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McLean County, ND

Rent vs Own in McLean County, North Dakota

HUD prices a 2-bedroom in McLean County at $873/mo while the ownership stack lands near $1,358/mo. That mid-sized gap is large enough that rate or down-payment tweaks usually cannot close it alone. Owner-occupied homes: 3,684.

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Renting is cheaper in McLean County

A 2-bedroom rental here runs $873/mo, meaningfully below the $1,358/mo ownership stack on the default assumptions. That is a $485/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in McLean County

Primary driver

Renting compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, McLean County ranks 48 of 53 North Dakota counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 5 other North Dakota counties on this measure.

Decision signal 2

Renting wins by a mid-sized monthly gap

McLean County lists a $227,100 median home with $1,724/yr property tax (0.76%). HUD's $873/mo 2-bedroom rent undercuts the ~$1,358/mo ownership stack by a mid-range margin of about $485/mo. Closing that gap usually takes more than a cosmetic rate tweak, price, tax load, or both.

Decision signal 3

Income supports the median purchase price

Median household income is $83,583, and the 2.7x home-price-to-income ratio leaves room for the ownership stack (property tax alone is 2.1% of median income). The monthly gap above is more about mortgage rate and insurance assumptions than about the purchase price being out of reach.

Decision signal 4

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for McLean County from $928/mo in FY2025 to $873/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $55/mo (-5.9%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$1,358
Mortgage (P&I) $1,148
Property Tax $144
Insurance (est.) $66
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$873
Studio$760
1-Bedroom$796
2-Bedroom$873
3-Bedroom$1,214
4-Bedroom$1,464

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$83,583
$6,965/mo
Home Price / Income
2.7x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.1%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

In McLean County, once the mortgage ends staying put is close to free: the largest cluster of debt-free households faces a yearly charge under $800, so insurance and upkeep, not the tax office, set what the home costs to keep.

Households earning $50,000 to $75,000 file the largest share of these write-offs in McLean County, an ordinary middle-income profile.

With ownership already mid-range more expensive than rent month-to-month, that annual bill reinforces why cash-flow renters stay put unless they are deliberately buying for tenure rather than monthly savings.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Cass County
Home: $298,000 Tax: $3,564/yr
Burleigh County
Home: $324,000 Tax: $2,863/yr
Ward County
Home: $267,100 Tax: $2,859/yr
Grand Forks County
Home: $252,700 Tax: $2,900/yr
Morton County
Home: $263,900 Tax: $2,686/yr
Stark County
Home: $271,700 Tax: $2,411/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in McLean County, North Dakota? ▼
Renting the HUD 2-bedroom is the clearer monthly path in McLean County by roughly $485/mo under default loan assumptions. Closing a gap this size usually needs a meaningfully lower price or rate, not a cosmetic tweak.
What is the average rent in McLean County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $873/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $704/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How much house can you afford in McLean County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $83,583 household here can afford up to $250,749, which comfortably covers this county's $227,100 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
How does McLean County compare to other North Dakota counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 53 North Dakota counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, McLean County lands at spot 48, putting it in the more rent-favorable quarter of the state. The <a href="/states/north-dakota">North Dakota state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.
What is the median home price in McLean County? ▼
$227,100, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.76% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
Is rent going up or down in McLean County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 5.9% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →