City profile · North Dakota · Census ACS 2023

West Fargo, ND

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for West Fargo - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

39,325
Residents
$96,877
Median income
$302,200
Median home
$1,112
Median rent (state)

West Fargo - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, West Fargo places in the 76th percentile for household income and the 57th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

76th
percentile, household income
65th
percentile, home value
30th
percentile, median rent
57th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: West Fargo, ND

North Dakota's West Fargo is a small city, with 39,325 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in West Fargo brings in $96,877 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.8%. West Fargo's housing stock carries a median value of $302,200, and the median resident age is 32.7 years. 45.2% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 79.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 227 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 58% from five years earlier. West Fargo reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1178.1 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in North Dakota run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, North Dakota scores 89.0 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,112 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $200 across North Dakota, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 82.4 out of 100 (High).

Population

39,325 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Dakota

Median Household Income

$96,877 /yr

Poverty 2.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

89.0 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Dakota average

How does West Fargo compare to other US cities?

West Fargo measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 76% higher than other cities
Home value 65% pricier than other cities
Median rent 30% pricier than other cities
Safety 57% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at North Dakota, West Fargo ranks #9 of 21 North Dakota cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below West Fargo's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in North Dakota, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

76thIncome percentile
57thSafety percentile

76th percentile nationally for median household income · 57th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

West Fargo's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

West Fargo's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 62 Avg. percentile National median
West Fargo's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How West Fargo's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$302,200 35th percentile more affordable than 35% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. West Fargo $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - West Fargo, ND West Fargo, ND's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not West Fargo, ND-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution West Fargo, ND median $96,877/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
West Fargo, ND's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for West Fargo, ND. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 45.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 79.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
39,325
Median Income
$96,877
Median Home Value
$302,200
Median Age
32.7
Poverty Rate
2.8%
Labor force participation
79.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
45.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1178.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
163.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1014.3
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
17
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
38,000 residents39,000 residents40,000 residents41,000 residents42,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 38,894 residents 41,175 residents ▲ +5.9%
West Fargo's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
227
housing units authorized
Single-Family
144
detached homes
Multifamily
83
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 545
2020 373
2021 289
2022 253
2023 156
2024 227

Permit volume decreased 58% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
82.3%
Carpool
6.0%
Public Transit
0.5%
Walk
0.4%
Work from Home
9.8%
Other
1.0%

Based on 23,512 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Dakota - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$90
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$200
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Dakota state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a North Dakota state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county West Fargo sits in

Cost of Living Index
89.0
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,112/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
82.4 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Dakota

Minot
47,922 people
Williston
27,964 people
Dickinson
25,216 people
Mandan
24,293 people
Grand Forks
58,882 people
Jamestown
15,774 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to West Fargo's 39,325 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Bettendorf, IA
39,297 people
Aventura, FL
39,372 people
Park Ridge, IL
39,241 people
Carol Stream, IL
39,427 people
Lakewood Ranch, FL
39,434 people
Greer, SC
39,191 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to West Fargo's $96,877 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Teutopolis, IL
$96,875 median income
White Heath, IL
$96,875 median income
Crumpton, MD
$96,875 median income
Glenarden, MD
$96,875 median income
Twilight, PA
$96,875 median income
Orchards, WA
$96,893 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - West Fargo, ND Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition West Fargo, ND - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 86.4% 6.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.3% White 86.4% Black or African American 3.6% Asian 2.1% American Indian 1.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.6% Two or more races 6.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How West Fargo compares to nearby North Dakota cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
West Fargo (this city) 39,325 $96,877
Minot 47,922 $77,431
Williston 27,964 $84,309
Dickinson 25,216 $76,964
Census ACS 5-year FIPS ND FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about West Fargo, ND?

What is the population of West Fargo, ND? +

West Fargo, ND has a population of 39,325 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in West Fargo, ND? +

In West Fargo, the typical household earns $96,877 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in West Fargo? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for West Fargo; the closest available measure is the North Dakota state average, a cost of living index of 89.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Dakota vary by metro area.

Is West Fargo, ND safe? +

West Fargo has a total crime rate of 1178.1 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in West Fargo, ND? +

A typical home in West Fargo is worth $302,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.