Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5Measured against area pay, Wahpeton costs less to live in than 78% of U.S. towns
It ranks #3 of 23 in North Dakota for affordability. Up 3.1% in a year, 19% below the North Dakota typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Wahpeton, ND-MN micro area ($74K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 4 sales in May 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 the Wahpeton-area micro earn ($74K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.3 years of area income, and 33% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $236Ktypical home, 19% below the North Dakota typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $880a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 2.3 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$74K, Wahpeton-area income
- 12%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 33%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across North Dakota: 39%Census 2020–24
- 18%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Wahpeton, in brief
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median tax bill is $2,270, under the North Dakota median of $2,468, because homes cost less. As a share of value, though, it’s 1.33% a year, against 0.99% statewide. On the typical home, that’s about $260 a month. Property taxes ↓
Most Wahpeton households rent
55% of households rent their home, 1,850 in all, against 37% across North Dakota. Renting ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Wahpeton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Wahpeton is more affordable than 78% of U.S. towns, #3 of 23 in North Dakota. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
Values have outpaced North Dakota: the typical Wahpeton home is up 27.3% in five years, against 19.0% statewide (Zillow).
Up 27.3% in five years
Faster than North Dakota (19%).
Show as a table
| January | Wahpeton | North Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $149,000 | $225,000 |
| 2018 | $148,000 | $222,000 |
| 2019 | $155,000 | $219,000 |
| 2020 | $162,000 | $227,000 |
| 2021 | $173,000 | $234,000 |
| 2022 | $194,000 | $249,000 |
| 2023 | $206,000 | $260,000 |
| 2024 | $204,000 | $257,000 |
| 2025 | $218,000 | $271,000 |
| 2026 | $232,000 | $285,000 |
| September 2026 | $236,000 | $291,000 |
A typical Wahpeton home worth $149K in October 2016 is worth about $236K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.3 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Wahpeton’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Wahpeton home, with $36K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $880 a month here, $620 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Wahpeton’s typical property tax (1.33% 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 $880
Renters already here pay a median of $751, 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 (Richland County, ND): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
2 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 2 new homes in Wahpeton in 2025, all single-family houses. That's 0.2 per 1,000 residents, slower than across North Dakota (3.4). Over the past 10 years, Wahpeton has permitted 133 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Wahpeton gained 241 residents while 171 new homes were permitted: about 1.4 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) | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $734,000 |
| 2024 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2023 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2022 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2021 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $3.2 million |
| 2020 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2019 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $2.6 million |
| 2018 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2017 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $3.2 million |
| 2016 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2015 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2014 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.2 million |
| 2013 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2012 | 30 | 21 | 9 | $5.1 million |
| 2011 | 27 | 19 | 8 | $4.6 million |
| 2010 | 18 | 8 | 10 | $2.2 million |
| 2009 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2008 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2007 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2006 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| 2005 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $2.9 million |
| 2004 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2003 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2002 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2001 | 31 | 7 | 24 | $3.1 million |
| 2000 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $983,000 |
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 $2,270, under the North Dakota median of $2,468, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 1.33% 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+”.
Wahpeton vs. its neighbors
Of the 2 towns here with a Zillow value, Wahpeton has the 2nd-lowest.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wahpeton | A− | $236K | $171K | 1.33% | $880 |
| Connelly Township | – | — | $240K | 0.74% | $970 |
| Breckenridge | A | $198K | $145K | 0.94% | $970 |
| Center Township | – | — | $304K | 0.94% | $880 |
| Breckenridge Township | – | — | $282K | 0.64% | $970 |
| Dwight Township | – | — | $319K | 0.99% | $880 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” 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 Wahpeton
Is Wahpeton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Wahpeton costs less than 78% of U.S. towns: an A− for cost of living, #3 of 23 in North Dakota. The typical home costs 2.3 years of the median household income of the Wahpeton, ND-MN micro area ($74K).
How much does a house cost in Wahpeton?
About $236K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.1% in a year. The North Dakota typical home is $291K.
What salary do you need to live in Wahpeton?
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 Wahpeton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $880 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $751 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Wahpeton?
The median bill is $2,270 a year, 1.33% of the median home value (North Dakota: $2,468, 0.99%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Wahpeton going up?
Yes: up 3.1% in the past year and 27.3% in five years, against 19.0% across North Dakota (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Wahpeton 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, May 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.