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Fargo, ND Rent Affordability Calculator

The median rent in the Fargo, ND area is $967 a month including utilities, which takes 15% of the median household income ($76,756). Paying it on 30% of income needs about $38,680 a year.

On $77,000 a year, 30% of income is $1,925 a month for rent. A $970 rent takes 15.1% of gross income; many landlords want income of 40 times the rent, $38,800.

Rent you can afford
$1,925 a month
That rent takes
15.1% of income
Income a landlord may ask for (40× rent)
$38,800

Rent you can afford in Fargo, ND by income (30% rule)

IncomeAffordable rentAgainst the median rent
$40,000$1,0003.4%
$60,000$1,50055.1%
$80,000$2,000106.8%
$100,000$2,500158.5%
$150,000$3,750287.8%

How this calculator works

Median gross rent and median household income for the Fargo, ND-MN metropolitan area, from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Affordable rent is 30% of gross monthly income.

What it assumes

  • Medians across all rentals, of every size and age; new listings usually ask more.

Questions people ask

What is the average rent in Fargo, ND?

The median gross rent is $967 a month, including utilities (Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What salary do I need to live in Fargo, ND?

To rent at the median on 30% of income, about $38,680 a year; many landlords ask for 40 times the rent, $38,680.

Is rent affordable in Fargo, ND?

The median rent takes 15% of the median household income there, within the 30% guideline.

How does the cost of living in Fargo, ND compare?

Overall prices are 9.1% below the US average, and housing 18.9% below (BEA, 2024).

Nearby and large metro areas

Related calculators

  • Rent Affordability CalculatorThe rent your income supports under the 30% guideline, what a given rent takes of your pay, and the income landlords often ask for, with median rents in large metro areas.
  • Fargo, ND Cost of Living CalculatorPrices in the Fargo, ND area are 9.1% below the US average, and housing 18.9% below (BEA, 2024). Compare a salary here with anywhere else.
  • Rent vs Buy CalculatorWhether buying or renting leaves you better off after the years you plan to stay, counting mortgage interest, tax, upkeep, selling costs and what a renter earns investing the down payment.

Sources

Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.