countyscore

Best Counties for Retirement in North Dakota 2026

53 counties ranked with the Retiree lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in North Dakota

1Slope County
87.2
baseline 77.4
2Billings County
82.8
baseline 84.1
3Oliver County
81.5
baseline 74.1
4Steele County
79.8
baseline 75.8
5Griggs County
77.1
baseline 70

All 53 Retirement-Ranked Counties in North Dakota

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Slope County, ND87.277.4+9.8
2Billings County, ND82.884.1-1.3
3Oliver County, ND81.574.1+7.4
4Steele County, ND79.875.8+4
5Griggs County, ND77.170+7.1
6Nelson County, ND74.971.5+3.4
7Burke County, ND74.872.5+2.3
8Kidder County, ND74.869.8+5
9LaMoure County, ND74.670.4+4.2
10Divide County, ND72.972.2+0.7
11Logan County, ND7267.4+4.6
12Wells County, ND7268.2+3.8
13Grant County, ND71.466.7+4.7
14Pembina County, ND69.469+0.4
15Renville County, ND69.366.8+2.5
16Adams County, ND68.662.2+6.4
17Golden Valley County, ND68.668.1+0.5
18McHenry County, ND68.469.3-0.9
19Cavalier County, ND6866+2
20Bowman County, ND67.764.9+2.8
21Traill County, ND67.564.5+3
22Ransom County, ND6766.7+0.3
23Foster County, ND66.764.3+2.4
24Pierce County, ND66.663.9+2.7
25Sioux County, ND66.668.4-1.8
26Eddy County, ND66.360.3+6
27Hettinger County, ND66.262.1+4.1
28Dickey County, ND64.362.6+1.7
29Dunn County, ND63.961.5+2.4
30McLean County, ND63.960.1+3.8
31Towner County, ND63.960.4+3.5
32Mercer County, ND63.660.6+3
33Sheridan County, ND63.262.1+1.1
34Sargent County, ND62.760.6+2.1
35Bottineau County, ND6261.3+0.7
36McIntosh County, ND6260.7+1.3
37Emmons County, ND61.860.4+1.4
38Mountrail County, ND59.760.7-1
39Benson County, ND58.963.2-4.3
40Walsh County, ND57.554.6+2.9
41Barnes County, ND56.656.2+0.4
42Richland County, ND55.251.7+3.5
43Ramsey County, ND52.850.4+2.4
44Rolette County, ND52.457.6-5.2
45Stutsman County, ND51.148.3+2.8
46McKenzie County, ND5148.8+2.2
47Ward County, ND49.848.2+1.6
48Stark County, ND49.446.8+2.6
49Williams County, ND45.642.8+2.8
50Burleigh County, ND45.145.4-0.3
51Grand Forks County, ND42.640.5+2.1
52Morton County, ND42.638.5+4.1
53Cass County, ND37.938.9-1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in North Dakota?

Based on the Retiree lens, Slope County ranks as the top retirement county in North Dakota with a County Fit Score of 87.2. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in North Dakota are ranked for retirement?

We rank 53 counties in North Dakota with the Retiree lens, using independent importance values for health, safety, taxes, cost, disaster risk, water, and weather.

Also Browse North Dakota Counties For

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Retirement Rankings by State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.