North Dakota’s seventh-most populous city continues to grow
Dickinson is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country thanks to its location south of a Bakken Formation, which led to an oil boom in North Dakota in the mid-to-late-2010s. The city's population has ballooned to more than 25,000 people according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but other sources including the mayor say its higher. “I can tell you it’s punching up closer to 30,000,” says Mayor Scott Decker. “We have a booming housing market, and we’re always looking for people to come out and build more houses. We’re building 35 to 45 houses a year, but we need that number closer to 100 to 120.”
There’s more to Dickinson than oil. The city features a dinosaur museum, thousands of acres of parks and trails and hosts numerous community events. While oil is a major factor behind the economy other players include energy, healthcare, education and agriculture. “Our economy doesn’t rely too heavily on one sector,” Decker says. “This diversity makes it easier for us to weather downturns in certain sectors.”
Dickinson is one of North Dakota's fastest growing cities thanks to the oil industry.
CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson is a major healthcare provider in the Dickinson area.
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Housing inventory not keeping pace with demand
One of the draws is the large amounts of land available for development. Lots range from a quarter acre to 80 acres. “Costs have been increasing, so builders are not building many spec homes, to focus on costume homes,” says Diane Duchscher, a Realtor with Home and Land Company. Existing architectural styles vary between midcentury styles and some new traditional homes. “We’re short on listings right now,” Duchscher says. “Existing homes are hard to come by.” The city’s median list price is $322,000, according to Duchscher, which is lower than the national median, around $400,000.
Many new homes in Dickinson are of the split level style.
Ranch style homes are extremely popular in established areas of Dickinson.
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Dickinson State University offers 17 degree programs
Dickinson Public School District No. 1, which receives a C-plus grade from Niche, serves nearly 4,000 students with six elementary schools, a junior high school, a high school and an alternative high school. Private school is an option, with Trinity Catholic Schools and Hope Christian Academy offering preschool through high school education. Dickinson is also home to Dickenson State University. “It’s an important part of our community and important for western North Dakota and eastern Montana,” Duchscher says.
Dickinson State University traces its roots back to 1918 and offers over 75 fields of study.
Dickinson Middle School serves kids in grades 5 through 8.
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Summertime for boating and fishing on Heart River, Lake Patterson
The Dickison Parks and Recreation Department maintains over 1,500 acres of land. Patterson Lake Recreational Area, a seasonal campground, is one of the largest. The space offers boat launches, fishing, spaces for camping and RVs, and the multi-surfaced Crooked Crane Trail. It has about 2 miles of paved path, while the rest is through manicured grass. Indoor recreation can be found at the West River Community Center, with sports courts, a fitness center and meeting spaces available for rent. The West River Ice Center has two arenas for skating and ice hockey and is home to the city’s youth hockey league. In the off-season, it’s an event venue hosting conventions and public events.
Dickinson is less than 30 miles away from Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Spanning over 70,000 acres, the park has three sections along the Little Missouri River and is home to bison, elk and prairie dogs.
West River Community Center offers Dickinson residents sport courts, water slides, swimming and more.
Dickinson's West River Ice Center features two skating rinks and is used as an event center in the off season.
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Downtown Dickinson has locally owned boutiques
Downtown Dickinson features a variety of thrift and antique shops, boutiques and eateries. It’s also home to Legacy Square, an events space that hosts weekly summer concerts and other events throughout the year.In addition to Walmart and a few big-box stores, Dickenson has small retail outlets, such as Prairie Hills Mall, T-Rex Plaza, and various strip malls.“We could use some more retail. We just opened a Harbor Freight [hardware store] and a T.J. Maxx,” Duchscher says. For major shopping trips, residents can make the 100-mile drive to Bismarck, which offers many more shopping outlets.Local eateries include restaurants, coffee shops, sports bars, a brewery and a winery.
Prairie Hills Mall is one of the primary shopping centers in Dickinson.
Walmart is one of the major retailers in Dickinson.
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Roughrider Days celebrated each summer
Roughrider Days Fair & Expo is a multi-week event held between the middle of June and culminating on Independence Day. The event includes a demolition derby, a carnival, a rodeo, and concerts. The grand finale is celebrated on Independence Day with a parade and fireworks. The Badlands Big Sticks are collegiate summer baseball team that plays at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark from May through August.
The Dickinson Museum Center celebrates the city’s history, art and holds events. Maybe one of the most popular parts of the museum is the Badlands Dinosaur Museum, which has 14 full-scale dinosaurs and a triceratops skull that was discovered just west of the city.
Drive to Bismarck is 100 miles straight east on Interstate 94
Interstate 94 connects to Bismarck 100 miles east. The Dickinson-Theodore Roosevelt Airport offers two daily round-trip flights to Denver. The Bismarck Airport offers direct flights to seven domestic destinations. Dickinson Public Transit provides on-demand rides in Dickinson to surrounding communities.
Important to Know
According to the Dickinson Police Department's annual report, property and violent crimes increased slightly from 2022 to 2023.
The city is part of the Banana Belt, which gives it higher temperatures than eastern North Dakota. It experiences moderate summers, and harsh winters, with an average snowfall of 35 inches, annually. It has also been prone to tornadoes, that touched down in 1924 and 2009.
Written By
Anne Amoury
Photography Contributed By
Brandon Rowell
Video By
Colleen Carey
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Diane Duchscher,
an experienced agent in this area.
On average, homes in Dickinson, ND sell after 80 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Dickinson, ND over the last 12 months is $319,900, down 10% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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