Is Elgin, ND a Good Place to Live?
Elgin is a small town of 649 in North Dakota, with a median household income of $53,750 and a 5.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: Elgin stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Elgin is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Elgin city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 87.7Elgin's overall cost of living index is 87.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Elgin costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Elgin, ND | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $108,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $638 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 74.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $53,750 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Elgin is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Elgin is served primarily by ELGIN-NEW LEIPZIG 49. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Elgin, ND | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | ELGIN-NEW LEIPZIG 49 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 9.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 20.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 89.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Elgin sees average highs of 24.3°F in January and 82.6°F in July, with 19.2 inches of annual precipitation and 56.7 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Elgin, ND |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 24.3°F |
| Average High — July | 82.6°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 19.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 56.7" |
Demographics
| Metric | Elgin, ND | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 649 | — |
| Median Age | 45.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 15.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 89.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 9.1% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.4% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 32.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Elgin
Elgin, ND is covered by 1 ZIP code: