Tower City: Housing & Real Estate
The median Tower City home is valued at $187,500 (estimated market value runs 13% higher at $212,725), with median rent $788 (1.2× below Cass County median $958; 1.2× below North Dakota median $954). Homeownership rate: 88.7%. That's 1.6× below the Cass County median ($298,000); 1.3× below the North Dakota median ($249,900). Market is warm. Vacancy rate 8.1%. New construction makes up 8.1% of stock. A municipal building code is in effect.
- 1.7× annual income — home value vs. household income (vs North Dakota 3.7×).
- 19.8 years to break even renting at the median (vs North Dakota 23y).
- 4-BR rent is 2.2× a studio — rent gradient by unit size.
- Median rent 16% below HUD 2-BR FMR — local market vs federal subsidy benchmark.
Home Values & Rent
Median home value $187,500 — 0.7× the North Dakota median ($263,700). Median rent $788/month. homeownership rate 88.7% — above the U.S. share of ~65%.
| Affordability · Price To Income Ratio | 1.7× |
|---|---|
| Affordability · Rent To Income Pct | 8.7% |
| Affordability · Affordable | Yes |
| Affordability · Interpretation | very affordable |
| Fair Market Rent · Studio rent | $718 (vs North Dakota $768) |
| Fair Market Rent · One-bedroom rent | $722 (vs North Dakota $917) |
| Fair Market Rent · Two-bedroom rent | $948 (vs North Dakota $1,112) |
| Fair Market Rent · Three-bedroom rent | $1,137 (vs North Dakota $1,547) |
| Fair Market Rent · Four-bedroom rent | $1,590 (vs North Dakota $1,865) |
| Fair Market Rent · HUD FMR area | Barnes County, ND |
| Fair Market Rent · Fiscal year | FY2026 |
| Home Value Estimate | $212,725 |
| Median Home Value | $187,500 (vs North Dakota $263,700) |
| Median Rent | $788 (vs North Dakota $957) |
Sources: HUD FMR FY2026 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023, B25077 · Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Tenure & Occupancy
Owner-occupied vs renter-occupied housing units, plus vacancy rates.
| Housing Market · Market temperature | warm |
|---|---|
| Housing Market · Vacancy rate | 8.1% |
| Housing Market · New construction (% of stock) | 8.1% |
| Housing Market · Price Appreciation 2Yr | -1.2% |
Utilities
Electricity, water, and broadband infrastructure serving residents. Broadband percentages reflect the share of premises that can subscribe to service at the listed speed (FCC Form 477).
Systems (5)
| Broadband · % of premises with 25/3 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at North Dakota median) |
|---|---|
| Broadband · % of premises with 100/20 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at North Dakota median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 250/25 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (at North Dakota median) |
| Broadband · % of premises with 1 Gbps / 100 Mbps broadband | 100.0% (vs North Dakota 94.8%) |
| Broadband · Broadband-capable premises | 160 |
| Electricity · Electricity rate (¢/kWh) | 11.51¢/kWh |
| Electricity · Customers | 397839 |
| Electricity · Revenue Millions | $565 |
| Electricity · Year | 2024 |
| Mobile Broadband · 3G mobile coverage | 0.000000000 |
| Mobile Broadband · 4G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at North Dakota median) |
| Mobile Broadband · 5G mobile coverage | 1.000000000 (at North Dakota median) |
| Mobile Home Parks Detail · County total | 2 |
Sources: FCC BDC Jun 2025 · EIA Annual Retail Sales 2023 · FCC BDC Mobile 2024 · HIFLD / IRS BMF · Refreshed 2026-04-12
Other
| Homeownership Rate | 88.7% (vs North Dakota 56.7%) |
|---|---|
| Median Year Built | 1976 |
Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 · Refreshed 2026-04-12