Is Center a good place to live?
Center’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, above both North Dakota’s towns (16 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher share of residents 65 or older than Center. Center has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
583 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Center: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Center, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Center.
The FEMA risk score in Center is higher than in most of North Dakota or the rest of the country
At 86 of 100, Center’s FEMA risk score is above both the North Dakota town median (40 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1979, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Center.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center-Stanton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 146 | C− |
| Center-Stanton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 119 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Older than North Dakota overall
People 65 and older are 26% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (25% statewide). 24% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Center.
| Center | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.8 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 30% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Center | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 21.4% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.5% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.7% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.4% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.2% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.6% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.4% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.9% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.5% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.2% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.1% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.8% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Center
Center has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 3° and about 45 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in eight working residents works right in Center
Most working residents leave Center for work: only 13% work in town. 3.2% of Center residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Center has lost 75 jobs, to 202 in 2023.
| Center | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
77% of adults in Center had a checkup this year, against 73% in North Dakota’s towns and 79% across U.S. towns
No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Center. Center beats the North Dakota average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. Only 1 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Center.
| Center | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Center | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.4% | 6.5% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.9% | 82.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median home in Center sells for about $230K
Only 2 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Center.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Lake Sakakawea and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Center. Close and well known come first.
27 mi LakeLake Sakakawea
13 mi LandmarkFort Mandan
32 mi State parkFort Abraham Lincoln
15 mi National Historic SiteKnife River Indian Villages National Historic Site9K visitors a year32 mi Zoo & aquariumDakota Zoo
18 mi MuseumNorth Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive CenterPhoto credits
Lake Sakakawea: Shannon1, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Mandan: Gooseterrain2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Abraham Lincoln: MatthewUND, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site: Unknown, Public domain · North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center: Gooseterrain2, CC0
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Everything we know about Center
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Center; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Center residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
About Center
City in North Dakota, United States
Center is a city in Oliver County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of, and the only incorporated place in Oliver County. The population was 588 at the 2020 census. Center along with Oliver County is included in the Bismarck metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1903
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,975 ft
- ZIP code
- 58530
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Center
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Center, ND a good place to live?
Center has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.