North Dakota
#37of 5150C+
Above: Pennsylvania (51). Below: Oklahoma (49).
Starting up
How many businesses get founded here, and what the state takes in tax.
13-42 vs median
- Business applications per 1,000 residents1.116 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- State tax collected per resident$6,92610 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections
Population health
One comparable public-health read, asked the same way of every state.
47-3 vs median
- Adult obesity, 202436.8%24 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
- Firearm-injury deaths per 100,000 (crude)12.170 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC NCIPC, CDC NCIPC 2024
Productive base
Output per worker and how much of the job base is manufacturing.
58+7 vs median
- Output per worker$189,81484 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Manufacturing share of jobs6.2%31 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Labour market
How tight the market is, and which way it moved last month.
51+2 vs median
- Unemployment rate2.2%98 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Employment change, latest month-0.22%4 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Prosperity
What the average person in the state actually earns.
50-2 vs median
- Per-capita personal income$75,15762 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher34.0%38 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year
Things get built
Housing authorised per worker — a direct read on whether projects clear.
61+3 vs median
- Housing units authorised per 1,000 workers0.646 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- House price index (FHFA)539.976 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsFederal Housing Finance Agency
Fiscal standing
What the bond market thinks of the state as a counterparty.
92+0 vs median
- General-obligation ratingAa1 · Stable92 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsMoody's, indicative 2025
Openness
Whether you can get an answer out of the state without telephoning it.
27-24 vs median
- Open-data portal answers an APIPublished address answers nothing0 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09
- Incentive, permit & finance datasets00 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA discovery, 2026-09
- Government or agency newsroom feeds380 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09