Overall
90.9
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Fargo, ND-MN
Cost-of-living indicators for Fargo, ND-MN, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 90.9
- Overall RPP
- #274
- of 387 metros
- 81.1
- Rents RPP
- $110K
- $100K national buys
Fargo ranks #274 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has fallen 6.4 points since 2008.
- falling since 2008
- similar cost to Saginaw
The verdict
Fargo costs less than 71% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 90.9, 9.1% below the national average, with services the biggest swing at 77.3.
- bottom 29%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 95.7
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 77.3
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $110,046 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $90,871.
Service-cost relief profile
How Fargo's cost structure works
Services provide the strongest cost offset in Fargo: their index is 77.3, farther below the national baseline than rents or tradable goods. The overall RPP of 90.9 therefore has a different source than a place with cheaper housing instead.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Lincoln, NE, Memphis, TN-MS-AR, Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN. They resemble Fargo across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Fargo's overall index has fallen by 6.4 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Fargo vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
91 Bottom 29% higher than 29% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Fargo cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
81.1 RPP
- Services
Services
77.3 RPP
- Overall
Overall
90.9 RPP
- Goods
Goods
95.7 RPP
What this shows Fargo's strongest departure is services at 77.3; rents follows at 81.1. Labor-priced local activity, rather than housing alone, is the first budget line to investigate.
Goods vs. housing, where Fargo's cost comes from
Metros near Fargo's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Crosshairs sit at the group median (goods 95.4, rents 75.1). Fargo is above the peer median on both rents and goods. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Read the chart as text
- Fargo (Fargo, this metro): goods RPP 95.7, rents RPP 81.1
- Saginaw: goods RPP 93.7, rents RPP 63.6
- Rochester: goods RPP 95.4, rents RPP 78.6
- Clarksville: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 73.8
- Erie: goods RPP 100.7, rents RPP 56.8
- College Station: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 75.1
- Mankato: goods RPP 95.4, rents RPP 79.9
Price Index Summary
Goods
95.7
Below avg
Services
77.3
Cheap
Rents
81.1
Cheap
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending downward, decreasing by 6.4 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2022, when the index dropped 4.6 points from the year before.
Fargo overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.3 |
| 2009 | 94.8 |
| 2010 | 95.2 |
| 2011 | 94.3 |
| 2012 | 95.9 |
| 2013 | 95.3 |
| 2014 | 92.6 |
| 2015 | 94.5 |
| 2016 | 95.4 |
| 2017 | 93.9 |
| 2018 | 93.0 |
| 2019 | 95.0 |
| 2020 | 92.5 |
| 2021 | 92.6 |
| 2022 | 87.9 |
| 2023 | 89.1 |
| 2024 | 90.9 |
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Fargo's overall RPP rose +1.7 points, from 89.1 in 2023 to 90.9 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 73.6 to 81.1. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$90,871
in Fargo, ND-MN purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$45,435
$75,000 nationally
$68,153
$125,000 nationally
$113,589
$150,000 nationally
$136,307
$200,000 nationally
$181,742
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
D
46/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability D
46th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Fargo's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Lincoln, NE
Goods 94.1 · Services 76.8 · Rents 84.2 Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Goods 96.2 · Services 74.1 · Rents 79.8 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
Goods 96.2 · Services 75.0 · Rents 78.6 Bismarck, ND
Goods 95.7 · Services 75.0 · Rents 84.0 San Angelo, TX
Goods 93.8 · Services 81.6 · Rents 81.4 Waco, TX
Goods 93.8 · Services 81.0 · Rents 83.5
ND-relative analysis
Goods prices places Fargo, ND-MN toward the bottom of ND's metros
Among the 4 ND metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Fargo, ND-MN ranks #3 - the 25th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Fargo, ND-MN only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#3 of 4
25th percentile in ND
Services prices
#1 of 4
75th percentile in ND
Rent prices
#2 of 4
50th percentile in ND
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within ND only, not a livability score.
Other ND Metros
View all ND metros → Cheapest in ND → Most expensive in ND →
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Fargo, ND-MN's index of 90.9.
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
Compare to Other Metros
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What this means for Fargo
How to read Fargo's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $110,046 in Fargo. Salary calculator
- Start with services: it indexes at 77.3, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Fargo head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Fargo, ND-MN?
Fargo, ND-MN has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 90.9, meaning it is 9.1% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 95.7, services at 77.3, and rents at 81.1. It ranks #274 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Fargo, ND-MN to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $90,871 in Fargo, ND-MN. Conversely, $100K earned in Fargo, ND-MN has the purchasing power of $110,046 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Fargo, ND-MN?
Rents in Fargo, ND-MN are indexed at 81.1, which is 18.9% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Fargo, ND-MN getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Fargo, ND-MN's overall cost index changed by -6.4 points (from 97.3 to 90.9). The cost of living has been declining.
What costs the most in Fargo, ND-MN?
The priciest category in Fargo, ND-MN is goods at 95.7, 4.3% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is services at 77.3, 22.7% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Fargo, ND-MN?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Saginaw, Rochester, Clarksville. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Fargo, ND-MN's 90.9.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.