#34: North Dakota
Minimum wage: $7.25
In North Dakota, wealth is often linked to energy production, agriculture, construction, and business ownership. Higher earners tend to live in growing cities like Fargo or Bismarck, enjoying stable incomes, newer housing, and a lower cost of living. Resource-driven industries have created pockets of significant prosperity.

On the lower-income side, many North Dakotans work in retail, food service, caregiving, and seasonal jobs. Harsh winters increase heating and transportation costs. Rural isolation and limited public transit can strain tight budgets, even for households working full-time at minimum wage.
