North, South Dakota Weathering Housing Crisis Better Than Most

The Dakotas are commonly knocked as remote places where few live or want to live. But hold the jokes -- new data suggests that the duo of northern Plains states are also more economically stable, with housing markets more steady than in most parts of the U.S.

The region tops the list for having the least-stressed counties with a population over 25,000, according to information compiled by The Associated Press. North Dakota's Ward County is first, followed by another in that state, Burleigh County. In third is South Dakota's Brown County.

The index -- based on unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy statistics -- also revealed that North Dakota is the nation's healthiest state, followed by South Dakota. Typically, the healthiest states experiences less stress.

So what's the magic in the less-populated, but land-rich Dakotas?