CostIndexUSA

Bismarck, ND vs College Station, TX Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

≈ Equal CostND
Bismarck
91
overall index
$1,300/mo rent
TX
College Station
91
overall index
$1,700/mo rent

Bismarck and College Station have nearly identical costs of living.

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing−10.6%
Bismarck
84
College Station
75.1
🛒 Groceries−2.0%
Bismarck
95.7
College Station
93.8
🚗 Transportation+5.6%
Bismarck
95.7
College Station
101.1
🏥 Healthcare+5.5%
Bismarck
86.6
College Station
91.4
⚡ Utilities+12.5%
Bismarck
75
College Station
84.4

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Bismarck to see what you'd need to earn in College Station to maintain the same purchasing power.

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Equivalent salary in College Station, TX
$80,000
Same salary works in both cities

Formula: salary × (91 ÷ 91) = salary × 1.0000. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Bismarck, ND

Median Home Price
$339,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,300
Housing Index
84
Price-to-Rent Ratio
21.7×

College Station, TX

Median Home Price
$301,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,700
Housing Index
75.1
Price-to-Rent Ratio
14.8×

Bismarck has 10.6% lower housing costs compared to College Station.

Income & Job Market

Bismarck, ND

Median Household Income
$83,400
Per Capita Income
$47,500
Unemployment Rate
1.9%
Population
73,529
Top Industries
GovernmentEnergyHealthcareFinanceAgriculture

College Station, TX

Median Household Income
$54,700
Per Capita Income
$31,200
Unemployment Rate
4.8%
Population
120,511
Top Industries
EducationTechnologyHealthcareGovernmentResearch

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Bismarck, ND
5.3×income-to-rent ratio

81% of income left after rent (median)

College Station, TX
2.7×income-to-rent ratio

63% of income left after rent (median)

Bismarck vs other cities

Bismarck, ND
vs
Fargo, ND
Index: 91Index: 90.9
Bismarck, ND
vs
Missoula, MT
Index: 91Index: 96.4
Bismarck, ND
vs
Gulfport, MS
Index: 91Index: 90
Bismarck, ND
vs
Greenville, SC
Index: 91Index: 93.3
Bismarck, ND
vs
Iowa City, IA
Index: 91Index: 91.5

College Station vs other cities

College Station, TX
vs
Abilene, TX
Index: 91Index: 90.4
College Station, TX
vs
Amarillo, TX
Index: 91Index: 91.8
College Station, TX
vs
Arlington, TX
Index: 91Index: 103.1
College Station, TX
vs
Lafayette, LA
Index: 91Index: 87.2
College Station, TX
vs
Hartford, CT
Index: 91Index: 102.7

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.