Bismarck: Economy

Major Industries and Commercial Activity

Bismarck has a strong, diversified economy that has been continually expanding since the 1980s. As the capital city of North Dakota, it serves as a major hub for government, business and finance; it is also a major distribution center for the agricultural industry. Services and retail trade continue to dominate the local market, together employing more than 50 percent of the non-agricultural workforce.

The state government is Bismarck's largest employer with more than 4,300 workers. The health care industry is second; MedCenter One and St. Alexius hospitals and their related clinics employ more than 4,100. Bismarck Public Schools and the federal government each employ more than 1,000 people.

Items and goods produced: energy (coal, natural gas), food and food products, heavy equipment

Incentive Programs—New and Existing Companies

Local programs

Interest buydowns, reduced interest loans, grants, exemptions, and other financial incentives are available through the Bismarck Vision Fund. Other local sources of funding include micro-loan programs that provide short-term loans of $15,000 to $25,000 with a bank turndown at standard bank rates; the Bismarck Loan Pool, a group of local lending institutions and utilities; Bismarck Industries, Inc., which offers supporting participation in construction or leasing of buildings and equipment purchase; and the Small Business Investment Company, a private investment firm that uses its own funds plus money backed by federal Small Business Administration guarantees to make capital investments in small businesses. The Bismarck-Mandan Development Association can help new and expanding companies negotiate preferred terms or grants from local service providers.

State programs

North Dakota is the only state in the nation to control its own development bank. The Bank of North Dakota (BND) arranges financing for the MATCH program, aimed at attracting financially strong companies to North Dakota via loans and low interest rates. The BND also administers the Business Development Loan Program, for new and existing business with higher risk levels; and the PACE fund, which targets community job development. The North Dakota Development Fund provides "gap financing" to primary sector businesses. The SBA 504 Loan Program offers long-term, fixed asset financing in partnership with private lenders; the borrower provides 10 percent in cash equity. The SBA 7(a) Loan Program is available to small businesses unable to obtain financing in the private credit marketplace.

Job training programs

Job Service North Dakota administers state- and federally-funded workforce training programs including customized training, on-the-job training, occupational upgrading and Workforce 2000 employee training. The North Dakota New Jobs Training Program provides incentives to businesses that create new employment opportunities in the state. Bismarck State College and the University of Mary are both recognized for meeting the needs of Bismarck-area business and industry; both institutions also offer scholarships and grants for expanding businesses requiring employee training.

Development Projects

The new $25 million Bismarck Airport Terminal opened as scheduled in May 2005; the state-of-the-art facility incorporates high ceilings and glass walls in an "open spaces" concept designed to complement its prairie setting. Gateway to Science recently moved to a new location in the High Prairie Arts and Science Complex, the first phase of a planned expansion project that will include a larger gallery, laboratory, classrooms, exhibit space and a community meeting facility. The Capital Area Transit fixed-route public bus system was launched in May 2004.

Economic Development Information: Bismarck/Mandan Chamber of Commerce, 2000 Schafer Street, Bismarck, ND, 58501; telephone (701)223-5660; fax (701)255-6125

Commercial Shipping

The city of Bismarck lies at the intersection of Interstate 94 and U.S. Highway 83. Bismarck is served by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Company and Dakota, Missouri Valley, and Western Rail. Air freight service is available at the Bismarck Airport.

Labor Force and Employment Outlook

Employment in Bismarck is provided by state and federal government, energy companies, trade, transportation, and health services. Growing fields include data processing and customer service. Statewide, agriculture and tourism are top industries.

The 2003 Bismarck-Mandan Labor Study reports high workforce productivity and credits a well-educated population combined with a Midwest work ethic. The local work-force is also considered loyal and dependable; 85.2 percent of employers report daily absenteeism below 6 percent and the average length of employment at the current job is more than 8 years.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Bismarck metropolitan area labor force, 2004 annual averages.

Size of nonagricultural labor force: 55,200

Number of workers employed in . . .

construction and mining: 3,100

manufacturing: 2,900

trade, transportation and utilities: 11,400

information: 1,500

financial activities: 3,000

professional and business services: 4,700

educational and health services: 9,400

leisure and hospitality: 5,000

other services: 2,900

government: 2,700

Average hourly earnings of production workers employed in manufacturing: $14.35 (statewide average)

Unemployment rate: 3.9% (February 2005)

Cost of Living

Bismarck-Mandan ranks consistently high in quality of life surveys. In 2003 Expansion Management magazine listed the Bismarck MSA among its "Five Star Communities;" Bismarck also ranked second in a Harvard University study of "community attitudes and civic engagement." North Dakota was recognized as the safest state in the nation in seven of the past eight years.

The following is a summary of data regarding several key cost of living factors for the Bismarck area.

2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Average House Price: $220,000

2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Cost of Living Index: 93.1 (U.S. average = 100.0)

State income tax rate: Ranges from 2.1% to 5.54%

State sales tax rate: 5%

Local income tax rate: None

Local sales tax rate: 1%

Property tax rate: 483.72 mills per $1,000 (2003)

Economic Information: Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce, 2000 Schafer Street, PO Box 1675, Bismarck, ND, 58502-1675; telephone (701)223-5660; fax (701)255-6125

Bismarck: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Bismarck Public School system is the second-largest school district in the state. The drop-out rate in 2002-2003 was only 1.5 percent. Special education and early learning opportunities are offered in both private and public schools. Several local schools have earned the national honor of being designated "Blue Ribbon Schools.". Bismarck Public School District has been recognized year after year for meeting the needs of families in a national "What Parents Want" competition; the annual survey honored just 16 percent of public school districts in the country in 2005.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Bismarck public school system as of the 2002–2003 school year.

Total enrollment: 10,400

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 15

junior high/middle schools: 3

senior high schools: 2

other: 3

Student/teacher ratio: 13.35:1

Teacher salaries

minimum: $26,000

maximum: $53,964

Funding per pupil: $7,034 (State of North Dakota)

In 2002, Bismarck/Mandan had 1,789 students in 9 private elementary schools, 9 private middle schools, and 2 private high schools.

Public Schools Information: Bismarck Public Schools, 806 North Washington, Bismarck, ND 58501; telephone (701)355-3000; fax (701)355-3001

Colleges and Universities

Bismarck State College (BSC) is a two-year college offering more than 30 vocational and technical programs. BSC students may also take their first two years towards a bachelor's degree in arts or sciences. Medcenter One College of Nursing accepts students in their junior year for a two-year bachelor's degree focusing on general nursing science, clinical practice and research. Minot State University offers four-year degree programs in criminal justice, social work, management, and psychology; it also offers nine online degrees. The University of North Dakota (UND) Graduate Center offers master's programs in such fields as education, business administration, social work, and public administration; students can enroll in online, evening, and weekend classes. The UND School of Medicine offers a four-year doctor of medicine degree.

The University of Mary is a private Christian school offering four-year degrees in 34 programs, as well as graduate degrees in nursing, management, education, and physical therapy. St. Alexius Medical Center is home of the North Dakota School of Respiratory Care and St. Alexius School of Radiologic Technology. The United Tribes Training College is a unique intertribal college, owned and operated by five Native American tribes. The college offers 10 associate degree programs and certificates in 10 other areas, as well as adult education and on-site daycare.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library has more than 169,000 book titles, 553 magazine subscriptions, 4,320 audiotapes and compact discs, 4,338 videotapes and DVDs, and 945 miscellaneous items ranging from artwork to fishing poles. Its bookmobile collection includes 21,274 items. A U.S. government document depository, the library has special collections on Northern Missouri River history and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The North Dakota State Library on the Capitol grounds specializes in state government publications. Holdings include more than 132,000 books, nearly 15,000 tape cassettes, more than 111,000 state documents dating from 1889 to the present, and nearly 25,000 federal documents. The State Historical Society of North Dakota Library houses the official state archives. It has special collections on anthropology and the history of the Northern Great Plains, as well as archaeological artifacts.

Other major libraries in Bismarck are the Bismarck State College Library, which has 55,000 book titles and specializes in North Dakota history; the University of Mary's Welder Library, which holds 65,000 volumes; and the Q&R MedCenter One Health Sciences Library, which specializes in clinical medicine and nursing.

Public Library Information: Bismarck Public Library, 515 N. Fifth St., Bismarck, ND 58501; telephone (701)222-6410

Bismarck: Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

The Bismarck Tribune, North Dakota's oldest newspaper still publishing, appears every morning. Other newspapers published in Bismarck are the biweekly Farm and Ranch Guide, and the monthly Dakota Catholic Action.

Magazines published in Bismarck include the monthlies Enterprise Connection, a business publication; Dakota Country, which promotes hunting and fishing; North Dakota Stockman; and Vintage Guitar, which focuses on the hobby of guitar playing. North Dakota Outdoors, a natural resources magazine, is issued ten times per year. The Sunflower, a magazine for sunflower producers, is issued six times per year. Locally published quarterlies include North Dakota Horizons, a consumer magazine of North Dakota lifestyles and North Dakota History, which focuses on the history and culture of North Dakota and the Great Plains.

Television and Radio

Bismarck has six television stations—four network stations, one public station, and one community access station. The city is also served by three AM radio stations and six FM stations.

Media Information: Bismarck Tribune, PO Box 5516, Bismarck, ND 58506; telephone (701)223-2500; fax (701) 223-2063

Bismarck Online

Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce. Available www.chmbr.org

Bismarck-Mandan Convention & Visitors Bureau. Available www.bismarckmandancvb.com

Bismarck-Mandan Development Association. Available www.bmda.org

Bismarck Public Schools. Available www.bismarck.k12.nd.us

The Bismarck Tribune. Available www.bismarcktribune.com

City of Bismarck Home Page. Available www.bismarck.org

North Dakota State Library. Available ndsl.lib.state.nd.us

State Historical Society of North Dakota. Available www.state.nd.us/hist

Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Available www.nps.gov/thro

Selected Bibliography

Bird, George F., and Edwin J. Taylor, Jr., History of the City of Bismarck North Dakota: The First 100 Years 1872-1972, (Bismarck: Bismarck Centennial Association, 1972)

Rogers, Ken, Allison Hawes Bundy, Laura Seibel, eds., Bismarck by the River (Bismarck, North Dakota: The Bismarck Tribune, 1997)

Remele, Larry, ed., The North Dakota State Capitol: Architecture and History (Bismarck, ND: the state Historical Society of North Dakota, 1989)

Bismarck: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents

1980: 54,811 (Burleigh County)

1990: 83,831 (MSA)

2000: 94,719 (MSA)

Percent change, 1990–2000: 13.0%

U.S. rank in 1990: Not reported

U.S. rank in 2000: 260th

City Residents

1980: 44,485

1990: 49,256

2000: 55,532

2003 estimate: 56,344

Percent change, 1990–2000: 11.1%

U.S. rank in 1990: 527th

U.S. rank in 2000: 620th

Density: 2,065.2 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 52,634

Black or African American: 156

American Indian and Alaska Native: 1,884

Asian: 251

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 15

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 415

Other: 95

Percent of residents born in state: 77.4% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 3,356

Population 5 to 9 years old: 3,431

Population 10 to 14 years old: 3,790

Population 15 to 19 years old: 4,308

Population 20 to 24 years old: 4,380

Population 25 to 34 years old: 7,339

Population 35 to 44 years old: 8,842

Population 45 to 54 years old: 7,815

Population 55 to 59 years old: 2,545

Population 60 to 64 years old: 2,084

Population 65 to 74 years old: 3,888

Population 75 to 84 years old: 2,631

Population 85 years and older: 1,123

Median age: 36.5 years

Births (2001) Total number: 865 (Burleigh County)

Deaths (2001) Total number: 481 (Burleigh County; the infant death rate was 7.8 per 1,000 live births)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $20,789

Median household income: $39,422

Total households: 23,163

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 2,065

$10,000 to $14,999: 1,682

$15,000 to $24,999: 3,255

$25,000 to $34,999: 3,337

$35,000 to $49,999: 4,102

$50,000 to $74,999: 4,910

$75,000 to $99,999: 2,129

$100,000 to $149,999: 1,102

$150,000 to $199,999: 286

$200,000 or more: 295

Percent of families below poverty level: 5.7% (59.1% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 1,698

Bismarck

The City in Brief

Founded: 1871 (incorporated 1875)

Head Official: Mayor John Warford (since 2002)

City Population

1980: 44,485

1990: 49,256

2000: 55,532

2003 estimate: 56,344

Percent change, 1990–2000: 11.1%

U.S. rank in 1990: 527th

U.S. rank in 2000: 620th

Metropolitan Area Population

1980: 54,811 (Burleigh County)

1990: 83,831 (MSA)

2000: 94,719 (MSA)

Percent change, 1990–2000: 13.0%

U.S. rank in 1990: Not reported

U.S. rank in 2000: 260th

Area: 27.0 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 1,700 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 53.8° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 15.47 inches of rain; 44 inches of snow

Major Economic Sectors: Services, trade, transportation, energy, government

Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (February 2005)

Per Capita Income: $20,789

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 1,698

Major Colleges and Universities: Bismarck State College, University of Mary, University of North Dakota School of Medicine, United Tribes Training College

Daily Newspaper: The Bismarck Tribune

Bismarck, Canada, Greenland, Papua New Guinea, USA 1. Canada (Ontario): named after Prince Otto von Bismarck (1815–98), prime minister of Prussia (1862–73, 1873–90) and the first German chancellor (1871–90).2. Papua New Guinea: the Bismarck Archipelago, the Bismarck Range, and the Bismarck Sea in the Pacific Ocean are all named after Otto von Bismarck. The Bismarck Archipelago was annexed by Germany in 1884 before being occupied by Australia in 1914. The range was visited by a German explorer in 1886.3. USA: there are four cities with this name. The capital of North Dakota, founded in the 1830s, was originally called the ‘Crossing on the Missouri’. In 1873 the name was changed to honour Otto von Bismarck in an attempt to attract German investment in the Northern Pacific Railway.

Bismarck: Transportation

Approaching the City

The Bismarck Airport has daily commercial service via Northwest, United Express, Big Sky, and Allegiant airlines to Minneapolis, Denver, and Las Vegas. The airport is served by three major national auto rental chains. Rimrock Stages provides bus service in the area.

Traveling in the City

The Capital Area Transit System, known as the CAT, serves the Bismarck-Mandan area. The Bis-Man Transit Board offers Greyhound bus service, a Taxi 9000 on-demand service, and an elderly and handicapped transit system. A restored trolley car that once ran in Bismarck now offers a unique trip to Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park.

Bismarck: Convention Facilities

The Bismarck Civic Center features 16 meeting rooms, 84,000 square feet of exhibit space and arena seating for 10,000 in two separate but connected buildings. The Pavilion at Prairie Knights Casino and Resort seats 2,000 and offers 34,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. The Mandan Community Center is a full-service recreation and convention center. Bismarck-Mandan also has more than 2,600 rooms in 30 hotels and motels.

Convention Information: Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1600 Burnt Boat Drive, Bismarck, ND, 58503; telephone (800)767-3555

Bismarck: Introduction

Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota, seat of Burleigh County, and part of the metropolitan statistical area that also includes Mandan, is known as the hub city for the Lewis and Clark Trail. Since the time that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the region's rolling plains in 1804-05, the Bismarck region has remained a center for outdoor adventures, from hiking and canoeing to mountain biking and boating, offering some of the finest fishing and hunting opportunities in the country. It is also recognized as the region's business, cultural, and financial center.

Bismarck: Health Care

St. Alexius Medical Center was opened in 1885 by a group of Benedictine Sisters and was the first hospital in Dakota Territory. The 285-bed facility serves the Bismarck area as well as central and western North Dakota, northern South Dakota and eastern Montana. Medcenter One Health Systems offers a range of services, including nine primary care clinics, a home health agency, three long-term care facilities and a 238-bed hospital. The two institutions have combined resources to offer state-of-the-art cancer care at the Bismarck Cancer Center.

Bismarck: Municipal Government

The city of Bismarck operates under the commission form of government. Four commissioners and a president (who also serves as mayor) are elected at large to four-year terms. The commission meets regularly on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

Head Official: Mayor John Warford (since 2002; current term expires 2006)

Total Number of City Employees: 471 (full-time; 2003)

City Information: City/County Office Building, 221 N 5th Street, PO Box 5503, Bismarck, ND 58506-5503; telephone (701)222-6471; fax (701)222-6470

Bismarck •arc, ark, Bach, bark, barque, Braque, Clark, clerk, dark, embark, hark, impark, Iraq, Ladakh, Lamarck, lark, macaque, marc, mark, marque, narc, nark, Newark, park, quark, sark, shark, snark, spark, stark, Vlach •matriarch, patriarch •tanbark • ringbark • stringy-bark •Offenbach • ironbark • oligarch •salesclerk • titlark • skylark •meadowlark • woodlark • mudlark •landmark • checkmark • Denmark •benchmark • waymark • trademark •seamark • Bismarck • telemark •tidemark • Kitemark • pockmark •Ostmark • hallmark • Goldmark •Deutschmark • bookmark • footmark •earmark • watermark • birthmark •anarch • car park • skatepark •ballpark •Petrarch, tetrarch •hierarch, squirearch •exarch • Pesach • loan shark •Plutarch • aardvark