Wells County, North Dakota Housing Market

In Wells County, North Dakota, the median home value is $114,500, with a median monthly rent of $648. This places Wells County at #2732 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #45 within North Dakota.

Median Home Value $114,500
Median Rent $648/mo
Owner Occupancy 77.1%
Price/Rent Ratio 14.7

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

ℹ️ FHFA HPI data is not available for this county due to limited mortgage transaction volume.

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

1,163
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $999
  • Establishments: 177
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

1
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 1
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+98
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 1,717 (avg $83,909)
  • Outflow: 1,619 (avg $85,225)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Wells County Compares

MetricWells CountyNorth Dakota AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $114,500 $175,786 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $648 $772 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 77.1% 73.6% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 14.7 18.9 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Wells County is 34.9% below the North Dakota state average and 49.7% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $648/month is 16.1% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 14.7, buying a home in Wells County is generally more favorable than renting for those planning to stay long-term. A ratio below 15 typically signals that purchasing is financially advantageous over a multi-year horizon.

Wells County has an owner-occupancy rate of 77.1%, compared to 73.6% in North Dakota and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more homeowner-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Carroll County Illinois $114,500 $818
Webster Parish Louisiana $114,500 $795
Northampton County North Carolina $114,500 $758
Taylor County Florida $114,600 $988
Van Buren County Iowa $114,600 $622

Other Counties in North Dakota

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Adams County $113,200 $594 71.8%
LaMoure County $117,200 $766 83.6%
Emmons County $117,200 $568 79.8%
Hettinger County $117,300 $785 76.8%
Sheridan County $110,300 $373 84.0%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).