Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0Measured against area pay, Shell Valley costs less to live in than almost every U.S. town
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Rolette County, ND ($60K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Rolette County earn ($60K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.5 years of area income, and 54% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $970a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.5 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$60K, Rolette County income
- 9%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What kind of housing town is Shell Valley?
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
What’s behind Shell Valley’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Shell Valley is more affordable than 99% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
A typical home costs 1.5 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Shell Valley’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Shell Valley home, with $140K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $970 a month here, $420 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, the North Dakota typical property tax (0.99% 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 $970
Renters already here pay a median of $428, 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 (Rolette County, ND): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Shell Valley and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, latest | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Valley | A+ | — | $91K | — | $970 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Shell Valley
Is Shell Valley expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Shell Valley costs less than 99% of U.S. towns: an A+ for cost of living. The typical home costs 1.5 years of the median household income of Rolette County, ND ($60K).
How much is rent in Shell Valley?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $970 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $428 (Census 2020–24).
Neighbors talk housing
What Shell Valley buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community 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.