Lisbon Opera House · National Register of Historic Places
Lisbon’s story
146 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1880Lisbon is settled
Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,184
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Typical home
$185K
+2.8% in a year
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
43.4
years
Jobs based here
1,003
Balanced
Is Lisbon a good place to live?
The best of Lisbon’s subject grades is an A− for civic life; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. 27% of residents are 65 or older in Lisbon, above both the North Dakota town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). No town in North Dakota scores lower than Lisbon on hazard risk. The median household income is $64K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 4 of North Dakota’s 69 towns score higher on history. The biggest park or preserve is Sandager Park, at 30 acres. Lisbon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Lisbon stand out
Where Lisbon beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Lisbon12.8
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical ND town7.7
Civic lifeA−
67% more nonprofits per person
than the typical North Dakota town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Lisbon Opera HouseHistoryA−
Settled in 1880
5 places on the National Register
A history going back 146 years.
Typical home value
Lisbon$185K
North Dakota$291K
Cost of livingB+
2.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 75% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
How Lisbon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Lisbon is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →SchoolsB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.5 of 20; 7.8% of households have no car; 2.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →HealthLess healthy than 52% of U.S. towns; Lisbon Area Health Services 0.2 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 3% conserved landBOpen →History1 notable person born hereA−Open →Civic life2.4 library visits per resident; 12.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.4; 21% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lisbon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lisbon, and how to reach them.
PowerCass County Elec Coop12.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSoutheast Wud (Central-Lisbon) water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFat Man TrashTrash haulerTown site
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereRansom County AuditorRansom County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2021
ZIP code5805458054 100%Census 2020
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 Lisbon.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Lisbon, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 75 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lisbon.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
75
paid flood claims since 1978
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Lisbon’s schools beat 74% of North Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the Lisbon 19 school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
74%of ND districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 222 | B+ |
| Lisbon High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 182 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade B+
Lisbon stands out in North Dakota and nationally: the median rent there is lower
At $649 a month, Lisbon’s median rent is where North Dakota’s towns sit at $977 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. The typical Lisbon home is worth about $185,000, up 2.8% in a year, 36% below the North Dakota typical home. 62% of Lisbon households own their home.
$185KZillow home value
| Lisbon | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $649 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 62% | 57% | 73% |
Typical home value
Lisbon$185K
North Dakota$291K
+2.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Lisbon
Lisbon has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 1° and about 47 inches of snow falls in a winter.
47″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–23°
Spring31–54°
Summer57–80°
Fall34–56°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About one in three working residents works right in Lisbon
About one in 3 of Lisbon’s working residents works in town. Lisbon’s average trip to work is 16 minutes. Jobs based in Lisbon fell to 1,003 in 2023, 107 fewer than in 2013.
34%work in town
| Lisbon | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 34% | 39% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Lisbon34%
Gwinner22%
Fargo10%
West Fargo4%
Valley City4%
15 mi
median commute distance
1,003
jobs based in Lisbon
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Lisbon
Lisbon's reported crime rate is well below North Dakota's. The violent crime rate in Lisbon is 0.9 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Lisbon | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 8.8 per 1,000 residents | 16.1 | 11.5 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lisbon0.9
North Dakota2.6
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lisbon8.8
North Dakota17.1
U.S.17.7
2
violent crimes reported in 2024
19
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
2.6%conserved
| Lisbon | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.6% | 2.8% | 4.3% |
2.6%
conserved · 38 of 1,467 acres
2.4 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sandager Park | 0.4 mi | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
More of Lisbon’s adults have high blood pressure than in the typical North Dakota or U.S. town
39% of adults have high blood pressure in Lisbon. Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Lisbon. 20% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Lisbon.
48%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Lisbon | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
1 better19 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Lisbon | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.1% | 76.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.9% | 6.1% |
Lisbon Area Health Services
0.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lisbon
19pages on Lisbon
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 74% of ND districts · 3 schoolsSafety0.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthB−Better than ND on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$185K typical home · up 2.8% in a yearWork & commuteD$64K median household income · 1,003 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lisbon; the nearest are
Valley City State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Valley City36.4 mi$8,514 in-state tuitionNorth Dakota State College of ScienceCommunity college · Public · Wahpeton52.6 mi$5,974 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Lisbon residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
Landmarks
5 places in Lisbon on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Lisbon
City in North Dakota, United States
Lisbon is a city in and the county seat of Ransom County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 2,204 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1880
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,083 ft
- ZIP code
- 58054
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Lisbon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lisbon, ND a good place to live?
67% more nonprofits per person than the typical North Dakota town.
Is Lisbon, ND expensive?
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 B+.