North Dakota, the "Prairie Country" is exceedingly blessed with unspoiled natural resources, a striving economy; a well-educated populace who enrich the states' cultural heritage, low crime rate and affordable housing options, making this a place worth calling home.
North Dakota lies at the geographical center of North America, with a land area of over 68,976 sq miles. Of these, approximately 89% are in use for agricultural ventures. Together with its next-door neighbors, South Dakota, Montana at the west side and Minnesota to east – it is known as the plains country.
Bismarck is the state's capital. Fargo is known for its cosmopolitan air and greatest number of residents at 91,484 (U.S. Bureau of Census 2003).
Due to its' sub-humid climate, North Dakota enjoys approximately 200 sunny days, and very cold winters. Though, whatever the weather and temperature, you can expect the locals & tourism to relish all the good things their state offers.
This is a lot with over 336 attractions in state, from historical to contemporary art galleries, dining establishments, and shopping malls to outdoor adventures – you will not run out of recreational, cultural or fun activities to do.
And there is more! Here are four compelling reasons why relocating to or purchasing property in North Dakota could be the best decision you could ever make.
North Dakota has one of the country's best educational systems, with the student to teacher ratio at a low 14.4. It also has one of the highest ratios of colleges to students, with its eleven public colleges and universities, four private schools and five tribal community colleges.
North Dakota has received this title seven times in a row in the last 11 years, from Morgan Quitno, a prestigious independent private research and publishing company.
North Dakota has one of the highest percentages of board certified physicians. Proof? In the Sept. 19, 2003, issue of the WebMD Medical News report, the state received a ranking of #1 in quality of healthcare at hospitals, in comparison to all the other states.
According to the 2005 Coldwell Banker Home Price Comparison Index, if you were to purchase a 2,200 square-foot house with four bedrooms, two and one-half baths, a family room and a two-car garage in Minot, North Dakota, this would just cost you $133,266.
In comparison, you would need to shell out $1.7 million if you were to live in La, Jolla California, the most expensive real state market in the country. $1.5 million dollars in savings is nothing to sneeze at.
The real estate market has been stable and predictable in North Dakota and if you have ever wanted to get in on some large pieces of land in the Northern U.S, now might be the time as interest rates are only expected to go up with the expected real estate bubble 'popping' in the near future, or so experts say. Either way, a purchased piece of property in North Dakota is one that should be appreciated financially and visually.