Klein and Sutmar Block · National Register of Historic Places
Oakes’s story
140 years in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1886Oakes is settled
OakesND
A town of 1,858, settled in 1886. A typical home worth about $181K.
Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,858
−3.1% since 2010
Typical home
$181K
+11.8% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
38.8
years
Jobs based here
641
Balanced
What makes Oakes stand out
The 3 things Oakes does most differently from other towns.
Oakes’s report card
Now in Oakes
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Residents weigh in
Live in Oakes? Is an A− for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Oakes’s Town Square.
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Weather
Forecast →61°
Mostly Cloudy
H 70° · L 58°
Local news
All →- Middle School Girls Volleyball Multi-team Event - 10/08/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 25
- Oakes vs Lidgerwood-Wynd - Girls Middle School Volleyball 09/24/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 25
- Oakes Police warn of young kids sneaking around town to drink and vapekfgo.com · Sep 24
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Oakes. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Oakes home is worth about $181K
The typical Oakes home is worth about $181,000, up 11.8% in a year, 38% below the North Dakota typical home.
$181KZillow home value
Typical home value
Oakes$181K
North Dakota$292K
+11.8%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Oakes’s public schools outperform 75% of North Dakota districts
The public schools Oakes’s kids attend outperform 75% of North Dakota’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakes Elementary School | PK–6 | 247 | B+ |
| Oakes High School | 7–12 | 228 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state testsAll 2 schools →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 30% of U.S. communities.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingHail
1
paid flood claims since 1997
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Oakes has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 37 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–24°
Spring31–53°
Summer56–80°
Fall33–56°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Oakes
About one in 3 of Oakes’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Gwinner (11%), Fargo (8%) and Bear Creek (6%). Half commute less than 21 miles.
36%work in town
Where working residents work
In Oakes36%
Gwinner11%
Fargo8%
Bear Creek6%
Bismarck4%
21 mi
median commute distance
641
jobs based in Oakes
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Crime reported in Oakes
Oakes's reported crime rate is well below North Dakota's. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2023.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Oakes0.6
North Dakota2.8
U.S.3.9
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Oakes0
North Dakota19.7
U.S.19.5
1
violent crimes reported in 2023
0
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health
Healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
Oakes beats the North Dakota average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. North Dakota
2 better21 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Oakes | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 18% | 21.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.4% | 76.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 8% | 5.9% |
Chi Oakes Hospital
0.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
25th
percentile among ND towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
0% of Oakes is conserved land
0.8 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 989 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hockenberry Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Landmarks
4 places in Oakes on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Oakes
City in North Dakota, United States
Oakes is the most populous city in Dickey County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,798 at the 2020 census. Oakes was founded in 1886.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1886
- Population
- 1,798
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,312 ft
- ZIP code
- 58474
- Area code
- 701
More about Oakes
Still missing for Oakes:archive photosupcoming events