Grand Forks, ND
Census place 3832060 · pop 59,042
Devastated by the 1997 Red River Flood that forced evacuation of nearly the entire city; home of the University of North Dakota.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
46.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
87.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
15.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$63,627 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.27% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
36.1% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$249,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
83/100 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 +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
12.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
22.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
40.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
7.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,214/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
2.2% 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 Grand Forks: Crime, Air, Bad air, 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 Grand Forks, ND a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Grand Forks scores 60/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 18 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 Grand Forks, ND expensive to live in?
- Grand Forks has a median home value of $249,900 and typical rent around $1,214/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Grand Forks, ND?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (46.4%) — 10/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Grand Forks, ND best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unemployment rate (2.2%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Devastated by the 1997 Red River Flood that forced evacuation of nearly the entire city; home of the University of North Dakota.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.