Moving from Denver to Bismarck (Fargo, Grand Forks: rent, house, job outlook)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm new to the forum! I grew up in North Dakota and have lived in Denver, CO since graduating from college. My family and I are looking to move back to ND (Bismarck) within the next year or so. I had some general questions on professional job. I am an HR Manager. Does anyone know what the job outlook is for senior HR professionals/HR managers in the Bismarck area? I've lived out of state my whole professional career so just don't have any idea what to expect in terms of how many opportunities are out there, where to look, and what sort of compensation range I can expect. When I look at the cost of living calculator, it doesn't look that much less expensive to live in Bismarck these days compared to Denver (6% less). I currently make a base salary of around $75K with total comp around $110K (with bonus, etc) - does this seem reasonable to expect in Bismarck and are there even that many HR opportunities out there (I hope so!)? Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Can't wait to be back!
Ok, I can see I'm not getting much feedback. LOL Does anyone have any insight on just the amount of white collar jobs available in Bismarck in general? If there are some, any ideas of where to find these posted/how to find out about them? I'm basically using Indeed.com and networking right now, but are looking for the best way. thanks.
Ok, I can see I'm not getting much feedback. LOL Does anyone have any insight on just the amount of white collar jobs available in Bismarck in general? If there are some, any ideas of where to find these posted/how to find out about them? I'm basically using Indeed.com and networking right now, but are looking for the best way. thanks.
I moved away from Fargo last year, and I was only there a 18 months so I know next to nothing about HR jobs in Bismarck. I will say this, considering how nice the weather is in the summer, and how bad in the winter, most people are outside having fun and will not be around to answer questions until Ocober.
I will say my son is in Dickinson, and he is seeing a big exodus from the oil fields, so you may see a little more competition for work that there used the be. Also, some employers did not get the memo about super high wages and they think that high rent can just get paid by magic.
I'm originally from Bismarck... have been away for many years though. However, I do still have family there and from what I hear, wages are still horribly low there compared to the rest of the US. The increased cost of living has not filtered down to the compensation arena. You may be hard pressed to find 6 figure jobs there.
Your best bet would be with some of the larger employers like state govt, the two hospitals, Basin Electric, MDU Resources, etc. They will probably offer a little more in the way of compensation.
I'm originally from Bismarck... have been away for many years though. However, I do still have family there and from what I hear, wages are still horribly low there compared to the rest of the US. The increased cost of living has not filtered down to the compensation arena. You may be hard pressed to find 6 figure jobs there.
Your best bet would be with some of the larger employers like state govt, the two hospitals, Basin Electric, MDU Resources, etc. They will probably offer a little more in the way of compensation.
Thank you for the info. Unfortunately, that supports what most of my research has shown. When I do a cost of living comparison, it isn't much different than Denver sadly, but you are right - the jobs don't seem to support that.
Yeah Bismarck home prices have taken off in the past 5-8 years.... jumping to about the highest (median) in the state. Home prices in Grand Forks and Fargo continue to climb too....though Bismarck has surpassed them from what I can tell. Hard to find accurate median values....you can find zillow estimates but how accurate they are is ?
I live in Bismarck and sadly it seems that every house under $220k needs way too much work. I looked at one last week that was $170k and the driveway and detached garage looked like they were ready for the bulldozer. They were bombed out Beruit bad.
Thank you for the info. Unfortunately, that supports what most of my research has shown. When I do a cost of living comparison, it isn't much different than Denver sadly, but you are right - the jobs don't seem to support that.
Yes, seems like if we stayed in ND, and already had a house before the boom hit, we would be sitting good. But to try and go back now, it just doesn't make economic sense. Fortunately for me, I do not want to go back, so I'm good!
If you are determined to get back there, and can find a reasonably good paying job, you might want to look into housing east of Bismarck (Menoken, McKenzie, etc.). I do not think the prices have gone up anywhere near as bad out there. The downside of course, is you would have a commute if your job was in Bismarck - which can be a bear in the winter.
The reality is that we have outgrown our current home in Denver and the housing boom in Denver is just as bad as Bismarck/ND. So while it's not ideal, it's probably not going to make too much of a difference (assuming we can find good jobs) whether we stay in CO or move back to ND. Either way, we will be paying a lot for a house! My biggest concern is that I know my husband and I have good paying jobs here, but am a little concerned about how easy it is to come by professional jobs there. I know there are good jobs, just not sure how many or how competitive it is!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
