Population 60,746 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Grand Forks
Household size in Grand Forks
| Period | Grand Forks | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.37 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.29 | 2.39 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.14 | 2.36 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.19 | 2.38 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.16 | +0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Grand Forks are small: just 2.19 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.35, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Grand Forks
| Period | Grand Forks | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.3 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.3 | 37.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.5 | 37.4 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.6 | 37.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | −0.8 | +2.3 |
Grand Forks is young: half of its residents are under 32.6, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Only one other North Dakota city with 5,000+ people is younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Grand Forks
| Period | Grand Forks | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 8.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 8.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 8.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Grand Forks: 8.0% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The picture is much the same across North Dakota.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Grand Forks
Renters in Grand Forks
| Period | Grand Forks | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.6% | 33.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 51.7% | 34.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 54.6% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 52.4% | 37.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +3.7 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Grand Forks: 52.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Just over four in ten owners (42.6%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the southeast. The renter share has risen 3.8 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Grand Forks
| Period | Grand Forks | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 10.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 11.3% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 13.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 12.0% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | +1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Grand Forks: 8.1% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 0.7 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Grand Forks
| Period | Grand Forks | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1976 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1985 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +11 | +6 |
The housing in Grand Forks is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1984, against 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1973 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the east has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Grand Forks
| Period | Grand Forks | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $702 | $573 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $771 | $716 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $921 | $862 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,113 | $1,031 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$411 | +$458 | +$606 |
The median renter in Grand Forks pays $1,113 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are higher than in North Dakota as a whole ($1,031). Rents are up $411 a month from 2006–10, a 58% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Grand Forks
Bachelor's degrees in Grand Forks
| Period | Grand Forks | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.0% | 27.9% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 37.0% | 28.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.2% | 31.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.0% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +6.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Grand Forks (41.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 4.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only two of the 14 North Dakota cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Grand Forks
| Period | Grand Forks | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.2% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.5% | 91.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.4% | 92.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.0% | 94.1% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +3.8 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Grand Forks: 96.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.8 points, as it has nationally. Only two of the 14 North Dakota cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Grand Forks
| Period | Grand Forks | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.6% | 3.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 3.1% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 2.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.2% | 2.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Grand Forks has been strong: just 2.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Grand Forks compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks | 2.19 | 32.6 | 8.0% | 52.4% | 8.1% | 1984 | $1,113 | 41.0% | 96.0% | 2.2% |
| East Grand Forks | 2.63 | 35.6 | 7.6% | 28.7% | 7.0% | 1977 | $1,109 | 26.2% | 95.0% | 3.4% |
| Grand Forks Air Force Base | 2.66 | 40.8 | 5.7% | 10.4% | 6.9% | 1980 | $843 | 35.7% | 96.0% | 2.0% |
| Thompson | 2.78 | 41.2 | 3.6% | 6.5% | 4.8% | 1976 | $770 | 38.0% | 98.2% | 0.9% |
| Emerado | 2.47 | 41.5 | 7.1% | 11.7% | 14.6% | 1979 | $875 | 31.7% | 94.7% | 2.6% |
| Manvel | 2.43 | 43.5 | 6.1% | 12.3% | 2.8% | 1972 | $1,100 | 21.1% | 96.3% | 2.1% |
| Fisher | 2.60 | 39.0 | 8.9% | 12.6% | 10.9% | 1969 | $983 | 25.9% | 97.1% | 4.8% |
| Grand Forks Afb | 3.38 | 22.9 | 4.0% | 88.6% | 3.9% | 2000 | $1,566 | 29.2% | 98.6% | 4.2% |
| Reynolds | 2.70 | 44.5 | 6.0% | 7.3% | 4.5% | 1966 | $1,315 | 28.8% | 97.3% | 4.2% |
| Tabor | 2.67 | 44.0 | 5.3% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 1963 | $1,117 | 25.2% | 95.4% | 1.3% |
| Sherack | 2.61 | 46.4 | 5.2% | 6.6% | 5.2% | 1967 | $1,133 | 22.0% | 96.0% | 2.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lake Havasu City, AZ · Brentwood, NY · Brentwood, TN · Bristol, CT · Wellington, FL · Blue Springs, MO · Smyrna, TN · Richland, WA · Phenix City, AL · Mentor, OH
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Grand Forks. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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