City · North Dakota
Thompson, North Dakota
Thompson, city, in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. Thompson had 1,100 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,101 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,138 (±186). GEOID 3878660.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,100
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,101 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,138 ±186
Median household income
$118,281
±$16,675 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $76,657
Median home value
$281,900
±$29,289 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $249,900
Median gross rent
$775
±$187 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $954
Where is Thompson and what county is it in?
Thompson is a city in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. It covers 0.4 square miles of land, 2,549 residents per square mile in 2020.
Thompson is in the Grand Forks, ND-MN metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Thompson, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,100 people lived in Thompson on July 1, 2025, up 0.2% since 2020, slower than North Dakota (+2.6%). The 2020 Census counted 1,101 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,138 (±186).
| Measure | Thompson | Grand Forks County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,138 ±186 | 72,923 | no clear change |
| Households | 427 ±73 | 31,295 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.67 ±0.35 | 2.18 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 443 ±71 | 33,891 | no clear change |
Thompson's population since 2000
From 1,006 in 2000 to 1,100 in 2025: up 9.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Thompson as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Thompson?
The median resident of Thompson is 44.2 years old; 29.4% are under 18 and 11.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.8%. 3.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Thompson | Grand Forks County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.2 ±7.3 | 30.9 | +9.6 |
| Under 18 years | 29.4% ±5.5 pts | 21.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 11.0% ±4.5 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Male | 49.8% ±3.7 pts | 51.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.6% ±0.7 pts | 5.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 94.0% ±5.3 pts | 81.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.2 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.4 pts | 2.8% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.3 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.8% ±5.4 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.0% ±1.8 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.1% ±1.0 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.1% ±4.2 pts | 7.6% | – |
| With a disability | 6.8% ±2.6 pts | 9.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.1% ±1.0 pts | 4.5% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.3% ±1.6 pts | 95.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 44.1% ±7.0 pts | 38.0% | +9.5 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.4% ±3.9 pts | 13.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.4% ±2.9 pts | 77.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.9% ±1.2 pts | 7.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Thompson earn?
Half of Thompson's 427 households earn less than $118,281 a year (±$16,675), against $68,075 in Grand Forks County and $76,657 in North Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $114,608 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Thompson | Grand Forks County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $118,281 ±$16,675 | $68,075 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $128,089 ±$11,535 | $92,591 | – |
| Per capita income | $47,964 ±$4,909 | $40,347 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 1.5% ±1.7 pts | 13.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 1.2% ±1.9 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.6% ±2.0 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.3% ±4.3 pts | 95.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.5% ±5.8 pts | 88.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Thompson?
Owners occupy 93.9% of Thompson's occupied homes and renters 6.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $281,900 by its owner (±$29,289). The median renter pays $775 a month including utilities, and 57.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Thompson | Grand Forks County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $281,900 ±$29,289 | $252,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $775 ±$187 | $992 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 57.7% ±30.9 pts | 36.6% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,000 ±$213 | $1,736 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 93.9% ±4.4 pts | 51.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 6.1% ±4.4 pts | 48.2% | – |
| Housing units | 443 ±71 | 33,891 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 18.8% ±23.4 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 90.5% ±5.0 pts | 43.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.0% ±2.6 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1% ±1.0 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.5% ±4.6 pts | 15.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.5% ±4.8 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.1% ±2.0 pts | 7.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Thompson building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Thompson in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.9 per 1,000 residents against 3.1 across North Dakota.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Thompson work and get to work?
72.9% of Thompson's workers drive alone and 8.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 20.7 minutes.
| Measure | Thompson | Grand Forks County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 77.1% ±6.0 pts | 71.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.9% ±7.4 pts | 78.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 16.5% ±6.0 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.8% ±1.1 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Walked | 1.4% ±1.3 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.4% ±4.4 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 20.7 min ±3.1 | 15.8 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Thompson?
No census tract lies mostly in Thompson; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 117.02Grand Forks County | 5,550 | $94,799 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Thompson) · Census block assignment files
How does Thompson compare with other places in North Dakota?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Thompson is the 9,901st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 45th-most populous of 355 in North Dakota.
Thompson ranks 11th of 64 places in North Dakota with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 45th | 355 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 27th | 62 |
| Residents per square mile | 2nd | 67 |
| Median household income | 11th | 64 |
| Per capita income | 13th | 67 |
| Median home value | 17th | 59 |
| Median gross rent | 39th | 56 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6th | 65 |
| Median age | 10th | 67 |
| Owner-occupied share | 11th | 64 |
| Work from home | 11th | 32 |
| Travel time to work | 12th | 67 |
Thompson's figures with every place in North Dakota (CSV)
Every place in North Dakota, sortable · Compare Thompson with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Thompson?
22 of the 57 figures for Thompson on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Thompson are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Thompson.