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Place dossier plate
SheetND-JAMESTOWN-ND · Jamestown, ND 15,774 pop · income 27th pct · 7 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 Jamestown
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Jamestown on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Devils Lake · lowest
42,755
Devils Lake · lowest
42,755 median HH income
31.2% of the leader · rank #1
Bacliff · near
54,806
Bacliff · near
54,806 median HH income
40.0% of the leader · rank #2
Five Points · near
54,808
Five Points · near
54,808 median HH income
40.0% of the leader · rank #3
Jamestown · this city
54,809
Jamestown · this city
54,809 median HH income
40.0% of the leader · rank #4
Chisholm · near
54,815
Chisholm · near
54,815 median HH income
40.0% of the leader · rank #5
Marshall · near
54,815
Marshall · near
54,815 median HH income
40.0% of the leader · rank #6
Westbury · highest
136,917
Westbury · highest
136,917 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, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Jamestown on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 15,774.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Jamestown - the verdict
Jamestown ranks in the 27th percentile for household income and the 51st percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
27th
percentile, household income
40th
percentile, home value
7th
percentile, median rent
51st
percentile, safety
📝 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: Jamestown, ND
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 15,774 residents in Jamestown, a small town within North Dakota. Jamestown households earn a median of $54,809 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.9%. Home values in Jamestown run a median of $192,500, and the median resident age is 39.3 years. About 22.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 58.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 5 residential building permits were authorized in Jamestown (Slowing), down 17% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Jamestown reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1341.8 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Jamestown's yearly average temperature at 40.3°F with 20.9 inches of precipitation per year.
Living costs in North Dakota run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Dakota scores 89.0 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $965 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts North Dakota's average monthly utility costs around $200 (state average). Workers in Jamestown report an average commute of 11.6 minutes, with 83.2% driving alone and 3.9% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 22.2 out of 100 (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Jamestown'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 reported crime to housing and income to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to schools and households to population change to within-city variation to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Jamestown, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, commute-mode shares, annual population history, matched public-school count.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What can the FBI record say about safety in Jamestown?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1341.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 41% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
How far does income reach against housing in Jamestown?
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.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Jamestown?
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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within North Dakota, the closest population matches are Wahpeton (7,996 residents, $57,417 income); Mandan (24,293 residents, $75,966 income); Devils Lake (7,170 residents, $42,755 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Weston, WI (15,784 residents); Gulf Shores, AL (15,785 residents); Overland, MO (15,762 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.
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.
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 Jamestown?
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.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 40.3°F, with 20.9 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.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
22.2
Annual precipitation
20.9 in
Mean temperature
40.3°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
What does the education layer cover for Jamestown?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 7 public schools within the city match. 22.1% 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.
Poverty estimate
7.9%
Bachelor's degree+
22.1%
Matched public schools
7
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Is Jamestown growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -125 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 5 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
2020 estimate
15,813
2025 estimate
15,688
Period change
-0.8%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Jamestown?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 83.2%. The reported mean trip to work is 11.6 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
83.2%
Work from home
3.9%
Public transit
0.1%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 7,712 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 7.9% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
89.0 (US=100)
Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, North Dakota average
C-
City profile score · Jamestown, ND
54/100
5 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.
Violent crime B
102 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate D
7.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share D
22.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$54,809
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Jamestown profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 89/100 (A) · 89.0 index
Violent crime: 70/100 (B) · 102 /100k
Poverty rate: 48/100 (D) · 7.9%
Bachelor's+ share: 40/100 (D) · 22.1%
Household income: 27/100 (F) · $54,809
Where Jamestown sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Jamestown's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Jamestown highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Jamestown, ND (this city): home $192,500, crime 1,342/100k
Gulf Shores, AL : home $367,000, crime 2,079/100k
Overland, MO : home $121,500, crime 2,709/100k
Hartford, WI : home $261,300, crime 821/100k
Thibodaux, LA : home $237,400, crime 3,232/100k
Wahpeton, ND : home $164,600, crime 2,427/100k
Mandan, ND : home $246,300, crime 2,869/100k
Valley City, ND : home $152,800, crime 1,101/100k
Dickinson, ND : home $252,400, crime 2,003/100k
Watford City, ND : home $385,100, crime 1,916/100k
How does Jamestown compare to other US cities?
Where Jamestown sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income27% higher than other cities
Home value40% pricier than other cities
Median rent7% pricier than other cities
Safety51% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just North Dakota and the picture shifts: Jamestown ranks #10 of 21 North Dakota cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Jamestown 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 Jamestown near the bottom of North Dakota's cities
Among the 246 North Dakota cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Jamestown ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Jamestown only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#175 of 227
23rd percentile in North Dakota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 246
0th percentile in North Dakota
Median Home Value
#56 of 226
75th percentile in North Dakota
Poverty Rate
#83 of 246
66th percentile in North Dakota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#116 of 246
52nd 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
27th percentile nationally for median household income · 51st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Jamestown's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Jamestown's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Jamestown's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$192,500Among the most affordablemore affordable than 60% 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
Jamestown's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,012 of 15,516
More affordable than 42% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,500 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.5×, Jamestown sits in the moderate band:
national rank #9,012 of 15,516 and #1,500 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
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
$54,809Jamestown, ND median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Jamestown, 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 Jamestown, ND.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)22.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)7.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)58.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
15,774
Median Income
$54,809
Median Home Value
$192,500
Median Age
39.3
Poverty Rate
7.9%
Labor force participation
58.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
22.1%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1341.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
102.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1239.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
40.3°F
Annual Precipitation
20.9"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Jamestown's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
15,813 residents
2021
15,826 residents
2022
15,783 residents
2023
15,788 residents
2024
15,725 residents
2025
15,688 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
5
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
6
6
0
$1.4M
2020
7
7
0
$1.7M
2021
44
11
33
$9.2M
2022
4
4
0
$1.5M
2023
3
3
0
$0.9M
2024
5
5
0
$1.0M
Permit volume decreased 17% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
11.6 minutes
Drive Alone
83.2%
Carpool
8.5%
Public Transit
0.1%
Walk
3.3%
Work from Home
3.9%
Other
1.0%
Based on 7,712 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 Jamestown. 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 Jamestown 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 Jamestown sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Jamestown 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, FBI UCR, 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.