Oil Boom Housing Crunch Forces North Dakota to Assist Its State Employees

Government Executive: Earlier this year, a report that found that the nation’s highest average rent for a one-bedroom apartment was in Williston, North Dakota, took many big-city dwellers outside the state by surprise.

But it’s the reality for residents and oil workers in western North Dakota, the heart of the Bakken energy boom. In Williston, with a population of roughly 15,000 residents, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment was $2,394 per month while the average rent in San Jose, California, in the heart of expensive Silicon Valley was $1,881 per month.

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