Bismarck vs Green Bay
The short version
- Bismarck is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Green Bay area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $207,200 in Green Bay and $300,300 in Bismarck.
- Households earn more in Bismarck ($78,387 vs $66,206 median).
- Bismarck is growing faster: +5.9% since 2020 vs -0.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Bismarck (16 vs 19 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Bismarck, ND | Green Bay, WI | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 77,963 | 106,675 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.9% | -0.6% |
| People per square mile | 2,248 | 2,346 |
| Median age | 38.9 | 36.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39% | 27% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $78,387 | $66,206 |
| Median home value | $300,300 | $207,200 |
| Home value to income | 3.8× | 3.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $999 | $932 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.0 | 93.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 84.0 | 74.7 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,300 | $69,800 |
| Homeowners | 66% | 58% |
| Top state income tax | 2.5% | 7.65% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.09% | 5.72% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 15.6 | 19.2 |
| Work from home | 8% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 2.5% | 3.7% |
| Poverty rate | 9.3% | 14.7% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 23° / 2° | 26° / 11° |
| July high / low | 85° / 58° | 81° / 60° |
| Precipitation per year | 19 in | 32 in |
| Snowfall per year | 51 in | 56 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 20 | 6 |
| Nights below freezing | 184 | 152 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 85.1 | 90.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 77% | 72% |
| Home prices, past year | +6.2% | +5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.8% | +59.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Bismarck: May to September. Green Bay: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Bismarck weather by month and Green Bay weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,300 in Bismarck and $69,800 in Green Bay. Moving from Bismarck to Green Bay, you would need about $76,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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