What Life Is Like In North Dakota, America's New Happiest State
For the fifth year in a row, North Dakota has topped all other states with an unemployment rate below 3%, mainly due to a boom in the oil industry.
The economy there grew at five times the national average in 2012, and is grew nearly three times faster than the #2 state, Texas. A lot of workers are migrating to North Dakota looking for jobs.
Source: CNN Money
Which means home prices are insane right now due to the influx of people. According to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, North Dakota saw a 200% jump in homelessness last year, the biggest increase of any state.
The state registered an average income of $51,893 for its 699,629 residents, which is the sixth highest per-capita personal income in America.
Source: Business Insider
Taxes in North Dakota are relatively low since the state has a tax specifically targeting oil and gas production. That allows the government to cover 80% of the cost of public schools, greatly reducing the property taxes at a local level.
Source: CNN Money
That same tax on oil also allows the state to reduce income taxes, and to cover the cost of building roads and other infrastructure, which in turn helps to accommodate the influx of workers.
Source: CNN Money
North Dakota ranks #9 among healthiest states, with an impressive 89.7% of the population covered by health insurance. It also has good air quality, a high rate of high school graduation, and a low rate of violent crime.
Source: America's Health Rankings
And speaking of education, North Dakota has been hanging onto its college graduates like never before, offering an amazing job market and entrepreneurial opportunities (it's considered one of the friendliest states for small businesses).
Not all news out of North Dakota is positive. The state's adult obesity rate is 29.7%, above the national average. More than 1/5 of people admit to regular smoking, and roughly a quarter of the population admits to binge drinking.
Source: America's Health Rankings
North Dakota holds the United Tribes International Powwow each September in Bismarck. It's one of the largest powwows in the United States.
Along with having the most churches per capita of any state, North Dakota also has one of the largest church-going populations in America.
There is only one abortion clinic in North Dakota, which is consistently threatened. The state is often rated as one of the worst for women's reproductive rights.
Source: Washington Post
North Dakota is thought to be one of the least visited states in America, but it's not short on natural beauty. Look no further that Theodore Roosevelt National Park with 70,000 acres of land in the North Dakota Badlands.
Source: CNN
In the park, visitors can see some of North Dakota's bison. It's one of the few states left that is still home to the once-ubiquitous animal, with approximately 90,000 bison living in the state.
Source: Random History
Temperatures in North Dakota can often dip below 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, but the state has lots of good winter activities like ice fishing and snowmobiling.
Source: StatesGuidesUSA.com and North Dakota Tourism
Hunting is a big part of North Dakota's culture, especially migratory birds such as pheasants and ducks due to the state's wetlands.
Source: Connecticut Post
Around 90% of the state is farmland. North Dakota is America's #1 producer of spring wheat, durum wheat, sunflower, barley, oats, lentils, honey, canola, and flaxseed.
And all those farmlands make for some seriously scenic drives along North Dakota's long stretches of highway.
Now see inside a North Dakota oil boomtown.
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