Klein and Sutmar Block · National Register of Historic Places
Oakes’s story
140 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1886Oakes is settled
OakesND
Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,765
2025 Census estimate · −1.6% since 2020
Typical home
$191K
+14.2% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
38.8
years
Jobs based here
641
Balanced
Is Oakes a good place to live?
Oakes’ best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for history and civic life. Of the 17 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower property crime rate than Oakes. Oakes is more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns. Only 1 of the 18 North Dakota towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Oakes. On history, just 2 of North Dakota’s 69 towns do better. Oakes has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Oakes stand out
Where Oakes beats most towns.
Typical home value
Oakes$191K
North Dakota$291K
Cost of livingA
2.8 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 89% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Klein and Sutmar BlockHistoryA−
Settled in 1886
4 places on the National Register
A history going back 140 years.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Oakes15.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical ND town7.7
Civic lifeA−
2 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical North Dakota town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
How Oakes grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Oakes is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.4 of 20; 1.6% of households have no car; 4.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 30% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listB+Open →SchoolsB+Open →Jobs & income$68K median household incomeC+Open →HealthCHI Oakes Hospital 0.5 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailC+Open →History2 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life1.4 library visits per resident; 15.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 82° summer afternoons, 37″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.8–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Oakes: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oakes, and how to reach them.
PowerMontana-Dakota Utilities11.1¢/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 & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Oakes’ trash rules yet
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereDickey County AuditorDickey County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2022
ZIP code5847458474 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 Oakes.
HousingCost of living grade A
Oakes’ typical home value is about $191K
The typical Oakes home is worth about $191,000, up 14.2% in a year, 34% below the North Dakota typical home. Typical home values rose 14% in the year to September 2026. 77% of Oakes households own their home, above both North Dakota’s towns (57%) and U.S. towns (73%).
$191KZillow home value
| Oakes | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 77% | 57% | 73% |
| Median rent | $843 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Oakes$191K
North Dakota$291K
+14.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB+
Oakes’ public schools outperform 66% of North Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the Oakes 41 school district. Its two schools are below.
66%of ND districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakes Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 247 | B+ |
| Oakes High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 228 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Oakes, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Oakes since 1997.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingHail
1
paid flood claims since 1997
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Oakes
Oakes has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Oakes’ July high is 82°F, near the North Dakota town median (82°F) and below the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–24°
Spring31–53°
Summer56–80°
Fall33–56°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than North Dakota overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (25% statewide). 20% of residents are 65 or older in Oakes. 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across North Dakota.
38.8median age · ND 35.9
| Oakes | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 13% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 30% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.8 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 25% | 26% | 22% |
OakesNorth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
14%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma13%
High school34%
Some college19%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate5%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.6 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Oakes | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.4% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.9% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.7% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.6% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.7% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.9% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.6% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.7% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.7% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.6% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.5% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.3% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.8% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.1% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,800, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most of Oakes’ workers commute out: the town has 0.8 jobs for each of them
About one in 3 of Oakes’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Oakes is 14 minutes. Since 2013, Oakes has lost 54 jobs, to 641 in 2023.
36%work in town
| Oakes | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 36% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 5.6% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Oakes36%
Gwinner11%
Fargo8%
Bear Creek Township6%
Bismarck4%
21 mi
median commute distance
641
jobs based in Oakes
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Oakes
Oakes's reported crime rate is well below North Dakota's. Oakes’ violent crime rate is 0.6 per 1,000 residents. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2023.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Oakes0.6
North Dakota2.8
U.S.3.9
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Oakes0
North Dakota19.7
U.S.19.5
1
violent crimes reported in 2023
0
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
HealthB
Oakes is healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
Oakes beats the North Dakota average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 38% of Oakes adults have high blood pressure. Among 24 North Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Oakes.
56%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Oakes | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 33% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
2 better21 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Oakes | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 18% | 21.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.4% | 76.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 8% | 5.9% |
CHI Oakes Hospital
0.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 989 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hockenberry Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Oakes
19pages on Oakes
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 66% of ND districts · 2 schoolsSafety0.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2023)HealthBBetter than ND on 2 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$191K typical home · up 14.2% in a yearWork & commuteC+$68K median household income · 641 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 30% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Oakes; the nearest are
Trinity Bible College and Graduate SchoolUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ellendale22.8 mi$19,700 tuitionNorthern State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Aberdeen, SD51.3 mi$8,845 in-state tuitionNorth Dakota State College of ScienceCommunity college · Public · Wahpeton71.3 mi$5,974 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Oakes residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
Landmarks
4 places in Oakes on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Oakes
City in North Dakota, United States
Oakes is the most populous city in Dickey County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,798 at the 2020 census. Oakes was founded in 1886.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1886
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,312 ft
- ZIP code
- 58474
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Oakes
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Oakes, 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 A.
What is Oakes, ND known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Sarala Nagala and Tim Purdon.