Economy

A North Dakota Town Where the Rent Is Really, Really High

In oil-rich Williston, a one-bedroom can cost more than $2,000 a month.
Reuters

In the middle of an oil boom, Williston, North Dakota, can't build housing fast enough. In fact, it's growing so fast that last year's Census Bureau estimates that its population doubled from 14,700 in 2010 to 26,700 today.

North Dakota now produces more oil than any state besides Texas. Its small towns along the Williston basin and Bakken formation serving as the face of the growth that has come with it. Williston in particular has become defined by the recent boom; its thousands of newcomers have caused astronomical jumps in rent.