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
88.8
baseline 80
2Billings County
83
baseline 84.6
3Oliver County
80.5
baseline 72.9
4Burke County
78
baseline 75.2
5Griggs County
77.6
baseline 70

All 53 Retirement-Ranked Counties in North Dakota

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Slope County, ND88.880+8.8
2Billings County, ND8384.6-1.6
3Oliver County, ND80.572.9+7.6
4Burke County, ND7875.2+2.8
5Griggs County, ND77.670+7.6
6Steele County, ND77.172.8+4.3
7Kidder County, ND76.371.3+5
8Nelson County, ND75.571.7+3.8
9Divide County, ND72.972.4+0.5
10Wells County, ND72.569.1+3.4
11Golden Valley County, ND72.371.6+0.7
12Grant County, ND7267.1+4.9
13LaMoure County, ND71.968.2+3.7
14Logan County, ND71.567.2+4.3
15Renville County, ND7168.8+2.2
16Bowman County, ND70.467.2+3.2
17Cavalier County, ND68.867.4+1.4
18McHenry County, ND68.869.9-1.1
19Pembina County, ND68.868.5+0.3
20Adams County, ND67.962.1+5.8
21Traill County, ND67.764.8+2.9
22Foster County, ND67.565.2+2.3
23Ransom County, ND67.567.1+0.4
24Hettinger County, ND67.163.4+3.7
25Sioux County, ND65.867.7-1.9
26Pierce County, ND6561.5+3.5
27Eddy County, ND63.957.5+6.4
28Dunn County, ND63.861.5+2.3
29McLean County, ND63.559.9+3.6
30Sargent County, ND63.361.3+2
31Mercer County, ND63.260.4+2.8
32Dickey County, ND62.961.5+1.4
33Towner County, ND62.959.7+3.2
34Sheridan County, ND62.560.6+1.9
35McIntosh County, ND61.560+1.5
36Emmons County, ND61.159.3+1.8
37Bottineau County, ND60.459.7+0.7
38Mountrail County, ND58.659.2-0.6
39Benson County, ND58.261.8-3.6
40Walsh County, ND58.155.4+2.7
41Barnes County, ND57.156.3+0.8
42Richland County, ND55.652.4+3.2
43Rolette County, ND52.457.6-5.2
44Ramsey County, ND51.348.7+2.6
45McKenzie County, ND50.648.5+2.1
46Stutsman County, ND50.447.5+2.9
47Stark County, ND49.647.2+2.4
48Ward County, ND49.648+1.6
49Williams County, ND46.243.2+3
50Burleigh County, ND44.945.2-0.3
51Morton County, ND42.438.2+4.2
52Grand Forks County, ND42.240+2.2
53Cass County, ND37.638.5-0.9

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 88.8. 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.