Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,314, settled in 1885.
The best of Hazen’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for walkability and civic life. Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of residents 65 or older than Hazen. Fred Krause House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hazen has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Hazen beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Hazen is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 520 in 1920, 2,281 in 2020. The archive holds 20 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1954 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hazen, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Hazen.
At 49.1 years, Hazen’s median age is above both the North Dakota town median (33.9 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (25% statewide); people 65 and older are 25% of residents (17% statewide). 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across North Dakota.
| Hazen | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.1 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 30% | 29% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.8 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Hazen | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.3% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.7% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.5% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.4% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.2% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.2% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.9% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.9% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.7% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.4% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,300, single groups can be off by several points
Its public schools are run by the Hazen 3 school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazen Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 272 | B+ |
| Hazen High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 167 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
The typical Hazen home is worth about $216,000, up 7.7% in a year, 26% below the North Dakota typical home. 82% of Hazen households own their home, against 57% in North Dakota’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Hazen’s median rent is $918 a month.
| Hazen | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 57% | 73% |
| Median rent | $918 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Hazen has cold winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 83° and January nights drop to 3°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Hazen beats the North Dakota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 27% of adults feel lonely in Hazen. Among 24 North Dakota towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Hazen.
| Hazen | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 36% |
| What stands out | Hazen | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with heart disease | 7.4% | 6.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 8.2% |
| More adults with arthritis | 29.6% | 25.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in 3 of Hazen’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Hazen is 15 minutes. Since 2013, Hazen has added 100 jobs, to 830 in 2023.
| Hazen | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 32% | 39% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
No town among the 18 in North Dakota we compare has a lower violent crime rate than Hazen. Hazen's reported crime rate is well below North Dakota's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Hazen | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 20.8 | 14.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 1.9 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hazen.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hazen. Close and well known come first.
17 mi LakeLake Sakakawea
16 mi LandmarkFort Mandan
11 mi National Historic SiteKnife River Indian Villages National Historic Site9K visitors a year
27 mi MuseumNorth Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive CenterLake Sakakawea: Shannon1, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Mandan: Gooseterrain2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site: Unknown, Public domain · North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center: Gooseterrain2, CC0
None within 15 miles of Hazen; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Hazen residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
City in North Dakota, United States
Hazen is a city in Mercer County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 2,281 at the 2020 census. Hazen was founded in 1913. Hazen has a K–12 school system. It is located about fifteen minutes south of Lake Sakakawea, the largest lake in North Dakota and the third largest man-made lake in the United States.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
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