Fargo, ND
Census place 3825700 · pop 131,627
North Dakota's largest city, whose name was lent to the Coen brothers' 1996 crime film 'Fargo.'
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
43.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
88.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.24% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$66,998 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
12.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
91/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$281,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
2 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
34.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.8% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
42.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+8.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
38 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
14.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
18.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,097/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
15 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
2.3% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Fargo: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Fargo, ND a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Fargo scores 64/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unemployment rate and its weakest is homeownership. North Dakota overall ranks #2 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Fargo, ND expensive to live in?
- Fargo has a median home value of $281,900 and typical rent around $1,097/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Fargo, ND?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (43.7%) — 7/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Fargo, ND best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.3%) — 98/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: North Dakota's largest city, whose name was lent to the Coen brothers' 1996 crime film 'Fargo.'
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.