County · North Dakota

Grand Forks County, North Dakota

Grand Forks County, North Dakota. Grand Forks County had 74,501 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.8% since 2020, slower than North Dakota (+2.6%). It holds 52 places (10 cities, villages and boroughs, 41 towns and townships and 1 census-designated) and 22 census tracts. GEOID 38035.

Grand Forks County is one of the 2 counties of the Grand Forks, ND-MN metropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

74,501

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 73,170 · ACS 2020-2024: 72,923

Median household income

$68,075

±$4,321 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $76,657

Median home value

$252,700

±$8,223 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $249,900

Median gross rent

$992

±$35 (90% margin)
North Dakota: $954

How many people live in Grand Forks County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 73,170 residents in Grand Forks County. The Census Bureau estimates 74,501 for July 1, 2025, up 1.8% since 2020, slower than North Dakota (+2.6%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 72,923 over 1,436 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −720 (72,422)
2021→2022 −408 (72,014)
2022→2023 +952 (72,966)
2023→2024 +667 (73,633)
2024→2025 +868 (74,501)

Grand Forks County in North Dakota. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Grand Forks County	North Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	72,923	784,841	+2,699
Households	31,295±469	331,063	+793
Average household size	2.18±0.03	2.28	no clear change
Housing units	33,891±46	377,281	+930

Grand Forks County's population since 2000

From 66,109 in 2000 to 74,501 in 2025: up 12.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 66,109
2005 (estimate) 66,629
2010 Census 66,861
2015 (estimate) 70,448
2020 Census 73,170
2025 (estimate) 74,501

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Grand Forks County?

Grand Forks County holds 52 places: 10 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 41 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 1 census-designated place. The largest is Grand Forks with 60,365 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Grand Forks County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Grand Forks	city	59,166	59,042±37	$63,627	$249,900	15.5%	100%
Mekinock Township	township	2,152	2,221±253	$73,992	$404,400	3.5%	100%
Grand Forks AFB	CDP	2,002	1,987±231	$72,782	$10,000 or less	4.0%	100%
Larimore	city	1,260	1,240±218	$87,546	$203,900	8.3%	100%
Thompson	city	1,101	1,138±186	$118,281	$281,900	1.5%	100%
Northwood	city	982	1,046±209	$78,571	$208,200	4.7%	100%
Brenna TownshipGEOID 3803509300	township	776	929±205	$127,880	$372,500	3.1%	100%
Allendale TownshipGEOID 3803501620	township	538	595±181	$137,539	$314,100	11.6%	100%
Walle TownshipGEOID 3803583140	township	515	352±153	$149,107	$360,300	0.0%	100%
Grand Forks TownshipGEOID 3803532100	township	465	590±326	$93,894	$388,800	0.0%	100%
EmeradoGEOID 3824060	city	443	346±127	$70,938	$204,800	7.2%	100%
Rye TownshipGEOID 3803569540	township	402	472±184	$135,096	$352,900	0.0%	100%
ManvelGEOID 3850420	city	377	368±77	$91,719	$203,700	1.6%	100%
Ferry TownshipGEOID 3803526020	township	345	237±53	$76,250	$265,000	7.2%	100%
Blooming TownshipGEOID 3803507860	township	301	235±52	$98,750	$269,400	1.3%	100%
Arvilla TownshipGEOID 3803503420	township	280	188±92	$105,536	$189,600	0.0%	100%
Falconer TownshipGEOID 3803525540	township	261	203±54	$101,500	$229,300	0.0%	100%
GilbyGEOID 3830180	city	243	322±111	$92,188	$110,400	0.0%	100%
Americus TownshipGEOID 3803502020	township	225	130±67	$118,750	$295,000	0.0%	100%
Hegton TownshipGEOID 3803536940	township	208	371±204	$200,380	$363,800	0.0%	100%
Inkster TownshipGEOID 3803540020	township	204	85±16	$59,375	not published	18.3%	100%
Oakville TownshipGEOID 3803558900	township	192	132±77	$49,038	not published	0.0%	100%
Union TownshipGEOID 3803580740	township	190	143±60	$89,750	$179,200	2.1%	100%
Turtle River TownshipGEOID 3803580060	township	163	155±49	$111,429	$232,100	13.8%	100%
Chester TownshipGEOID 3803513860	township	152	75±32	$98,438	$225,000	0.0%	100%
Pleasant View TownshipGEOID 3803563300	township	142	78±36	$89,750	$293,800	0.0%	100%
Michigan Township, Grand Forks CountyGEOID 3803552620	township	128	209±116	$119,205	$267,600	0.0%	100%
Northwood TownshipGEOID 3803558340	township	127	74±34	$94,375	$307,700	0.0%	100%
Washington TownshipGEOID 3803583740	township	118	111±48	not published	$316,700	33.3%	100%
Fairfield TownshipGEOID 3803525260	township	116	280±185	$88,333	$324,300	4.3%	100%
Larimore TownshipGEOID 3803545060	township	113	63±51	$150,909	$424,200	12.7%	100%
Elm Grove TownshipGEOID 3803523700	township	103	100±84	$212,292	$441,700	0.0%	100%
Grace TownshipGEOID 3803531700	township	98	77±64	$56,944	$183,300	0.0%	100%
Reynolds	city	277	349±84	$93,750	$167,300	1.1%	35%
Strabane TownshipGEOID 3803576420	township	90	55±26	$118,542	$241,700	14.5%	100%
Avon TownshipGEOID 3803503940	township	87	159±103	$158,400	$596,800	1.3%	100%
Johnstown TownshipGEOID 3803540940	township	87	99±69	$126,250	$304,500	0.0%	100%
Lakeville TownshipGEOID 3803544060	township	85	149±80	not published	$96,800	0.0%	100%
Wheatfield TownshipGEOID 3803585140	township	80	47±20	$136,458	$231,300	0.0%	100%
Moraine TownshipGEOID 3803554300	township	73	124±87	not published	$233,800	0.0%	100%
Levant TownshipGEOID 3803546180	township	70	125±74	$60,556	$225,000	0.0%	100%
Plymouth TownshipGEOID 3803563380	township	68	14±18	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Niagara TownshipGEOID 3803556820	township	66	59±38	$92,344	not published	0.0%	100%
Agnes TownshipGEOID 3803500820	township	66	24±25	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Lind TownshipGEOID 3803546820	township	66	22±17	not published	not published	36.4%	100%
Bentru TownshipGEOID 3803506100	township	64	41±27	$106,827	$450,000	7.3%	100%
Gilby TownshipGEOID 3803530220	township	62	87±34	$58,750	$132,500	21.8%	100%
Loretta TownshipGEOID 3803548100	township	48	24±18	not published	$262,500	45.8%	100%
Logan Center TownshipGEOID 3803547580	township	47	83±77	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
NiagaraGEOID 3856780	city	46	24±15	$88,750	$100,000	0.0%	100%
Elkmount TownshipGEOID 3803523180	township	45	37±19	$91,250	not published	0.0%	100%
InksterGEOID 3839980	city	38	27±13	not published	not published	0.0%	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Grand Forks County?

The median resident of Grand Forks County is 30.9 years old; 21.2% are under 18 and 14.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 81.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.4%. 6.7% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Grand Forks County	North Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	30.9±0.2	35.9	+1.2
Under 18 years	21.2%	23.5%	–
65 years and over	14.2%±0.2 pts	16.5%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	5.4%	4.7%	+1.1 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	81.4%±0.5 pts	81.7%	−2.3 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	3.7%±0.3 pts	3.3%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	2.8%±0.3 pts	1.6%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	1.7%±0.3 pts	4.2%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.1%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	4.7%±0.8 pts	4.0%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.4%±0.2 pts	0.3%	–
Born outside the United States	6.7%±0.9 pts	4.7%	+1.1 pts
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	8.0%±1.0 pts	6.7%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	7.6%±0.7 pts	7.1%	–
With a disability	9.9%±0.8 pts	12.0%	–
No health insurance coverage	4.5%±0.7 pts	6.5%	−1.8 pts
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	95.9%±0.7 pts	94.0%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	38.0%±1.7 pts	32.7%	+2.4 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	13.4%±1.2 pts	9.7%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	7.4%±0.8 pts	4.2%	–

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 Grand Forks County earn?

Half of Grand Forks County's 31,295 households earn less than $68,075 a year (±$4,321), against $76,657 in North Dakota. In 2015-2019 it was $66,520 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 13.2% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Grand Forks County	North Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$68,075±$4,321	$76,657	no clear change
Mean household income	$92,591±$3,335	$101,793	–
Per capita income	$40,347±$1,329	$43,389	no clear change
People below the poverty line	13.2%±1.2 pts	10.8%	−3.0 pts
Children under 18 below the poverty line	9.4%±2.4 pts	11.1%	−4.6 pts
Households receiving SNAP	6.0%±1.0 pts	6.6%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	88.0%±1.5 pts	88.7%	–

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 Grand Forks County?

Owners occupy 51.8% of Grand Forks County's occupied homes and renters 48.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $252,700 by its owner (±$8,223). The median renter pays $992 a month including utilities, and 36.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Grand Forks County	North Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$252,700±$8,223	$249,900	no clear change
Median gross rent	$992±$35	$954	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	36.6%±3.4 pts	31.1%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,736±$53	$1,762	–
Owner-occupied homes	51.8%±1.6 pts	62.9%	+3.3 pts
Housing units	33,891±46	377,281	+930
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.5%±0.5 pts	1.2%	–
Rental vacancy rate	7.3%±2.1 pts	8.3%	–
Single-family detached homes	43.7%±1.5 pts	56.7%	–
Mobile homes	3.4%±0.8 pts	6.6%	–
Built 2020 or later	2.3%±0.6 pts	1.8%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	10.1%±0.9 pts	11.5%	–

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 Grand Forks County building?

Builders took permits for 186 new housing units across Grand Forks County in 2025 (115 single-family), 2.5 per 1,000 residents.

2019 156 units
2020 420 units
2021 168 units
2022 120 units
2023 110 units
2024 182 units
2025 186 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Grand Forks County get to work?

78.1% of Grand Forks County's workers drive alone and 6.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 15.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 2.3%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Grand Forks County	North Dakota	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	71.1%±1.2 pts	68.6%	–
Unemployment rate	2.3%±0.5 pts	2.8%	−1.5 pts
Drove alone to work	78.1%±1.7 pts	77.9%	–
Carpooled	9.2%±1.1 pts	8.8%	–
Public transportation	1.1%±0.8 pts	0.3%	–
Walked	3.1%±0.7 pts	3.2%	–
Worked from home	6.5%±1.0 pts	8.1%	+3.5 pts
Mean travel time to work	15.8 min±0.9	17.9 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 are Grand Forks County's census tracts?

Grand Forks County is divided into 22 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $23,636 (Tract 103.02) to $133,905 (Tract 111).

All 22 census tracts of Grand Forks County, with their figures

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Grand Forks County compare with North Dakota's other counties?

Grand Forks County's rank among North Dakota's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	3rd of 53
Growth 2020-2025	11th of 53
Residents per square mile	3rd of 53
Median household income	33rd of 53
Median home value	10th of 53
Median gross rent	8th of 53
Poverty rate	11th of 53
Bachelor's degree or higher	3rd of 53
Median age	52nd of 53

Every county in North Dakota

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 Grand Forks County 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' school search.