Thinking about moving to Williston,ND. (Bismarck, Minot: 2015, rentals, how much)
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Advice please!! My husband's friend recently moved to Williston,ND from St. Louis,MO where we reside as well. He has been trying to convince my family to move up there due to the many job opportunities. We are really wanting to relocate and are strongly considering ND but have been told the rent and cost of living are terrible! I came across a 3 bedroom for $845/month but I've been warned that is extremely uncommon. We are wanting our family to move together in one trip but are afraid of getting up there and struggling. Does anyone have any advice or experience in a similar situation? Also, would there possibly be a town about an hour or less away that has cheaper rent?
Might want to watch This Is Life by Lisa Ling on CNN. It will give you an honest look at Williston and the cost of living there PLUS that life. There's a whole hour show on the $$$ fracking boom there.
My experience living in Williston was while working with a now defunct oil service company from February to October (9 months).
I cannot comment on November to February (Arguably the worst of winter), but I did work outside with -15 degree F temperatures so I did work in the notorious cold.
Williston is both overrated and underrated. It is overrated in the sense that people tend to exaggerate how well to do the town is and how much money is made. It is underrated in the sense that the oil industry has blurred the small touches that make the town unique and pleasant.
My personal favorites of Williston were the municipal recreation center and the city parks. While the city parks are not extravagant, I thought they were plentiful enough for the population. The rec center was a common after work spot for me and has everything one could want. Lake Sakakawae provides ample boating and fishing recreation. If you do the outdoors, Williston is pretty good.
My least favorites of Williston were the confusing roads/highways, truck traffic, and unoriginal downtown. The roads twist and turn and the highways don't merge in an intelligent manner. The downtown is boring and the shops are not exceedingly impressive.
The cost of living is high due to the isolated location and high economic activity. You will notice it in your price of goods.
The scenery is not pleasant. This area is in the northern prairies and trees are not plentiful. Rainfall is scarce and snowfall is (surprisingly) not especially high. The wind blows around the snow that does fall into large snow banks.
If you can justify the high cost of living and the climate, it is worth considering. I hope that helps.
Might want to watch This Is Life by Lisa Ling on CNN. It will give you an honest look at Williston and the cost of living there PLUS that life. There's a whole hour show on the $$$ fracking boom there.
That show was much more relevant a couple of years ago, during the tail end of several boom years. It doesn't seem relevant at all these days.
OP....Others may have different opinions....but comments from people who do not live there are irrelevant and incorrect imo Always ask if they are/have personally lived there.
Having lived there during the boom and having friends living in Sidney now, $875 seems a bit low. However, if you were talking $1,000/mo that might be more realistic. Rents have fallen quite a bit from the boom but it still isn't cheap. I recommend getting a short term rental or have your husband stay up there for 3-4 weeks looking at homes. I can't imagine that rentals are in high demand right now as most drillers/operators scale back ops during the winter and go full bore in the summer. It's been that way for the past 2 years since the bust in '14. Operators can drill in the Permian at a cheaper price than the operating in Bakken winter.
Williston has some things going for it. The retail sector is larger than Sidney (many in Sidney still cross the border to shop) and Minot is 2 hours away for larger shopping. Now that Menards has opened, there is a full service 7 day week hardware store. This was the biggest complaint during the boom as a lot of building materials would run out quickly unless you ordered it in from Minot or Bismarck. The retail infrastructure will mitigate any future booms (probably another one in 3 years) so it won't be so crazy.
The rec centers in ND tend to be the center of town life during the winter. The other option is the mall but Williston really doesn't have one right now. I'm hoping they take my advice and convert the existing airport to a mall or other large indoor space once the new airport opens in 2019/2020. It won't be great for a residential development but having several hotels to connect to would give them a good opportunity for something. I don't know if a convention center would be good in this spot as Minot and Bismarck have underutilized facilities now.
Good luck and stay warm. -20 mornings are something I don't miss.
Advice please!! My husband's friend recently moved to Williston,ND from St. Louis,MO where we reside as well. He has been trying to convince my family to move up there due to the many job opportunities. We are really wanting to relocate and are strongly considering ND but have been told the rent and cost of living are terrible! I came across a 3 bedroom for $845/month but I've been warned that is extremely uncommon. We are wanting our family to move together in one trip but are afraid of getting up there and struggling. Does anyone have any advice or experience in a similar situation? Also, would there possibly be a town about an hour or less away that has cheaper rent?
Hi OP,
Just wondering if you did move to Williston?
When I was there for several weeks this past summer working on our rent house I thought the family oriented atmosphere was wonderful in Williston.
It is hard to describe, but if you have never lived in small town America to witness all the family oriented events, and the amazing attendance of whole families is pretty heartwarming.
I live across state, and while I occasionally see whole families out together, it isn't all that common. I have to say, Williston has a litany of family oriented things to do, and it seems that taking the kids to the events as a whole family, even if it is just shopping is the norm.
What I especially enjoyed was the mixture of cultures, and what seemed to be the natural flow between people obviously not from the N.D. area, assimilating and also bringing their own cultural norms a well as adapting to N.D. norms.
People are very accepting there, very kind and neighborly and very warm to each other. It didn't matter what their background, this was seemingly the rule. Personally we are looking forward to retiring to our little house there eventually. When we do I hope it is still the same.
So, hopefully after you've researched and decided whether to move, that you find similar welcoming experiences for your family.
Keep us updated.
ETA flyingcat2k Your idea about the airport being converted into a shopping mall is fantastic.
Rent in the area is consistent, Watford might be a bit cheaper but not by much. Take into consideration though with Watford that you don't have a WalMart (but they have the nicest Cash Wise). I would say the $845 is on the low end but not entirely unheard of. I'd be concerned about the condition of the property.
I know this is a few months old, but if you haven't moved yet I would wait for spring to come. Moving things in and out of a U-Haul when it's -20 is no fun.
Cost of living is higher than larger cities but the pay is also higher than larger cities. For instance, a cashier at Walmart starts at $15/hr. Amazon Prime will become your friend though. I've got monthly subscriptions for some of the basic household items because they were cheaper than local stores.
Williston now is nothing like the Williston Lisa Ling portrayed. There are a LOT more families, if you look at The Williston Herald for information about the schools you'll find that the Williston Public School District continues to outpace the projected growth from the numbers they calculated while the town was still in the midst of the oil boom. The presumption was that it would slow down once the work slowed, however that has not been the case.
If you have any questions feel free to ask if you're still considering moving here. I've been here for quite a few years now and won't be leaving any time soon.
Looking to move up possibly to Williston. Anyone have any thoughts on Henry Oil services? Good or bad reputation? They have only been in business since 2015 so still new, main concern is will they be around for another 3years?? Any local input would be great...Thanks
Looking to move up possibly to Williston. Anyone have any thoughts on Henry Oil services? Good or bad reputation? They have only been in business since 2015 so still new, main concern is will they be around for another 3years?? Any local input would be great...Thanks
You never know who will be around in three years. You'll have to research and read between the lines on whatever you find.
Advice please!! My husband's friend recently moved to Williston,ND from St. Louis,MO where we reside as well. He has been trying to convince my family to move up there due to the many job opportunities. We are really wanting to relocate and are strongly considering ND but have been told the rent and cost of living are terrible! I came across a 3 bedroom for $845/month but I've been warned that is extremely uncommon. We are wanting our family to move together in one trip but are afraid of getting up there and struggling. Does anyone have any advice or experience in a similar situation? Also, would there possibly be a town about an hour or less away that has cheaper rent?
845 for a three bedroom seems too good to be true to be honest. My one bedroom is not even 700 square feet and I pay more than that. Granted it's a brand new complex with lots of cool amenities, but it's not a Ritz Carlton either. I would make damn sure you scope the place out throughly since at that price I suspect some kind of issues. Not that you can't find bargains on occasion, but be sure to practice some due diligence.
As to the prospects of finding work, I can't imagine you will have much trouble. Few people do who are sane, sober, and can pass a background check. My employer has been running ads for work in ND non-stop since I arrived from Houston in 2011(I used to work offshore rotations). We are always looking to hire the right people who are teachable and who are unafraid of hard work. If you put in the legwork I doubt it would take you longer than 2-3 weeks tops to secure employment. It would be cool if you could have this done remotely in advance but that is not how it works out here. Lots of people say they are going to move and never show up. Until you are physically in North Dakota I don't suspect you will get much from the various energy companies and subcontractors other than information.
How much you enjoy living out here really depends as much on you as it does the town. People in the Dakotas are generally very friendly and helpful, but you still have to make an effort to be a part of the community and not just someone looking for a paycheck. If you go about things with a positive attitude and the right expectations, a move out here can significantly change your life for the better
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