Mckenzie Co 1, ND - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Mckenzie Co 1

McKenzie County Public School District #1 sits in the western North Dakota oil patch, serving the Watford City area and surrounding communities across McKenzie County. The district operates five open schools, including Badlands Elementary, Fox Hills Elementary, Watford City Middle School, and Watford City High School, along with Wolves Center Academy. Two virtual academy schools, one elementary and one high school, are listed as forthcoming. The district serves a broad grade range from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

The student body is sizable for a rural district and reflects the demographic shifts that have reshaped this part of North Dakota over the past decade and a half. White students make up the majority, while Hispanic students form a substantial minority segment. Smaller populations of American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students round out the enrollment, along with students of two or more races. This level of racial and ethnic diversity stands apart from what many rural North Dakota districts look like. Free-or-reduced-price lunch counts were not available in the data we received, and information on special education and English learner populations was also missing, so those important pieces of the picture remain gaps.

On state assessments, the district tested under North Dakota's A-PLUS system in the most recent year. Because this is a new assessment with changed cut scores, the results do not cleanly connect to prior years for trend purposes. What the current results show is a district with room to grow. Math proficiency across the tested elementary and middle grades generally lands in the lower-to-moderate range, with fourth grade standing out as a relative bright spot and fifth grade as the softest. ELA results follow a similar pattern, with proficiency in the moderate range in the earlier grades and tapering somewhat through the middle grades. Science was tested in fourth and eighth grades, with fourth grade showing reasonably stronger performance and eighth grade landing lower. Participation rates were solid across grades and subjects, which means the results reflect most enrolled students rather than a thin slice. A parent weighing these results may want to ask the district how it is responding to the dip in the middle grades, particularly in ELA.

No graduation rate, civil rights, discipline, or course access data was provided, so we cannot speak to high school completion outcomes or program offerings from the information on hand. The district brief noted no lasting parent-relevant changes surfaced from recent searches, only basic profile and fiscal information.

Housing in the district footprint is shaped by the Bakken energy economy. The weighted typical home value across the district's zip codes sits above the North Dakota state benchmark and close to the national level, with annual appreciation running at a healthy clip. Watford City carries the highest housing values among the contributing zip codes, while Sidney and Killdeer come in lower. Estimated monthly mortgage costs exceed typical rent by a meaningful margin, so renting remains the more affordable option for families not ready to buy. The price-to-income ratio is moderate by national standards, suggesting that while prices have climbed with the energy boom, incomes in the area have kept the market from becoming as stretched as some coastal regions.

For a family considering this district, the picture is one of a growing, diversifying rural school system in a high-activity energy region. The academic results are middling on the current state assessment, with some grades performing better than others and no trend baseline yet established under the new testing system. The district is adding a virtual academy option, which may appeal to families seeking flexibility. The housing market is more expensive than much of North Dakota but remains within reach relative to local incomes. What we cannot see from the available data, including graduation rates, program offerings, and student support services, would be worth asking about directly before drawing a fuller conclusion.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

2,105

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 24%

Black 3%

White 64%

Asian 1%

Two+ 2%

Am. Indian / AK Native 4%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 1%

Schools in this District

7 schools are officially reported under this district.

BADLANDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WATFORD CITY HIGH SCHOOL

WATFORD CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL

FOX HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WOLVES CENTER ACADEMY

WATFORD CITY VIRTUAL ACADEMY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WATFORD CITY VIRTUAL ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$362,729

Year-over-year change+6.5%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$271K to $384K

vs. state typical1.27x

vs. national typical0.99x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
58854	Watford City	$384K	+7.1%	37.5%
58835	Arnegard	$356K	+5.6%	14.7%
59270	Sidney	$271K	+4.9%	6.3%
58831		$325K	+6.3%	2.8%
58640	Killdeer	$272K	+7.5%	0.2%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,232/mo

Range across 2 ZIP codes$1,081 to $1,258/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (2 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
58854	Watford City	$1,258	—	37.5%
59270	Sidney	$1,081	—	6.3%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,830/mo

Home price / national median income4.3x

Annual rent / national median income17.7%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$598/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$286,406 (+5.5% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Academic Performance
Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.