North Dakota ranks #49 among US states for total patents filed in 2017, with 316 patents from 195 inventors across 45 cities. On a per-capita basis that is 0.4 patents per 1,000 residents, a standard benchmark for comparing state-level R&D intensity.
Top Cities in North Dakota 2017
| Rank | City | Patents | Inventors |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Fargo, ND | 129 | 71 |
| #2 | West Fargo, ND | 36 | 21 |
| #3 | Mayville, ND | 23 | 17 |
| #4 | Bismarck, ND | 22 | 13 |
| #5 | Dickinson, ND | 15 | 10 |
| #6 | Linton, ND | 10 | 5 |
| #7 | Mandan, ND | 9 | 4 |
| #8 | Jamestown, ND | 9 | 8 |
| #9 | Kindred, ND | 5 | 3 |
| #10 | Watford City, ND | 5 | 3 |
| #11 | Argusville, ND | 4 | 1 |
| #12 | Williston, ND | 4 | 3 |
| #13 | Horace, ND | 3 | 2 |
| #14 | Wahpeton, ND | 3 | 1 |
| #15 | Center, ND | 2 | 1 |
| #16 | Belfield, ND | 2 | 1 |
| #17 | Benedict, ND | 2 | 1 |
| #18 | Cooperstown, ND | 2 | 1 |
| #19 | Ellendale, ND | 2 | 2 |
| #20 | Gwinner, ND | 2 | 1 |
| #21 | Harvey, ND | 2 | 1 |
| #22 | Reile"s Acres, ND | 2 | 2 |
| #23 | Hickson, ND | 1 | 1 |
| #24 | Harwood, ND | 1 | 1 |
| #25 | Wilton, ND | 1 | 1 |