Best Hospitals in North Dakota 2026
North Dakota has 47 hospitals with an average procedure payment of $14K. The top-rated hospital is Fargo Va Medical Center in Fargo with a 5-star CMS rating.
Sorted by average Medicare payment, North Dakota's 47 hospitals span from $10,349 (Cavalier County Memorial Hospital Association) at the low end to $20,907 (Linton Hospital - Cah) at the high end. Within-state cost spread on hospital procedures is consistently wide across the U.S.
These rankings are pure-cost rankings. The quality dimension lives in the CMS Hospital Compare star rating shown alongside each entry; the combined-value grade on the right of the table aggregates both. For patients comparing hospital costs, the ranking is a useful first cut, but the procedure-specific page is the better tool: cost spreads vary by DRG code, and the all-procedure average can hide important per-procedure differences.
Across North Dakota's 47 Medicare-participating hospitals, the average payment per procedure is $14K, below the national average of $16K. 11% ofNorth Dakota's hospitals carry a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or higher, and 26% earn an A or B on our Value Score, which weighs price (40%), quality (40%), and patient outcomes (20%).
Procedure prices in North Dakota range from Cavalier County Memorial Hospital Association at $10K per procedure to Linton Hospital - Cah at $21K — a difference of $11K on the same kinds of inpatient stays. Where you go for the same procedure can swing the bill by more than the procedure itself.
All numbers come from the latest CMS Hospital Compare release, which uses Medicare claims data and only reflects payments for Medicare inpatient stays — not what private insurers or self-pay patients actually pay. Star ratings combine seven groups of measures including mortality, patient safety, readmissions, and patient experience. Lower-priced hospitals can still earn an A on the Value Score if their quality stays competitive.
Top 3 Hospitals in North Dakota
Fargo Va Medical Center
Fargo, ND
North Dakota's top-rated hospital with a 5-star CMS quality rating and an average payment of $16K per procedure. Outcome score: 70/100.
Sanford Medical Center Fargo
Fargo, ND
Second-best in North Dakota. 4-star CMS rating with an outcome score of 79/100. Average procedure payment: $15K.
Sanford Medical Center Bismarck
Bismarck, ND
Third on quality + outcomes. 4-star CMS rating; Value Score 78/100. Lists 16 priced procedures.
Top 20 of 47 Hospitals in North Dakota
| # | Hospital | City | Quality | Avg Payment | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fargo Va Medical Center | Fargo | ★★★★★ | $16K | A |
| 2 | Sanford Medical Center Fargo | Fargo | ★★★★☆ | $15K | B |
| 3 | Sanford Medical Center Bismarck | Bismarck | ★★★★☆ | $14K | B |
| 4 | Essentia Health | Fargo | ★★★★☆ | $14K | B |
| 5 | West River Regional Medical Center | Hettinger | ★★★★☆ | $14K | B |
| 6 | Trinity Hospitals | Minot | ★★★☆☆ | $11K | B |
| 7 | Altru Hospital | Grand Forks | ★★★☆☆ | $15K | B |
| 8 | Jamestown Regional Medical Center | Jamestown | ★★★☆☆ | $14K | C |
| 9 | Chi St Alexius Health | Bismarck | ★★☆☆☆ | $13K | C |
| 10 | Linton Hospital - Cah | Linton | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $21K | D |
| 11 | Sakakawea Medical Center - Cah | Hazen | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $18K | C |
| 12 | Chi St Alexius Health Turtle Lake | Turtle Lake | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $17K | C |
| 13 | Southwest Healthcare Services | Bowman | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $17K | C |
| 14 | Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center | Elgin | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $17K | C |
| 15 | Cooperstown Medical Center | Cooperstown | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $17K | C |
| 16 | Chi St Alexius Health Devils Lake | Devils Lake | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $17K | C |
| 17 | Garrison Memorial Hospital | Garrison | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $17K | C |
| 18 | Pembina County Memorial Hospital | Cavalier | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $17K | C |
| 19 | Sanford Hillsboro | Hillsboro | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $16K | C |
| 20 | St Luke's Hospital | Crosby | ☆☆☆☆☆ | $16K | C |
Hospital quality and cost data for North Dakota is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare dataset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on CMS quality ratings and patient outcomes, Fargo Va Medical Center in Fargo is the top-rated hospital in North Dakota with a 5-star CMS rating and an average procedure payment of $16K. Its Value Score is 80/100 (Grade A).
North Dakota has 47 Medicare-participating hospitals. The average procedure payment across the state is $14K, and 26% of hospitals earn an A or B Value Score.
North Dakota's average procedure payment of $14K is below the national average of $16K. Within the state, prices range from $10K at Cavalier County Memorial Hospital Association to $21K at Linton Hospital - Cah — a gap of $11K per procedure.
Of 47 hospitals analyzed in North Dakota, 5 (11%) earn a CMS quality rating of 4 stars or better. CMS star ratings combine measures of mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience, timeliness, and effectiveness of care.
Hospitals are ranked first by CMS star quality rating (1-5 stars), then by outcome score, which reflects mortality rates, patient safety, and readmissions. The Value Score combines price percentile (40%, lower price = higher score), quality rating (40%), and outcome score (20%).
Hospitals ranked by CMS star quality rating and outcome score. Value Score: price percentile (40% inverted), quality rating (40%), outcome score (20%).