North Dakota

North Dakota ranks 20th among the 50 U.S. states in poverty, with 11.2 percent of its population, or one in nine of its residents, living in poverty. In actual numbers there are over 73,000 people living in poverty out of a total population of 723,393, although the state has a thriving energy industry and a record budget surplus.

North Dakota has become the second-largest oil-producing state in the country. The oil companies are hiring at a fast pace and are offering great remuneration. The town of Williston has been ranked by the U.S. Census Bureau as the fastest-growing small city in the country, and the population there has doubled in the past four years. North Dakota has the second-highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita at ...