Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Measured against area pay, Devils Lake costs less to live in than 65% of U.S. towns
It ranks #9 of 23 in North Dakota for affordability. Up 7.4% in a year, 17% below the North Dakota typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Ramsey County, ND ($61K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 1 sale in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across Ramsey County earn ($61K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.7 years of area income, and 47% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $242Ktypical home, 17% below the North Dakota typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $870a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$61K, Ramsey County income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 47%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across North Dakota: 39%Census 2020–24
- 4%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Devils Lake’s housing numbers say
Most Devils Lake households rent
61% of households rent their home, 2,174 in all, against 37% across North Dakota. Renting ↓
Most new homes are apartments and condos
Of the 111 homes permitted in Devils Lake’s past 10 years, 68% were in buildings with two or more homes, not single-family houses. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Devils Lake’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Devils Lake is more affordable than 65% of U.S. towns, #9 of 23 in North Dakota. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with North Dakota: up 18.8% in five years, against 19.0% statewide (Zillow).
Up 7.4% in a year
Faster than North Dakota (5.1%).
Show as a table
| January | Devils Lake | North Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $174,000 | $225,000 |
| 2018 | $180,000 | $222,000 |
| 2019 | $182,000 | $219,000 |
| 2020 | $186,000 | $227,000 |
| 2021 | $195,000 | $234,000 |
| 2022 | $211,000 | $249,000 |
| 2023 | $219,000 | $260,000 |
| 2024 | $211,000 | $257,000 |
| 2025 | $222,000 | $271,000 |
| 2026 | $237,000 | $285,000 |
| September 2026 | $242,000 | $291,000 |
A typical Devils Lake home worth $172K in October 2016 is worth about $242K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A year’s rent takes 14% of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Devils Lake’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $12K short of a typical Devils Lake home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $870 a month here, $630 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Devils Lake’s typical property tax (1.12% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $870
Renters already here pay a median of $711, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Benson County, ND): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
6 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 6 new homes in Devils Lake in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $1.2 million to build. That's 0.8 per 1,000 residents, slower than across North Dakota (3.4). Over the past 10 years, Devils Lake has permitted 111 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Devils Lake gained 51 residents while 212 new homes were permitted: about 0.2 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. Across North Dakota: 1.7 new residents per new home.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 4 | 4 | 0 | $788,000 |
| 2025 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2024 | 6 | 1 | 5 | $1 million |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 18 | 3 | 15 | $3 million |
| 2021 | 31 | 7 | 24 | $5.4 million |
| 2020 | 28 | 4 | 24 | $4.6 million |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2018 | 10 | 6 | 4 | $1.4 million |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $468,000 |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | 4 | $361,000 |
| 2015 | 36 | 10 | 26 | $5.1 million |
| 2014 | 31 | 9 | 22 | $4.7 million |
| 2013 | 33 | 33 | 0 | $6.3 million |
| 2012 | 39 | 13 | 26 | $6.4 million |
| 2011 | 37 | 21 | 16 | $6.6 million |
| 2010 | 14 | 10 | 4 | $2.5 million |
| 2009 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $901,000 |
| 2008 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2007 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2006 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $460,000 |
| 2005 | 12 | 1 | 11 | $1.2 million |
| 2004 | 13 | 9 | 4 | $2 million |
| 2003 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.4 million |
| 2002 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2001 | 11 | 5 | 6 | $1.1 million |
| 2000 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $658,000 |
Devils Lake's permit office reported 10 of 12 months in 2025; the Census estimated the rest.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $1,851, under the North Dakota median of $2,468, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.12% a year, against 0.99% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Devils Lake vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Devils Lake has the lowest. Creel Township has no Zillow value, so it is in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devils Lake | B+ | $242K | $165K | 1.12% | $870 |
| Creel Township | B− | — | $298K | 0.93% | $870 |
| North Creel Township | – | — | $275K | 0.93% | $870 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures. “—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
Questions about the cost of living in Devils Lake
Is Devils Lake expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Devils Lake costs less than 65% of U.S. towns: a B+ for cost of living, #9 of 23 in North Dakota. The typical home costs 2.7 years of the median household income of Ramsey County, ND ($61K).
How much does a house cost in Devils Lake?
About $242K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 7.3% in a year. The North Dakota typical home is $291K.
What salary do you need to live in Devils Lake?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $64,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,500 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $35,000.
How much is rent in Devils Lake?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $870 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $711 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Devils Lake?
The median bill is $1,851 a year, 1.12% of the median home value (North Dakota: $2,468, 0.99%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Devils Lake going up?
Yes: up 7.3% in the past year and 18.8% in five years, against 19.0% across North Dakota (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Devils Lake buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.