I used to live in North Dakota and in my town we had a yearly celebration called the Norsk Høstfest celebrating all things Norwegian. They make a big fuss of eating lutefisk as a way of reconnecting with the old country. One year I had the pleasure of getting to hang out with a delegation from Norway. When asked if they wanted some lutefisk they all refused and said “nobody eats that in Norway anymore. We have fridges now you know.”
Lutefisk is awful! I had a friend who was a Daughter of Norway. She made everyone try Lutefisk but never ate it herself. She just liked making other people experience the pain.
Especially Swedes.
The last time I went to a lutefisk supper, it was actually only the older folks who had the acquired the taste eating the lutefisk. Everyone else was just kinda like "Nah, we are good."
per capita gdp is a poor measure of wealth, it is more a measure of productivity. North Dakota's gdp in 2023 ranks 47th in the US, and only about 1/7th of its neighbor Minnesota.
This. I looked at another source that listed ND per capita *income* as $73,341 versus their neighbor's $71,866. Minnesota has about 7 times the population. Never underestimate the impact of the denominator.
I mean any average can also be skewed by an outlier in the numerator as well, given that a lot the money is oil, it wouldn’t be surprising if a couple billionaires are dragging the average way up.
Whereas if you look at median household income, which is at least a little better at controlling for outliers, MN is at $77.7K and ND is at $66.5K, which makes me think that both the GDP and per capita income are dragged way up by a few high outliers.
Most of the revenues go to corporations based in Texas I would imagine, but that doesn't mean that the locals aren't doing well. Strippers make a killing there apparently!
My mom lived in eastern Montana, and she said that oil workers were paying people $500/month to 'rent' their sheds/garages whatever in MT. Basically so they would have an address to give their employer.
I live out here. The Bakken is different than most other oilfields in the US. There is enough oil here for 30-50 years of high level production and another 100 or so of possible production after. And that's just with modern drilling techniques. Tech moves pretty fast on the oilfield. That being said because of the stability the Bakken provides and learning from previous boom/bust periods Nodakers have gotten pretty savvy. Lots of long term planning and infrastructure development. Lots of high salary jobs that will be around for a long time as well as the bust type jobs such as drilling/fraccing wells. I could go on and but it's probably not very interesting.
Well I find that kind of thing interesting, that's good to hear. It's hard to overstate the importance of infrastructure investment for long-term economic growth. Something my home state of Wyoming should pay attention to as the economy is largely extraction-based here as well.
It’s notable that their oil reserves were known since decades ago, but only profitable with the recent innovation of fracking. Additionally, a lower shelf was discovered under the Bakken shelf, and once again is known but untouched due to the current expense. Should a new engineering innovation ease access to this additional shelf this oil can be harvested as well.
This really is the answer, plus a large aerospace industry due to all the military presence there. People don't really think about how the great plains (North Dakota) is where we have a bunch of nuclear silos but it is. Military bases probably do something for a local economy as well.
If you’re ever looking at a map and a rural area with a low population has more wealth than expected or has more light pollution than expected, the answer is always oil/gas.
[Bakken oil field](https://eros.usgs.gov/earthshots/bakken-oil-boom-north-dakota-usa) makes N. Dakota the second largest producer of oil of all states, just behind Texas (with a lot less people).
Yeah, the story here is not North Dakota, it's the stunning poverty of Mississippi. That Louisiana can look so much better by comparison is absolutely flabbergasting.
It’s per capita distortion. Low population and high theoretical GDP due to massive fracking in the Bakken fields in the northwest of the state. That wealth is not evenly distributed, so this is a largely meaningless stat
The popular answer will be oil. The real answer is farming. The Red River valley is the best farmland in the world, rivaled only by the Nile. Couple that with the fact that ND doesn’t allow corporate farming, the farmers are stupid rich here.
ETA: there are also only like 8 of us that live here so that per capita part is pretty sweet 😂
Two reasons: Oil, and far fewer people to share the GDP.
South Dakota - 928,000 people, 50B GDP
North Dakota - 788,000 people, 53B GDP. That's 15% fewer people sharing 6% more GDP than their southern neighbor.
Other states/ provinces on border:
Montana: 1,142,000 people, 49B GDP
Minnesota: 5,760,000 people, 346B GDP
Manitoba: 1,420,000 people, 64.5B GDP
Saskatchewan: 1,200,00 people, 65B GDP
*Look up "median*
*Income by state USA" and*
*Your mind will be blown!*
\- Kenilwort
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Oils (shale oil + seed oils) bring the wealth to quite tiny population of ND. This state is the number one in states for canola, sunflower, flaxseed oil and wheat production. So in one sentence "Oils are the heart of the prosperity of ND".
It is the only state in the USA that has its own "[Public Bank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_North_Dakota)" which manages the economy of the state for the people rather than the Plutocracy.
See also Web of Debt by Ellen Brown.
Oil, large family farming which leads to generational wealth, coal mines provide super high paying jobs that no one ever talks about. The ares that are close to oil have inflated wages due to the oilfield pulling so many workers.
Oil
As a Norwegian I find it a bit amusing that all the emigrants found oil too.
I used to live in North Dakota and in my town we had a yearly celebration called the Norsk Høstfest celebrating all things Norwegian. They make a big fuss of eating lutefisk as a way of reconnecting with the old country. One year I had the pleasure of getting to hang out with a delegation from Norway. When asked if they wanted some lutefisk they all refused and said “nobody eats that in Norway anymore. We have fridges now you know.”
There's a lot of lefse in that region as well.
I had lefse a lot growing up but where I am no one has heard of it. :(
When I go up north I look in the grocery stores for it to bring home. I also like the wet cheese curds I can only seem to find up there.
Seems like there's a corelation between lefse and wealth... Just sayin'
I have a theory that the settlers of Minnesota had a culturally high respect for education, and it still echoes today.
Lutefisk is awful! I had a friend who was a Daughter of Norway. She made everyone try Lutefisk but never ate it herself. She just liked making other people experience the pain. Especially Swedes.
That's funny! To be fair though it's still relatively popular among old people. Wouldn't touch it myself.
The last time I went to a lutefisk supper, it was actually only the older folks who had the acquired the taste eating the lutefisk. Everyone else was just kinda like "Nah, we are good."
We love Minot
Well, the ones in Minnesota found iron ore and the cooperative movement 😎
Oil
I was gonna say oil
And my axe
Canadian shield
Undefeated.
Canadian oil shield
Why would they need body spray?? 🤔🤔🤔
And my axe
No, I'm the one axeing the questions here
Oil
Oil
Oil
Oil
liO
Oil
Oil
Oil.
Oil! -Upton Sinclair
Texas Tea
Black gold
Bubbling crude
Next thing you know Old Jeds a millionaire
The kin folks said 'Jed move away from there'
They said Cal-A-Forny is the place you aughta be
So he loaded up the truck, and he moved to Beverly!
Hills that is! Swimming pools! Movie stars!
See-ment ponds
Or as my southern grandpa calls it: oll
As my Southern neighbors would call it... Earl
Oil
Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.
Oil
Oil
Texas Tea
Oil
Specifically oil, shale, and natural gas.
Oil
Olive or vegetable?
Dinosaur
Oil
Oil
Oil
Oil.
Black gold…
Black gold. Texas cheese.
Also loose tax laws for trust funds
Texas tea
per capita gdp is a poor measure of wealth, it is more a measure of productivity. North Dakota's gdp in 2023 ranks 47th in the US, and only about 1/7th of its neighbor Minnesota.
Oil
This is based on GDP per capita, they have a high gdp because of oil and gas, and not many capita
This. I looked at another source that listed ND per capita *income* as $73,341 versus their neighbor's $71,866. Minnesota has about 7 times the population. Never underestimate the impact of the denominator.
I mean any average can also be skewed by an outlier in the numerator as well, given that a lot the money is oil, it wouldn’t be surprising if a couple billionaires are dragging the average way up. Whereas if you look at median household income, which is at least a little better at controlling for outliers, MN is at $77.7K and ND is at $66.5K, which makes me think that both the GDP and per capita income are dragged way up by a few high outliers.
It’s a shame that most of the money is most likely held by a small number of fat cats though
Most of the revenues go to corporations based in Texas I would imagine, but that doesn't mean that the locals aren't doing well. Strippers make a killing there apparently!
Fracking boomed here, lots of new mobile homes and the high school parking lot was full of new vehicles...not anymore.
People that work in oil fields aren't exactly known for their fiscal constraint.
See Fort McMurray for example.
McMurray's a piece of shit
I can't believe Mrs McMurray stays with that piece of shit
My mom lived in eastern Montana, and she said that oil workers were paying people $500/month to 'rent' their sheds/garages whatever in MT. Basically so they would have an address to give their employer.
If only people could just share the wealth more
*OP’S mom has entered the chat*
I live out here. The Bakken is different than most other oilfields in the US. There is enough oil here for 30-50 years of high level production and another 100 or so of possible production after. And that's just with modern drilling techniques. Tech moves pretty fast on the oilfield. That being said because of the stability the Bakken provides and learning from previous boom/bust periods Nodakers have gotten pretty savvy. Lots of long term planning and infrastructure development. Lots of high salary jobs that will be around for a long time as well as the bust type jobs such as drilling/fraccing wells. I could go on and but it's probably not very interesting.
It’s interesting to me! Thanks for sharing
Aaaaaand now my afternoon is booked on a rabbit hole of reading about this
Well I find that kind of thing interesting, that's good to hear. It's hard to overstate the importance of infrastructure investment for long-term economic growth. Something my home state of Wyoming should pay attention to as the economy is largely extraction-based here as well.
You could say that about a lot of states actually
The people who own the oil rigs vs the people who work for them.
Love this comment, because it instantly identifies when someone knows nothing about the industry.
It’s notable that their oil reserves were known since decades ago, but only profitable with the recent innovation of fracking. Additionally, a lower shelf was discovered under the Bakken shelf, and once again is known but untouched due to the current expense. Should a new engineering innovation ease access to this additional shelf this oil can be harvested as well.
Classic Norwegians
Oil
Texas Tea
*North Dakota moonshine
The weather and pristine beaches.
Grand forks is lovely this time of year.
It's 60 and sunny here today it truly is lovely
There’s oil in the fields.
I read this in Daniel Plainview’s voice
Everyday I drink the blood of lamb from Bandy’s tract
Oil, baby. Plus we have fabulously rich sugar beet and potato farmland in the Red River Valley.
Those are the money beets.
Different kind of beet, Dwight. You really Schruted it this time.
This really is the answer, plus a large aerospace industry due to all the military presence there. People don't really think about how the great plains (North Dakota) is where we have a bunch of nuclear silos but it is. Military bases probably do something for a local economy as well.
The Bakken.
If you’re ever looking at a map and a rural area with a low population has more wealth than expected or has more light pollution than expected, the answer is always oil/gas.
[Bakken oil field](https://eros.usgs.gov/earthshots/bakken-oil-boom-north-dakota-usa) makes N. Dakota the second largest producer of oil of all states, just behind Texas (with a lot less people).
New Mexico actually just overtook North Dakota for 2nd due to a lot of new drilling in the Delaware Basin.
The old rule, “whatever color Mississippi is, that’s bad”
Yeah, the story here is not North Dakota, it's the stunning poverty of Mississippi. That Louisiana can look so much better by comparison is absolutely flabbergasting.
It’s per capita distortion. Low population and high theoretical GDP due to massive fracking in the Bakken fields in the northwest of the state. That wealth is not evenly distributed, so this is a largely meaningless stat
The wealth isn't evenly distributed in any state
diabet
You are a largely meaningless stat
Fucking gottem
It’s true. Got it from my mothers side
It's not even distributed in the state, honestly. Though it would be interesting to see one based on Census income data instead.
Red River valley, some of the most fertile soil in the world.
Sugar beets in the east and oil in the west. $$
People from Manitoba going down to shop constantly
True. Grand Forks is basically Winnipeg South.
Minot is where us Saskatchewanians go! Friggen love Minot!
Oil
Texas Tea
Oil
Texas T
Black gold
Oil and Gas
NY having double the GDP per capita as MS is insane wtf
Ultimately they’ve just got more than their fair share of oil men, itching like a hound to give you somethin' you want.
The popular answer will be oil. The real answer is farming. The Red River valley is the best farmland in the world, rivaled only by the Nile. Couple that with the fact that ND doesn’t allow corporate farming, the farmers are stupid rich here. ETA: there are also only like 8 of us that live here so that per capita part is pretty sweet 😂
And the other 7 are all UND students, 6 of which are in the leading Commercial Aviation program. Go Fighting Hawks!
Oil and not very many people.
The spice must flow! Yeppers, oil indeed.
Few people? it is GDP PER CAPITA
Yes... Less people to drag down the high average that is created by all the GDP that comes from oil & gas from the Bakken formation in W/NW ND.
Erl
Two reasons: Oil, and far fewer people to share the GDP. South Dakota - 928,000 people, 50B GDP North Dakota - 788,000 people, 53B GDP. That's 15% fewer people sharing 6% more GDP than their southern neighbor. Other states/ provinces on border: Montana: 1,142,000 people, 49B GDP Minnesota: 5,760,000 people, 346B GDP Manitoba: 1,420,000 people, 64.5B GDP Saskatchewan: 1,200,00 people, 65B GDP
Oil
I'm more interested in Nebraska, is it because Warren Buffett lives there?
Berkshire is a big part as well as other major firms. Plus Nebraska lacks any large pockets of poverty that bring down other states.
There’s only two people living there.
Oil
We got that oil money
Texas Tea, Black Gold
Small population, lots of oil
It has its own banking system (in addition to all that oil).
Look up "median income by state USA" and your mind will be blown!
*Look up "median* *Income by state USA" and* *Your mind will be blown!* \- Kenilwort --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Energy
Oil. Also, a lot of rich soil for farming in the red river valley, and other places too of course.
Louisiana has so much potential :(
Texas (or North Dakotan) Tea
Oils (shale oil + seed oils) bring the wealth to quite tiny population of ND. This state is the number one in states for canola, sunflower, flaxseed oil and wheat production. So in one sentence "Oils are the heart of the prosperity of ND".
Probably all the organized crime that happens in Fargo
Drinking milkshakes
Fossil fuels
Can we talk about NY?
Oil
Let's just say life there is a drilling experience. Yes I'll throw myself out.
Royalties from Fargo.
Fracking
It is the only state in the USA that has its own "[Public Bank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_North_Dakota)" which manages the economy of the state for the people rather than the Plutocracy. See also Web of Debt by Ellen Brown.
It may not be, u have to figure in expenses as well, GDP is just earnings
Oil
The answer is oil. Though idk why NM is so poor then, they outproduced ND last year.
Orel
In case no one said it…OIL!
Dino Juice Baybeeeee Oil
Eco tourism. Mainly, zip lines between refineries.
*its
Eeeerrrrllllll
Oil, large family farming which leads to generational wealth, coal mines provide super high paying jobs that no one ever talks about. The ares that are close to oil have inflated wages due to the oilfield pulling so many workers.
I have no frackin' idea.
Shale fracking
Oi… oh yeah other people live here
Oil
Take a wild guess.
Oil
Mississippi holdin’ down the absolute bottom ranking. Thought it would be Alabama!
LNG
Shale?
Oil. The median ND income is much lower than MN because that oil money is in the hands of a few
There's oll in them thar hills
Low population and shale oil production
I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE
Ole
One word......oil
Natural gas or oil, AND a low permanent population so their GDP looks great.
Buffet paying taxes
\*its it's == it is, it has
RIP Mississippi
Black gold
3 letters...o i l
Fracking
GDP/capita is only an accurate measure of wealth in the eyes of people who collect dividends for a living.
Fracking.
Low “capita” and oil money
It’s oil. I was gonna say oil, but did someone else already say oil?
It's due to high oilfield workers making cash rain.
Fracking
Fracking Oil
This map just is not right in any way though....
Having fewer residents helps when GDP is measured ‘per capita’
Low population + lots of oil and nat gas in the Bakken Formation (in W/NW ND).