Editing North Dakota (section)

==Economy==
{{See also|List of North Dakota companies|North Dakota locations by per capita income}}
[[File:TraillCountyND.jpeg|thumb|[[Sunflower]]s in [[Traill County, North Dakota]]]]

Agriculture is North Dakota's largest industry, although petroleum, [[food processing]], and technology are also major industries.<ref>{{cite web | title = Economy of North Dakota | url = http://www.netstate.com/economy/nd_economy.htm | publisher = NetState | date = June 4, 2007 | access-date = October 4, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070701012632/http://www.netstate.com/economy/nd_economy.htm | archive-date = July 1, 2007 | url-status = live }}</ref> Its growth rate is about 4.1%.<ref>{{cite web | title = Gross Domestic Product by State, 2nd quarter 2018 | url = https://www.bea.gov/news/2018/gross-domestic-product-state-2nd-quarter-2018 | publisher = Bureau of Economic Analysis | date = January 19, 2019 | access-date = February 9, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190210044541/https://www.bea.gov/news/2018/gross-domestic-product-state-2nd-quarter-2018 | archive-date = February 10, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref> According to the [[Bureau of Economic Analysis|U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis]] the economy of North Dakota had a gross domestic product of $55.180 billion in the second quarter of 2018.<ref>{{cite web | title = Current-Dollar Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State and Region, 2017:Q1-2018:Q2 | publisher = U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis | date = January 19, 2019 | url = https://www.bea.gov/system/files/2018-11/qgdpstate1118.pdf | access-date = February 9, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190411214317/http://www.bea.gov/system/files/2018-11/qgdpstate1118.pdf | archive-date = April 11, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref> The per capita income for the state was $34,256, when measured from 2013 to 2017 by the United States Department of Commerce.<ref name="per-capita-income">{{cite web | title = Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2017 dollars), 2013–2017 | publisher = United States Department of Commerce | url = https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/nd/INC910217#INC910217 | access-date = February 9, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190210044540/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/nd/INC910217#INC910217 | archive-date = February 10, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref> The three-year [[median household income]] from 2013 to 2017 was $61,285.<ref name="per-capita-income" />

According to [[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] data, North Dakota led the U.S. in job creation in 2013 and has done so since 2009. The state has a [[Job Creation Index]] score of 40, nearly 10 points ahead of its nearest competitors.<ref name="O'Neal- Job creation">{{cite news|last=O'Neal|first=Adam|title=N. Dakota Again Tops Job-Creation List, D.C. Second|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/02/12/north_dakota_again_tops_job-creation_list_121555.html|access-date=February 12, 2014|newspaper=Real Clear Politics|date=February 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221155633/http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/02/12/north_dakota_again_tops_job-creation_list_121555.html|archive-date=February 21, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> North Dakota has added 56,600 private-sector jobs since 2011, creating an annual growth rate of 7.32 percent.<ref name="Thomas- job creation">{{cite news|last=Thomas|first=G. Scott|title=Governors and jobs: How governors rank for job creation in their states|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2013/06/north-dakota-governor-wins-top-honors.html?page=all|access-date=February 12, 2014|newspaper=The Business Journals|date=June 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314165119/http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2013/06/north-dakota-governor-wins-top-honors.html?page=all|archive-date=March 14, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Saad-Job Creation">{{cite news|last=Saad|first=Lydia|title=North Dakota Leads in Job Creation for Fifth Straight Year|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/167126/north-dakota-leads-job-creation-fifth-straight-year.aspx|access-date=February 12, 2014|newspaper=Gallup|date=February 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215084334/http://www.gallup.com/poll/167126/north-dakota-leads-job-creation-fifth-straight-year.aspx|archive-date=February 15, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> According to statistics released in December 2020, by the [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]], North Dakota had the highest rate of annual growth in personal consumption expenditures of all 50 states, from 2009 to 2018.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Regional Quarterly Report, Survey of Current Business, January 2020|url=https://apps.bea.gov/scb/2020/01-january/0120-regional-quarterly-report.htm|access-date=February 5, 2022|website=apps.bea.gov|archive-date=January 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125004632/https://apps.bea.gov/scb/2020/01-january/0120-regional-quarterly-report.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>  During this time period, annual nominal personal income growth averaged 6% per year, compared to the U.S. average of 4.4%. North Dakota's personal income growth is tied to various private business sectors such as agriculture, energy development, and construction.<ref name="Yahoo news-personal income growth">{{cite news|title=ND records nation's highest personal income growth|url=https://news.yahoo.com/nd-records-nations-highest-personal-184135151.html;_ylt=AwrBJR92zjFTdTIAAGHQtDMD|access-date=March 26, 2014|newspaper=Yahoo News|date=March 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328230244/http://news.yahoo.com/nd-records-nations-highest-personal-184135151.html;_ylt=AwrBJR92zjFTdTIAAGHQtDMD|archive-date=March 28, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Graeber-personal income growth">{{cite news|last=Graeber|first=Daniel|title=Economy in oil-rich North Dakota booming|url=http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2014/03/26/Economy-in-oil-rich-North-Dakota-booming/4591395839430/|access-date=March 26, 2014|newspaper=UPI|date=March 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327031933/http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2014/03/26/Economy-in-oil-rich-North-Dakota-booming/4591395839430/|archive-date=March 27, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> North Dakota also had the highest growth in personal expenditures on housing and utilities of all states, reflecting the sharply increased demand for housing in the 2010s.

Just over 21% of North Dakota's total 2013 gross domestic product (GDP) of $49.77 billion comes from natural resources and mining.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://247wallst.com/energy-economy/2014/12/03/will-60-oil-ruin-north-dakotas-economy/#ixzz3LKHKJwbd|title=Will $60 Oil Ruin North Dakota's Economy?|website=247wallst.com|date=December 3, 2014 |access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904201307/http://247wallst.com/energy-economy/2014/12/03/will-60-oil-ruin-north-dakotas-economy/#ixzz3LKHKJwbd|archive-date=September 4, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

North Dakota is the only state with a [[public ownership|state-owned]] bank, the [[Bank of North Dakota]] in [[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]], and a state-owned [[flour mill]], the [[North Dakota Mill and Elevator]] in [[Grand Forks, North Dakota|Grand Forks]]. These were established by the NPL before World War II.

As of 2012, Fargo is home to the second-largest campus of [[Microsoft]] with 1,700 employees, and [[Amazon.com]] employs several hundred in Grand Forks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Amazon to Expand Customer Service Center in Grand Forks, ND|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&tkr=AMZN:US&sid=a5xu7BFKcxB4|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|access-date=December 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228130350/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&tkr=AMZN:US&sid=a5xu7BFKcxB4|archive-date=December 28, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gunderson|first=Dan|title=With Microsoft, Hitachi to open software business in Fargo|date=December 5, 2011 |url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/12/05/with-microsoft-hitachi-to-open-software-business-in-fargo/|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio|access-date=December 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111206225305/http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/12/05/with-microsoft-hitachi-to-open-software-business-in-fargo/|archive-date=December 6, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{As of|2019|12|df=US}}, the state's [[Unemployment in the United States|unemployment]] rate is among the lowest in the nation at 2.4 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/lau/|title=Local Area Unemployment Statistics Home Page|website=Bls.gov|access-date=February 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725005015/https://www.bls.gov/lau/|archive-date=July 25, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> With the exception of a five-month period in 2020, the unemployment rate remained below five percent each month since 1987.<ref>{{Cite web|title=North Dakota : Midwest Information Office : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics|url=https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/north_dakota.htm#eag_nd.f.1|access-date=February 25, 2022|website=www.bls.gov|language=en|archive-date=March 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220315191623/https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/north_dakota.htm#eag_nd.f.1|url-status=live}}</ref> At end of 2010, the state per capita income was ranked 17th in the nation, the biggest increase of any state in a decade from rank 38th.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2011-03-16-north-dakota-census_N.htm?csp=34news | work=USA Today | first=Dennis | last=Cauchon | title=North Dakota economy booms, population soars | date=March 17, 2011 | access-date=September 2, 2017 | archive-date=February 20, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220152137/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2011-03-16-north-dakota-census_N.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> The reduction in the unemployment rate and growth in per capita income is attributable to the [[North Dakota oil boom|oil boom]] in the state.<ref name=":1" /> Due to a combination of oil-related development and investing in technology and service industries, North Dakota has had a budget surplus every year since the 2008 market crash.<ref>{{cite web|last=Canova|first=Timothy|title=The Public Option: The Case for Parallel Public Banking Institutions|url=http://growth.newamerica.net/sites/newamerica.net/files/policydocs/Canova%20Public%20Option%201%20July.pdf|access-date=January 31, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310051645/http://growth.newamerica.net/sites/newamerica.net/files/policydocs/Canova%20Public%20Option%201%20July.pdf|archive-date=March 10, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Since 1976, the highest that North Dakota's unemployment rate has reached is just 6.2%, recorded in 1983. Every U.S. state except neighboring South Dakota has had a higher unemployment rate during that period.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/lauhsthl.htm |title=Current Unemployment Rates for States and Historical Highs/Lows |publisher=Bls.gov |date=January 18, 2019 |access-date=February 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190318233433/https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/lauhsthl.htm |archive-date=March 18, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Agriculture===
North Dakota's earliest industries were [[fur trading]] and agriculture. Although less than 10% of the population is employed in the agricultural sector,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US38&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_DP3&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-redoLog=false | title=North Dakota—DP-3. Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics:&nbsp;&nbsp;2000 | publisher=U.S. Census Bureau | access-date=August 30, 2007 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212052007/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US38&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_DP3&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-redoLog=false | archive-date=February 12, 2020 | url-status=dead }}</ref> it remains a major part of the state's economy. With industrial-scale farming, it ranks 9th in the nation in the value of crops and 18th in total value of agricultural products sold. Large farms generate the most crops. The share of people in the state employed in agriculture is comparatively high: {{as of|2008|lc=y}}, only two to three percent of the population of the United States is directly employed in agriculture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/extension.html |title=Extension |publisher=Csrees.usda.gov |date=April 19, 2011 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328233541/http://www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/extension.html |archive-date=March 28, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> North Dakota has about 90% of its land area in farms with {{convert|27500000|acre|km2}} of cropland, the third-largest amount in the nation. Between 2002 and 2007, total cropland increased by about a million acres (4,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>); North Dakota was the only state showing an increase. Over the same period, {{convert|1800000|acre|km2}} were shifted into soybean and corn monoculture production, the largest such shift in the United States.<ref name="usda facts">United States Department of Agriculture (December 2009). [http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/usv1.pdf ''2007 Census of Agriculture''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101016132403/http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/usv1.pdf |date=October 16, 2010 }}. '''1'''. Part 51. pp. 276–293, pp. 345–355, p. 434, pp. 474–489.</ref> Agriculturalists are concerned about too much monoculture, as it makes the economy at risk from insect or crop diseases affecting a major crop. In addition, this development has adversely affected habitats of wildlife and birds, and the balance of the ecosystem.

[[File: State Mill, Grand Forks, ND 1915.JPG|thumb|North Dakota Mill and Elevator postcard, ca. 1922]]

[[File:North_Dakota_State_Seed_Department_on_NDSU_campus;_May_5,_2024.png|thumb|right|North Dakota State Seed Department on North Dakota State University campus.]]

The state is the largest producer in the U.S. of many cereal grains, including [[barley]] (36% of U.S. crop), [[durum|durum wheat]] (58%), hard red spring wheat (48%), [[oat]]s (17%), and combined wheat of all types (15%). It is the second leading producer of [[buckwheat]] (20%). {{As of|2007}}, corn became the state's largest crop produced, although it is only 2% of total U.S. production.<ref name="usda facts" /> The [[Corn Belt]] extends to North Dakota but is more on the edge of the region instead of in its center. Corn yields are high in the southeast part of the state and smaller in other parts of the state. Most of the cereal grains are grown for livestock [[Fodder|feed]].
The state is the leading producer of many oilseeds, including 92% of the U.S. [[canola]] crop, 94% of [[flax]] seed, 53% of [[sunflower seed]]s, 18% of [[safflower]] seeds, and 62% of [[mustard seed]]. Canola is suited to the cold winters and it matures fast. Processing of canola for oil production produces canola meal as a by-product. The by-product is a high-protein animal feed.

[[Soybeans]] are also an increasingly important crop, with {{convert|400000|acre|km2}} additional planted between 2002 and 2007.<ref name="usda facts" /> Soybeans are a major crop in the eastern part of the state, and cultivation is common in the southeast part of the state. Soybeans were not grown at all in North Dakota in the 1940s, but the crop has become especially common since 1998.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Trends_in_U.S._Agriculture/Oats_and_Soybeans/index.asp |title=NASS—Publications—Trends in U.S. Agriculture |publisher=Nass.usda.gov |date=December 5, 2005 |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815052049/http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Trends_in_U.S._Agriculture/Oats_and_Soybeans/index.asp |archive-date=August 15, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> In North Dakota soybeans have to mature fast, because of the comparatively short [[growing season]]. Soybeans are grown for livestock feed.

North Dakota is the second leading producer of [[sugarbeet]]s, which are grown mostly in the [[Red River Valley]]. The state is also the largest producer of honey, dry edible peas and beans, [[lentil]]s, and the third-largest producer of potatoes.<ref name="usda facts" />

'''North Dakota's Top Agricultural Commodities''' (according to the USDA {{as of|2011|lc=y}})<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/North_Dakota/Publications/Top_Commodities/pub/rank12.pdf |title=North Dakota's Top Agricultural Commodities|access-date=September 27, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214041324/http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/North_Dakota/Publications/Top_Commodities/pub/rank12.pdf |archive-date=December 14, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! 2011 rank in the U.S. !! Commodity !! Percent of nation's production
|-
| 1 || Beans, dry edible, all || 25%
|-
| 1 || Beans, navy || 35%
|-
| 1 || Beans, pinto || 46%
|-
| 1 || Canola || 83%
|-
| 1 || Flaxseed || 87%
|-
| 1 || Honey || 22%
|-
| 1 || Sunflower, oil || 40%
|-
| 1 || Wheat, durum || 36%
|-
| 1 || Wheat, spring || 37%
|-
| 2 || Sunflower, all || 38%
|-
| 2 || Sunflower, non-oil || 24%
|-
| 2 || Wheat, all || 10%
|-
| 3 || Barley || 11%
|-
| 3 || Lentils || 17%
|-
| 3 || Oats || 8%
|-
| 3 || Peas, dry edible || 21%
|-
| 3 || Sugarbeets || 16%
|-
| 4 || Safflower || 1%
|-
| 6 || Hay, alfalfa || 6%
|-
| 6 || Potatoes || 4%
|-
| 8 || Hay, all || 4%
|-
| 10 || Soybeans || 4%
|-
| 12 || Corn for grain || 2%
|-
| 17 || Hay, other || 2%
|-
| 26 || Wheat, winter || 1%
|-
| 21 || Sheep and lambs || 1%
|-
| 17 || Cattle and calves || 2%
|-
| 15 || Wool production || 2%
|}

===Energy===
{{See also|List of power stations in North Dakota}}
[[File:Oil Pump North Dakota.jpg|thumb|[[Oil well]] in western North Dakota]]

The [[energy industry]] is a major contributor to the economy. North Dakota has both coal and oil reserves. On average, the state's production of oil production grew at average annual rate of 48.4% from 2009 to 2018. During these years, oil production increased each year from 2009 to 2015, with 2016 marked by a slight decline and a return to growth since.<ref name=":1" /> [[Shale gas]] is also produced. [[Lignite coal]] reserves in Western North Dakota are used to generate about 90% of the electricity consumed, and electricity is also exported to nearby states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/state_profiles/north_dakota.html|title=EIA Renewable Energy-North Dakota Renewable Profile|date=May 27, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527040437/http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/state_profiles/north_dakota.html|archive-date=May 27, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> North Dakota has the second largest lignite coal production in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web | website=National Mining Association | title=Coal Statistics | date=May 15, 2011 | url=http://www.nma.org/statistics/coal.asp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515065127/http://www.nma.org/statistics/coal.asp | archive-date=May 15, 2011 | url-status=dead | access-date=November 15, 2018|df=mdy-all}}</ref> However, lignite coal is the lowest grade coal. There are larger and higher grade coal reserves ([[anthracite]], [[bituminous coal]] and [[subbituminous coal]]) in other U.S. states.

Oil was discovered near [[Tioga, North Dakota|Tioga]] in 1951, generating {{convert|53|Moilbbl|m3}} of oil a year by 1984.<ref>{{cite web | title = Things To Do In North Dakota | url = http://www.thingstodo.com/states/ND/history.htm | publisher = ThingsToDo.com | access-date = October 4, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071013151124/http://thingstodo.com/states/ND/history.htm | archive-date = October 13, 2007 | url-status = live }}</ref> Recoverable oil reserves have jumped dramatically recently. The oil reserves of the [[Bakken Formation]] may hold up to {{convert|400|Goilbbl|m3}} of oil, 25&nbsp;times larger than the reserves in the [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]].<ref>{{Cite news |first= Dan |last= Gunderson |title= North Dakota oil patch is booming |url= http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/08/18/ndoil/ |publisher= Minnesota Public Radio |date= August 28, 2006 |access-date= October 4, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071013163803/http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/08/18/ndoil/ |archive-date= October 13, 2007 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|first= Lauren |last= Donovan |title= North Dakota may be bigger oil player than Alaska |publisher=Bismarck Tribune |date= June 20, 2006 }}</ref> A report issued in April 2008 by the U.S. Geological Survey estimates the oil recoverable by current technology in the Bakken formation is two orders of magnitude less, in the range of {{convert|3|Goilbbl}} to {{convert|4.3|Goilbbl}}, with a mean of {{convert|3.65|Goilbbl}}.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911 | title= 3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil Assessed in North Dakota and Montana's Bakken Formation—25 Times More Than 1995 Estimate | date= April 10, 2008 | publisher= U.S. Geological Survey | access-date= April 11, 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080411205625/http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911 | archive-date= April 11, 2008 | url-status= live }}</ref>

The northwestern part of the state is the center of the [[North Dakota oil boom]]. The [[Williston, North Dakota|Williston]], [[Tioga, North Dakota|Tioga]], [[Stanley, North Dakota|Stanley]] and [[Minot]]-[[Burlington, North Dakota|Burlington]] communities are having rapid growth that strains housing and local services. {{As of|2022|November|30}}, the state is the 2nd-largest oil producer in the U.S., with an average of {{convert|1097716|oilbbl}} per day while producing {{convert|3029032|kcuft|m3}} per day of natural gas for a total of {{convert|1619963|oilbbl|m3}} of oil equivalent ([[Barrel of oil equivalent|BOE]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=North Dakota Drilling and Production Statistics |url=https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/stats/statisticsvw.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709144412/https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/stats/statisticsvw.asp |archive-date=July 9, 2017 |access-date=February 14, 2023 |website=Dmr.nd.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_crpdn_adc_mbbl_m.htm|title=Crude Oil Production|website=Eia.doe.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423163032/http://www.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_crpdn_adc_mbbl_m.htm|archive-date=April 23, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-05-16/news/31726887_1_oil-production-alaska-oil-oil-patch |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120710001013/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-05-16/news/31726887_1_oil-production-alaska-oil-oil-patch |url-status=dead |title= North Dakota becomes US's 2nd-leading oil producer—Economic Times |date= July 10, 2012 |archive-date= July 10, 2012 |via= Archive.is |access-date= September 4, 2017}}</ref>

The [[Great Plains]] region, which includes the state of North Dakota, has been referred to as "the Saudi Arabia of wind energy".<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/Epr/Epr1_ss16.htm | title= Earth Policy Reader | access-date= February 25, 2009 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090604155350/http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/Epr/Epr1_ss16.htm | archive-date= June 4, 2009 | df= mdy-all }}</ref> Development of wind energy in North Dakota has been cost effective because the state has large rural expanses and wind speeds seldom go below {{convert|10|mph}}.

===Tourism===
North Dakota is considered the least visited state, owing, in part, to its not having a major tourist attraction.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lukas |first=Paul |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/1999/11/01/268029/index.htm |title=State Secret North Dakota, our least visited state, is also among the most underappreciated |work=CNNMoney.com |date=November 1, 1999 |access-date=July 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122133737/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/1999/11/01/268029/index.htm |archive-date=January 22, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> 
Nonetheless, tourism is North Dakota's third largest industry, contributing more than $3 billion into the state's economy annually. Outdoor attractions like the 144-mile (232&nbsp;km) [[Maah Daah Hey Trail]] and activities like fishing and hunting attract visitors. The state is known for the Lewis & Clark Trail and being the winter camp of the Corps of Discovery.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/12-least-visited-states-in-america-connecticut-rhode-island-and-north-dakota|title=The Least-Visited States in America, and Why You Should Go to Each|first=Matt|last=Meltzer|date=September 20, 2015|website=Thrillist.com|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904200512/https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/12-least-visited-states-in-america-connecticut-rhode-island-and-north-dakota|archive-date=September 4, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Areas popular with visitors include [[Theodore Roosevelt National Park]] in the western part of the state. The park often exceeds 475,000 visitors each year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/thro/parkmgmt/upload/THRO-Centennial-Strategy.pdf |title=First Annual Centennial Strategy for Theodore Roosevelt National Park |date=August 2007 |access-date=July 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531184426/http://www.nps.gov/thro/parkmgmt/upload/THRO-Centennial-Strategy.pdf |archive-date=May 31, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Regular events in the state that attract tourists include ''[[Norsk Høstfest]]'' in [[Minot, North Dakota|Minot]], billed as North America's largest [[Scandinavia]]n festival;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kxnet.com/hostfest |title=Norsk Høstfest |date=October 7, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325102152/http://www.kxnet.com/hostfest |archive-date=March 25, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> the [[Medora Musical]]; and the [[North Dakota State Fair]]. The state also receives a significant number of visitors from the neighboring Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, particularly when the exchange rate is favorable.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Elvins|first=Sarah|date=September 2, 2015|title='A river of money flowing south': cross-border shopping in North Dakota and the insatiable Canadian desire for American goods, 1900–2001|journal=History of Retailing and Consumption|volume=1|issue=3|pages=230–245|doi=10.1080/2373518X.2015.1134256|s2cid=167403788|issn=2373-518X}}</ref>

International tourists now also come to visit the [[Oscar-Zero Missile Alert Facility]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Zone Interdite : Classé Secret Défense – le Tour du Monde de la famille Bourgeois|date=June 8, 2018 |url=https://www.sans-avion.net/tdm/zone-interdite-classe-secret-defense/|access-date=October 10, 2020|language=fr-FR|archive-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220154008/https://www.sans-avion.net/tdm/zone-interdite-classe-secret-defense/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Health care===

{{see also|List of hospitals in North Dakota}}

North Dakota has one level-I [[trauma center]], six level-II trauma centers, 44 [[hospital]]s, 52 rural health [[clinic]]s, and 80 [[nursing home]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aljets |first=Nadine |date=2018-08-16 |title=Sanford Health Fargo verified a Level I Adult Trauma Center |url=https://news.sanfordhealth.org/news/level-i-trauma-center/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=Sanford Health News |language=en}}</ref><ref>[http://www.facs.org/trauma/verified.html Verified Trauma Centers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707233016/http://www.facs.org/trauma/verified.html |date=July 7, 2014 }}. American College of Surgeons. Retrieved April 10, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.ndhealth.gov/hf/North_Dakota_Hospitals_Critical_access.htm Health Resources] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510010703/http://ndhealth.gov/HF/North_Dakota_Hospitals_Critical_access.htm |date=May 10, 2013 }}. Ndhealth.gov. Retrieved on May 22, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.ndhealth.gov/HF/North_Dakota_Rural_Health_Clinics.htm Health Resources] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510004151/http://ndhealth.gov/HF/North_Dakota_Rural_Health_Clinics.htm |date=May 10, 2013 }}. Ndhealth.gov. Retrieved on May 22, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.ndhealth.gov/HF/North_Dakota_Skilled_Nursing_Homes.htm Health Resources] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424033130/http://ndhealth.gov/hf/North_Dakota_Skilled_Nursing_Homes.htm |date=April 24, 2013 }}. Ndhealth.gov. Retrieved on May 22, 2014.</ref> Major provider networks include [[Sanford Health|Sanford]], [[CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck|St. Alexius]], [[Trinity Health (Minot, North Dakota)|Trinity]], and [[Altru Health System|Altru]].

[[Noridian Mutual Insurance Company|Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota]] is the largest medical insurer in the state.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bcbsnd.com/about/company/affiliates |title=Licensed and Non-Licensed Affiliates |publisher=BCBSND |access-date=April 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503202600/https://www.bcbsnd.com/about/company/affiliates |archive-date=May 3, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> North Dakota expanded [[Medicaid]] in 2014,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nd.gov/dhs/medicaidexpansion/index.html |title=North Dakota Department of Human Services |publisher=Nd.gov |access-date=April 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710145018/http://www.nd.gov/dhs/medicaidexpansion/index.html |archive-date=July 10, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> and its [[health insurance exchange]] is the federal site, [[HealthCare.gov]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual/#state=north-dakota |title=Health Insurance Marketplace for Individuals |publisher=HealthCare.gov |date=March 31, 2014 |access-date=April 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311131739/https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual/#state=north-dakota |archive-date=March 11, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

North Dakota law requires pharmacies, other than hospital dispensaries and pre-existing stores, to be majority-owned by pharmacists. Voters rejected a proposal to change the law in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |last=Blair |first=Whitney |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/12/06/131848012/why-the-walgreens-in-fargo-n-d-can-t-fill-your-prescriptions |title=Why Walgreens In Fargo, N.D., Can't Fill Your Prescriptions |publisher=Npr.org |date=December 6, 2010 |access-date=April 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140210003616/http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/12/06/131848012/why-the-walgreens-in-fargo-n-d-can-t-fill-your-prescriptions |archive-date=February 10, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=BQ&type=SW&map=CTY|title=Secretary of State—Election Night Results—November 8th, 2016|website=results.sos.nd.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822040458/http://results.sos.nd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?text=BQ&type=SW&map=CTY|archive-date=August 22, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>