Health Profile of Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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B
Fargo Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Fargo | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 6.2% | 6.5% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 11.5% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Fargo is 79.3 years, about 0.1 years shorter than the North Dakota average of 79.4 years. The uninsured rate is 6.2%, lower than the North Dakota average of 6.5%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 11.5% of residents, lower than the North Dakota average of 14.3%.
Population by Age
Older residents
34,406 residents in Fargo are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 2,345 758 men · 1,587 women
- 75–84 4,551 1,938 men · 2,613 women
- 65–74 7,961 3,753 men · 4,207 women
- 50–64 19,550 10,071 men · 9,479 women
Younger residents
23,383 residents in Fargo are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 6,111 3,045 boys · 3,066 girls
- 7–12 6,652 3,341 boys · 3,311 girls
- 3–7 5,932 2,962 boys · 2,970 girls
- 0–3 4,689 2,343 boys · 2,346 girls
About 4,609 residents in Fargo (3.7% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 79.3 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Fargo | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 8.1% | 11.3% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 5.6% | 8.2% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.9% | 8.0% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 32.9% | 35.3% | 34.3% |
The rate of heart disease in Fargo is about 39% lower than in North Dakota. The rate of cancer in Fargo is about 32% lower than in North Dakota. The rate of diabetes in Fargo is about 28% lower than in North Dakota.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Fargo | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17.0% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 21.8% | 18.7% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 23.2% | 26.6% | 25.1% |
The rate of binge drinking in Fargo is about 17% higher than in North Dakota.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 170,524 cigarettes a day, 5.1 million a month, or 62.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.9 million minutes a day and 684.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Fargo is 79.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 16 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Fargo | North Dakota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 5.70 | 4.88 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 5.7 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Fargo is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Fargo, ND Health Compared With Nearby Cities
How Fargo, ND compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo, ND | 124,648 | 79.3 yrs #2/3 | 6.2% #3/3 | 32.9% #1/3 |
| West Fargo, ND | 37,364 | 78.3 yrs | 4.4% | 33.9% |
| Moorhead, MN | 37,203 | 79.4 yrs | 4.7% | 34.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Fargo, North Dakota has an overall health index grade of B, making it somewhat better than North Dakota, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Fargo, North Dakota.
How healthy is Fargo, North Dakota?
Fargo, North Dakota has a Map AI Health Index grade of B, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a B grade means residents are somewhat healthier than the U.S. average.
What is the average lifespan in Fargo, North Dakota?
People in Fargo, North Dakota can expect to live 79.3 years on average, about the same as the North Dakota average of 79.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Fargo, North Dakota?
6.2% of residents in Fargo, North Dakota have no health insurance, about 1 in 16 people, about the same as the North Dakota rate of 6.5%.
How common is obesity in Fargo, North Dakota?
32.9% of adults in Fargo, North Dakota are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 2.4 points below the North Dakota rate of 35.3%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Fargo, North Dakota go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 170,524 cigarettes a day, 5.1 million a month, or 62.2 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 1.9 million minutes a day and 684.7 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Fargo is 79.3 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.04 lifetimes a day, or 16 lifetimes a year.
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