Could someone tell me about Dickinson ND? (Jamestown, Williston: transplants, rental)

[dogfamily]

We are looking to move to ND from Montana. Would Dickinson be a great place to raise a family? Do you like the school system there? Are the people welcoming to transplants? Do you have pretty decent services?
Any reply would be a great help. We have looked into Jamestown and it seems like a wonderful place. Do you think Dickinson would be better?
Thank you anyone for your time in answering our questions.
dogfamily

[davednorris]

Hi,

I live in Dickinson. Not a native, but have lived here on 3 separate occasions. We moved back because we think it is a great place to raise kids. It is a great place for grown-ups too (in our opinion). I think the schools are good and the realatively new community center is really nice -indoor pools, climbing wall, etc, open year round. Super-Walmart, Univerity (Dickinson State), Great Library. Send me a private message, and I can give you my phone # to talk more about it. You can also do a search on my other postings, I think I've said some stuff about Dickinson. The biggest drawback with Dickinson now is that the housing prices have gone up so much. That includes rental prices. I think it is mainly (but not always) due to greed.

Kind Regards,

Dave N.
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[dogfamily]

Thank you for the info. You have been a great help!
Dog

[DaninEGF]

I havent been to Dickinson proper though passed by it on the way to the Badlands.... but there is a rather big difference weather-wise between Dickinson and Jamestown. The southwest part of the state including Dickinson tends to be quite a bit warmer overall and also less humid with less rainfall in the summer than east of the Missouri River. In the winter...while it does get cold in the southwest part of the state...chinook westerly winds off the Rockies do get into that part of the state and Dickinson will see 40s in mid winter occasionally and snow cover doesnt last long. Contrast that to Jamestown and eastward into the Red River valley (where I live) the arctic cold holds on tight and the warmer air rarely makes it this far east in the winter and snowcover is almost constant Dec-mid March. It is windy all over...but that southwest part of the state would be more like southeast Montana in that it can get very windy and dusty....whereas the eastern part of the state is greener and less dusty.

Dan

[Cain]

I have in-laws in dickinson, and its seems like a nice place. The mall gives you a bit of a "land before time" effect, but the town in general is nice. I can see raising a family there. I think its a "rising" city for sure, given time and if they diversify the economy out there too. has a real chance of being something for sure.

As for housing prices etc. With the whole oil boom going on , places near that are going to be really shooting up in price. I have several in-laws who work out on the rigs bringing in easily $3000 - $5000 ever two weeks take home with at most a high school education, which when you have that kind of money going around, people will have more to spend on a home, and people are going to charge more too if they can get it. As long as that kind of boom is going, things will surge up in price. When the gravy train stops though, hopefully cities in those areas have been wise and built up a diversified job industry, and not had all the eggs in one basket.

[mason-dixon]

I am moving to Dickinson soon also, and I appreciate the info. Thanks.

[mason-dixon]

I would have to strongly recommend that anybody from outside N.D. forget about moving to Dickinson.

I recently spent the better part of a month there, and it was not a pleasant experience. I found the people there to be quite friendly, but they are definitely suspicious of outsiders! They seem to be puzzled why anyone from some other part of the country would want to move to such a dull place (unless they have crooked motives). They are also a little too fond of giving horrific warnings about the winters there in order to scare us outsiders away!

On top of that, although I am a clean-cut, non-suspicious looking person with no crminal or arrest record, I was constantly harrassed by the cops. Well, specifically, one North Dakota State Trooper. This guy stalked me for two days (I kid you not), pulled me over for no reason TWICE, and spent a long time interrogating me, asking me the same questions (in a rather obnoxious manner) about why I was there and when I planned to leave!

It is also a surprisingly expensive place to live (owing, I think, to the fact that everything has to be trucked in there from Minneapolis, 500 miles away).

So if your not a native of North Dakota, avoid Dickinson.

[Roloff1976]

I'm really surprised by your experience. I have never lived in Dickinson, but know people who have, and do. With a small University, destination town for smaller communities...for shopping, doctoring, etc..., and the oil field jobs, I would think people in Dickinson would be used to the comings and goings of people who move in and out of the community each year (for college, oil jobs, etc...) I am not doubting you...just kind of curious why people there would act like that??? I know many people up in Williston who are experiencing large influxes of new oil related jobs...and they are used to all the strangers and new faces...but maybe because so many of them are new themselves???

[mrkool]

Originally Posted by mason-dixon

I
On top of that, although I am a clean-cut, non-suspicious looking person with no crminal or arrest record, I was constantly harrassed by the cops. Well, specifically, one North Dakota State Trooper. This guy stalked me for two days (I kid you not), pulled me over for no reason TWICE, and spent a long time interrogating me, asking me the same questions (in a rather obnoxious manner) about why I was there and when I planned to leave!
.

So did you report this clown to the state HQ, or to his local supervisor, or notify *anyone* about this treatment? I sure would have. If you remember his name, I would still do it.
He needs to be straightened out, and it won't happen simply by posting here in these forums.

[StartingOverAgain]

Originally Posted by dogfamily

Any reply would be a great help. We have looked into Jamestown and it seems like a wonderful place. Do you think Dickinson would be better?
Thank you anyone for your time in answering our questions.
dogfamily

I am a recent transplant from Oklahoma to North Dakota. I live about 40 miles north of Jamestown in Carrington. I absolutely love it here. I have never encountered such friendly and helpful people in my life. I've lived in all four directions of this country, and feel as if I've been enveloped in the warmth of an extended family.

Due to arriving JUST before the winter weather, I haven't done much exploring, but Jamestown is a neat little city. It has pretty much what you need if not every single thing you'd want.

Do your research before you move and you should be just fine.