North Dakota Dads: Hard Hats, Hard Work, and High Rankings

We all know our region is one of the hardest working corners of the nation. The jobs, the weather, the long hours—it’s practically a North Dakota tradition to roll up our sleeves and get the work done, no matter how big the task. And if anyone embodies that spirit, it’s our dads.

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Turns out, we’re not just imagining it. According to a new WalletHub report, North Dakota ranks 15th in the nation for Best States for Working Dads! That’s not too shabby when you consider all the challenges dads face juggling work, family, and the occasional stubborn snowblower.

For comparison, our neighbors didn’t all fare quite as well. South Dakota came in at 25th. Montana landed at 40th, while Minnesota, ever the overachiever, scored 6th.

Read More: Two Plates Are Better Than One: A Friendly North Dakota Reminder

So how did WalletHub come up with these rankings? They looked at four big areas that matter to dads: Economic & Social Well-Being, Work-Life Balance, Child Care, and Health. Within those categories, they crunched 22 different metrics, everything from average work hours to child-care costs, then graded each state on a 100-point scale. Basically, it’s like a report card for fatherhood support—and North Dakota pulled off a solid “B+.”

But let’s be real. Around here, dads don’t need a ranking to prove their worth. They’re up at 5 a.m. fixing tractors, coaching Little League, grilling burgers, and still finding time to wrestle with the kids before bed. If WalletHub added “ability to shovel a driveway in record time” or “skill in grilling while wearing Carhartts,” North Dakota dads might just take the number-one spot.

So here’s to our working dads—15th place nationally, but always number one at home.