NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Fargo, ND

Metro Market Score 54.2 (Challenging), ranked #245 of 330 metros. 405 establishments, 2,073 jobs.

Metro Market Score 54.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national real estate and rental and leasing average.

Fargo's real estate and rental and leasing market sits near the national metro median, ranking #245 of 330 with a market score of 54.2. No single metric stands out as an outlier, which means entry conditions depend more on your specific business model than on broad market forces.

Industry Concentration

66.1

LQ: 0.90

Rank #218 of 330 metros

Wage Competitiveness

72.7

$62,624 avg wage

Growth Trend

47.6

Employment growth index

Rank #174 of 330 metros

Wage Pressure

18.8

YoY wage change index

405 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Firms in Fargo

405

Establishments

+2.5% YoY

2,073

Total Employment

+0.3% YoY

$62,624

Average Annual Wage

+4.9% YoY

0.90

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within North Dakota

#3 of 3

real estate and rental and leasing metros in state

North Dakota state rank

#48 of 51

for real estate and rental and leasing entry risk

vs State Median

+24.1

worse than median (30.1)

Fargo vs North Dakota Statewide

How this metro's real estate and rental and leasing market compares to North Dakota overall. The state ranks #48/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Fargo	ND Statewide
Overall Score	54.2 Challenging	54.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#245 of 330 metros	#48 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Fargo

Accommodation and Food Services 35.3 Retail Trade 42.5 Administrative and Support Services 53.6 Construction 54.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 59.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 64.7 Other Services 67.5 Information 71.5 Finance and Insurance 72.7

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other North Dakota Metros

Grand Forks 23.1 #37/330 Bismarck 30.1 #70/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fargo's 54.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 54.2 #246/330 Raleigh-Cary, NC 54.3 #247/330 Santa Fe, NM 54.3 #248/330 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 53.9 #244/330 Jacksonville, FL 53.6 #243/330 Columbus, OH 54.8 #249/330 Providence-Warwick, RI 53.5 #242/330 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 55.0 #250/330 Tucson, AZ 53.3 #241/330 Oklahoma City, OK 55.2 #251/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in States Bordering North Dakota

State-level entry risk for real estate and rental and leasing in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

South Dakota 26.4 #4/51 Montana 37.5 #20/51 Minnesota 42.1 #31/51

Browse Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for real estate and rental and leasing across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Fargo's real estate and rental and leasing sector, the wage competitiveness component (72.7) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Fargo, ND-MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment