, while North Dakota reports 2.2% unemployment and $72,583 median income.

For safety, New York's violent crime rate is 364 per 100K compared to 267 in North Dakota. Cost of living favors North Dakota with an index of 89 vs 108.

Explore These States

New York Full Profile58.4 North Dakota Full Profile76.6 Compare Other States→

Data Sources

📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (Dec 2025)📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 📎FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023 📎America's Health Rankings, 2025 📎WalletHub/NAEP, 2025 📎U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 📎Cook Political Report, PVI 2024 📎Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2025 📎ALEC Rich States Poor States, 2025 📎WalletHub Tax Burden Study, 2025 📎U.S. Census Bureau / FHFA, 2025 📎BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023 📎EPA AirData, Median AQI by County 2024 📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 📎FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, 2025 📎U.S. Census Bureau, Net Domestic Migration 2024 📎FCC / BroadbandNow, Broadband Access 2025 📎National Park Service API, 2024 📎USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US), 2024 📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (Commuting)📎FHWA Highway Statistics, 2023 📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 📎EIA Natural Gas Prices, 2024 📎DOL National Database of Childcare Prices, 2023 📎BEA Regional Price Parities (Food), 2023 📎NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), 2023-24 📎EDFacts ACGR Graduation Rates, 2021-22 📎NCES School District Finance Survey (F-33), 2022-23 📎BEA GDP by State (SAGDP9), 2023 📎NASBO Fiscal Survey of States, FY2023 📎Census Bureau State Government Finances, FY2022 📎Pew Charitable Trusts Fiscal 50, FY2023 📎Pew Charitable Trusts, FY2022 📎S&P/Moody's via Ballotpedia, 2025 📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES (May 2023)📎IRS Statistics of Income, State-to-State Migration 2022-2023