The means test in North Dakota: median income

The official median income for North Dakota, a quick first-step check and what happens if your income is above it.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

The U.S. Trustee Program publishes these medians for North Dakota. Income below the median for your household size passes the first step.

1 person
$73,549
2 people
$96,352
3 people
$106,686
4 people
$137,817
Each extra person
+$11,100
Medians apply to cases filed on or after
April 1, 2026

Are you below the North Dakota median?

Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in North Dakota. Here are the official medians:

  • 1 person$73,549
  • 2 people$96,352
  • 3 people$106,686
  • 4 people$137,817
  • Each extra person+$11,100

Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4

The numbers are worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter here is saved or sent.

Before taxes. Add up all income for the last 6 months and divide by 6.

Enter your household size and income

The bankruptcy courts in North Dakota

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. North Dakota has one bankruptcy court for the whole state, with its clerk's office in Fargo: https://www.ndb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of North Dakota

Divisions: One statewide court; clerk's office in Fargo, with hearings also held in Bismarck

Clerk's phone: 701-297-7100

Court's self-help page

Exemptions in North Dakota at a glance

In North Dakota you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep).

Home (homestead): $150,000 in equity in the land you live on and your house, including improvements; the land must be one tract or contiguous tracts.

Car or other vehicle: $10,000 in equity in one motor vehicle; $50,000 if the vehicle was modified at a cost of at least $1,500 for an owner with a permanent physical disability.

Wildcard (any property): $7,500 in any personal property (including money) if you are the head of a family (married, supporting relatives living with you, or paying support for minor children of a previous marriage); $3,750 if you are unmarried with no dependents.

Exemptions in North Dakota

In nearby states

  • South Dakota: 1 person $69,190 · 2 people $89,809 · 3 people $100,883 · 4 people $130,738
  • Minnesota: 1 person $77,696 · 2 people $98,328 · 3 people $126,487 · 4 people $149,882
  • Nebraska: 1 person $66,922 · 2 people $90,728 · 3 people $103,405 · 4 people $125,074
  • Montana: 1 person $71,310 · 2 people $91,452 · 3 people $103,285 · 4 people $121,698
  • Wyoming: 1 person $71,745 · 2 people $91,502 · 3 people $98,476 · 4 people $110,297
  • Iowa: 1 person $67,617 · 2 people $88,800 · 3 people $104,133 · 4 people $126,058

What to do now in North Dakota

  1. Add up 6 months of income

    Collect proof of all income for the last 6 months.

  2. Fill in the first form

    The court uses Official Form 122A-1.

  3. If you are above the median

    The second step subtracts allowed expenses on Official Form 122A-2.

  4. Find your court

    The forms are filed with U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of North Dakota.

Free help in North Dakota

Questions about the means test in North Dakota

How much home equity can I keep in North Dakota?

$150,000 in equity (value above mortgages and liens) in the land you live on and your house, including improvements; the land must be one tract or contiguous tracts. A mobile home or house trailer you live in can be claimed instead, with the same $150,000 limit.

Which bankruptcy court do I use in North Dakota?

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. North Dakota has one bankruptcy court for the whole state, with its clerk's office in Fargo: https://www.ndb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations.

What income passes the means test in North Dakota?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $73,549; 2 people: $96,352; 3 people: $106,686; 4 people: $137,817; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Is there free bankruptcy help in North Dakota?

Legal Services of North Dakota (free civil legal aid; separate line for people 60 and older: 1-866-621-9886) and U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of North Dakota — Filing Without an Attorney.

Keep reading about North Dakota