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Place dossier plate
SheetND-GARRISON-ND · Garrison, ND 1,456 pop · income 48th pct · 3 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Garrison
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Garrison on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Hartford · lowest
39,364
Hartford · lowest
39,364 median HH income
51.7% of the leader · rank #1
Hosford · near
68,636
Hosford · near
68,636 median HH income
90.2% of the leader · rank #2
Depoe Bay · near
68,636
Depoe Bay · near
68,636 median HH income
90.2% of the leader · rank #3
Garrison · this city
68,646
Garrison · this city
68,646 median HH income
90.2% of the leader · rank #4
Orchard Homes · near
68,649
Orchard Homes · near
68,649 median HH income
90.2% of the leader · rank #5
Greeley · near
68,650
Greeley · near
68,650 median HH income
90.2% of the leader · rank #6
Park River · highest
76,080
Park River · highest
76,080 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Garrison on ACS population and median household income
. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 1,456.
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Garrison places in the 48th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
48th
percentile, household income
37th
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Garrison, ND
North Dakota's Garrison is a small town, with 1,456 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Garrison households earn a median of $68,646 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.1%. Typical homes in Garrison are valued around $181,800, and the median resident age is 52.0 years. Educational attainment runs 21.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 48.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 1 residential building permits were authorized in Garrison (Construction Slowdown), down 75% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 41.0°F with 17.8 inches of precipitation per year.
Living costs in North Dakota run below the national norm: the state registers 89.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $965 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in North Dakota run around $200, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 22.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Garrison's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to housing and income to within-city variation to schools and households to climate and hazard context to population change to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Garrison, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, local building permits, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles.
No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
Which cities make useful reference points for Garrison?
Within North Dakota, the closest population matches are Washburn (1,434 residents, $75,729 income); Park River (1,483 residents, $76,080 income); Bowman (1,523 residents, $70,859 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Redfield, AR (1,456 residents); Pierson, FL (1,456 residents); Ponderay, ID (1,456 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.
How far does income reach against housing in Garrison?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 21.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Garrison?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 41.0°F, with 17.8 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for North Dakota is 22.2 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
41.0°F
Annual precipitation
17.8 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
22.2
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Is Garrison growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -22 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-1.5%
2025 estimate
1,446
2020 estimate
1,468
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Garrison?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 86.9%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.0%
Work from home
1.2%
Drive alone
86.9%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 574 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 10.1% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
89.0 (US=100)
Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, North Dakota average
C-
City profile score · Garrison, ND
54/100
4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A
89.0 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income D
$68,646
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
10.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
21.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
Garrison profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 89/100 (A) · 89.0 index
Household income: 47/100 (D) · $68,646
Poverty rate: 39/100 (F) · 10.1%
Bachelor's+ share: 37/100 (F) · 21.0%
How does Garrison compare to other US cities?
Here's how Garrison stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income48% higher than other cities
Home value37% pricier than other cities
Median rent7% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Garrison against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to North Dakota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
North Dakota-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Garrison near the bottom of North Dakota's cities
Among the 246 North Dakota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Garrison ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Garrison only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#118 of 227
48th percentile in North Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 246
0th percentile in North Dakota
Median Home Value
#63 of 226
72nd percentile in North Dakota
Poverty Rate
#63 of 246
74th percentile in North Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#127 of 246
48th percentile in North Dakota
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within North Dakota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
48th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Garrison's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$181,800Among the most affordablemore affordable than 63% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Garrison's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#4,754 of 15,516
More affordable than 69% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,200 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.6×, Garrison sits in the affordable band:
national rank #4,754 of 15,516 and #4,200 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$68,646Garrison, ND median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Garrison, ND median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Garrison, ND.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)21.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)10.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)48.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,456
Median Income
$68,646
Median Home Value
$181,800
Median Age
52.0
Poverty Rate
10.1%
Labor force participation
48.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.0%
Climate
Avg Temperature
41.0°F
Annual Precipitation
17.8"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Garrison's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
1,468 residents
2021
1,477 residents
2022
1,474 residents
2023
1,467 residents
2024
1,461 residents
2025
1,446 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
4
4
0
$0.9M
2020
3
3
0
$0.2M
2021
3
3
0
$0.6M
2022
3
3
0
$0.9M
2023
3
3
0
$1.1M
2024
1
1
0
$0.1M
Permit volume decreased 75% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
86.9%
Carpool
7.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
4.2%
Work from Home
1.2%
Other
0.7%
Based on 574 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
North Dakota statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $200
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across North Dakota at $200 (electricity about $90 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are North Dakota statewide averages, not a meter reading for Garrison. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
North Dakota's BEA cost-of-living index is 89.0 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Garrison is $965/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to North Dakota statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 22.2 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a North Dakota statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Garrison sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Garrison compares to similar-size North Dakota cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.