Grand Forks, North Dakota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Grand Forks, ND Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Grand Forks | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,451 | 784,730 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1789.0 | 11.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.40% | 0.80% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 28.5 | 36.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 23,290 | 331,016 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Grand Forks grew by 14.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 52,451 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Grand Forks is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 36.3% of residents. That is 12.7 points above North Dakota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 19,026 36.3% +12.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,144 19.3% -1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,616 14.5% -3.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,551 12.5% -3.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Dakota, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.5% of the people living in Grand Forks and men 51.5%.
- Women 48.5% North Dakota 49.0%
- Men 51.5% North Dakota 51.0%
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Economy
Grand Forks has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Grand Forks | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,378 | $76,862 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.81% | 3.32% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.5% | 2.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Grand Forks is about 16% lower than in North Dakota.
Housing
| Metric | Grand Forks | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $179,624 | $125,877 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $954 | $953 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 47.0% | 62.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Grand Forks is about 15.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $954 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Grand Forks spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 101 hours, about 4.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Grand Forks | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.1 | 13.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 24.2 | 27.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 101 | 115 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,121 | $3,567 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,697 | 2,106 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,198 | 360 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Grand Forks is 12 minutes, shorter than the 14 minutes in North Dakota.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Grand Forks has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Grand Forks | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.3% | 29.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.10 | 2.29 | 2.53 |
Health
Grand Forks has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Grand Forks | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.9 | 79.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.1% | 14.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.0% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Grand Forks, North Dakota.
What is the population of Grand Forks, North Dakota?
About 52,451 people live in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 23,290 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 28.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
How densely populated is Grand Forks, North Dakota?
Averaged over its land area, Grand Forks, North Dakota has 1,789 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 21 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Grand Forks, North Dakota?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($179,624 against $64,378), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $954 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Grand Forks, North Dakota?
Unemployment in Grand Forks, North Dakota is only 2.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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