Is Watford City, ND a Good Place to Live?
Watford City is a small town of 5,900 in North Dakota, with a median household income of $84,076 and a 2.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 99 (US average = 100), which is 1% below the national average.
Strengths: Watford City stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Watford City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Watford City 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: 99.1Watford City's overall cost of living index is 99.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Watford City costs roughly 1% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Watford City, ND | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $350,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,285 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 40.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $84,076 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageWatford City's violent crime rate is 302.6 per 100,000 residents — 20% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Watford City is served primarily by MCKENZIE CO 1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Watford City, ND | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | MCKENZIE CO 1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 27.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 90.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Watford City sees average highs of 21.6°F in January and 82.2°F in July, with 15.7 inches of annual precipitation and 50.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Watford City, ND |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 21.6°F |
| Average High — July | 82.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 50.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | Watford City, ND | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,900 | — |
| Median Age | 29.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 21.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 82.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.9% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.3% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 29.2% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 7.4% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Watford City
Watford City, ND is covered by 1 ZIP code: