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COUNTY

Grand Forks County

North Dakota · 74,501 residents (2025 est.) · 1,436 sq mi
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Part of the Grand Forks metro area
The short version

With 72,923 people, Grand Forks County is a county in North Dakota. The median age is 30.9, younger than the US median of 38.9. 52% of homes are owner-occupied. Getting to work takes 16 minutes on average. 77% were living in the same home a year earlier. Density works out to 51 people per square mile.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $68,075, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 30.9
US median: 38.9
Average education
38% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 59%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Grand Forks County

What changed most since 1990

  • Hispanic share1.5% → 5.4% (+3.8 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
  • White share93.6% → 81.4% (−12.2 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts

Among the 53 counties in North Dakota

  • 33rd in household income$68,075
  • 3rd in share with a bachelor's degree38.0%
  • 10th in home value$252,700
  • 9th in diversity score41.0
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
72,923
+10%since 2000
from 66,109 in 2000
74,501 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
51 / sq mi
+10%since 2000
from 46 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
30.9
+6%since 2000
from 29.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,436 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
65K68K70K72K74K19902000201020202024Grand Forks County
202473K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.1%(4,415)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(4,478)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.8%(4,198)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.5%(6,177)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2413.9%(10,107)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.5%(11,316)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.5%(8,419)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 548.7%(6,348)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 649.7%(7,074)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.3%(6,029)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.2%(3,081)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.8%(1,281)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$68,075
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,785 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$40,347
+126%since 2000
from $17,868 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
46.2%
+23.6 ptssince 2009
from 22.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 12.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.460
Unchangedsince 2010
from 0.461 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade8.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade5.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services4.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction3%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.9%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$252,700
+59%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $87,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$992
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $477 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
51.8%
−2.1 ptssince 2000
from 53.9% in 2000
48.2% rent
Vacancy rate
7.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 8.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.18 people
−6%since 2009
from 2.33 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.4%
−6.3 ptssince 2009
from 22.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 46.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.7
+19%since 2009
from 3.1 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
52
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic92%(60,801)
Black1.3%(871)
Hispanic / Latino2.1%(1,359)
Asian1%(636)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic81.4%(59,342)
Black3.7%(2,708)
Hispanic / Latino5.4%(3,919)
Asian2.8%(2,020)
Other6.8%(4,934)
Diversity Score
41
+77%since 2009
from 23 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
22
−26%since 2020
from 29 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.4%(2,486)
Colombian0.3%(253)
Puerto Rican0.3%(199)
Venezuelan0.2%(177)
Chilean0.2%(127)
Cuban0.1%(94)
Spaniard0.1%(82)
Panamanian0.1%(64)
Ecuadorian0.1%(45)
Honduran0%(19)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0%(16)
Peruvian0%(16)
Argentine0%(10)
Asian origin
Bangladeshi0.6%(413)
Chinese0.5%(333)
Filipino0.5%(332)
Korean0.4%(277)
Asian Indian0.4%(264)
Pakistani0.2%(176)
Vietnamese0.1%(88)
Japanese0.1%(43)
Nepalese0.1%(37)
Hmong0%(6)
Thai0%(4)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(19)
Chamorro0%(17)
Ancestry
German27.6%(20,104)
Norwegian25.1%(18,281)
Irish9.3%(6,768)
English5.8%(4,216)
Swedish4.1%(2,987)
Polish4.1%(2,965)
French2.9%(2,121)
American2.1%(1,512)
Italian2%(1,469)
Czech1.6%(1,171)
Scottish1.4%(1,000)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1.2%(849)
Dutch0.8%(551)
Somali0.7%(506)
Danish0.7%(482)
Arab0.6%(416)
Welsh0.5%(392)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(329)
Ukrainian0.4%(308)
Canadian0.3%(230)
Nigerian0.3%(217)
West Indian0.3%(217)
Finnish0.2%(166)
Lebanese0.2%(161)
Egyptian0.2%(146)
Jamaican0.2%(140)
Portuguese0.2%(138)
Iranian0.2%(121)
Hungarian0.2%(112)
British0.1%(108)
Kenyan0.1%(92)
Romanian0.1%(85)
Austrian0.1%(70)
Belgian0.1%(70)
Palestinian0.1%(58)
Swiss0.1%(55)
Slovak0.1%(52)
Ethiopian0.1%(52)
Lithuanian0.1%(37)
Syrian0%(28)
Croatian0%(26)
Brazilian0%(22)
Ghanaian0%(22)
Greek0%(21)
Slovene0%(19)
Turkish0%(5)
Serbian0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
38.0%
+10.2 ptssince 2000
from 27.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.9%
+6.7 ptssince 2000
from 89.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.4%
+4.3 ptssince 2000
from 9.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
15.8 min
+53%since 2000
from 10.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
78.1%
−5.2 ptssince 2009
from 83.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.2%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
6.5%
+3.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.1%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.3%
−2.3 ptssince 2011
from 4.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
71.1%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 72.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.1%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 82.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
16.4%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
39.6%
+9.0 ptssince 2009
from 30.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Female
48.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Foreign born
6.7%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.6%
−3.8 ptssince 2009
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2012
from 8.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.5%
−3.9 ptssince 2013
from 8.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.0%
+8.8 ptssince 2017
from 79.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.5%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 91.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
77.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 77.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
92.0%
−2.0 ptssince 2016
from 94.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2016
from 1.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married47.4%(14,570)
Married41.9%(12,894)
Widowed2%(624)
Divorced8.7%(2,672)
Women 15+
Never married37.6%(10,934)
Married43.2%(12,560)
Widowed7.2%(2,100)
Divorced12%(3,478)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.5%
−3.9 ptssince 2013
from 8.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
64.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 65.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 16.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 13.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
11.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 11.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 3.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
82.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 82.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
25.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 24.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)39.9%(1,704)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)31.3%(1,337)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era27.3%(1,165)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4%(173)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(37)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 4,274 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Grand Forks County, decade by decade

Grand Forks County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199070,683$60,391$149,28425.8%15.3
200066,109$65,188$158,66627.8%19.0
201066,861$63,645$200,10533.3%26.3
202073,170$65,112$252,34636.2%43.3
202472,923$68,075$252,70038.0%41.0

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

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Pop 76,664
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Pop 67,225
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Places similar to Grand Forks County
Head to head

Compare Grand Forks County to nearby counties

GRAND FORKS COUNTY VS
Walsh County
Income$71,944+6%
Home value$132,700−47%
Population10,179−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GRAND FORKS COUNTY VS
Nelson County
Income$67,193−1%
Home value$139,700−45%
Population2,963−96%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GRAND FORKS COUNTY VS
Steele County
Income$77,500+14%
Home value$130,700−48%
Population1,797−98%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GRAND FORKS COUNTY VS
Traill County
Income$87,004+28%
Home value$200,700−21%
Population7,920−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Grand Forks County, North Dakota?

Grand Forks County, North Dakota has about 72,923 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Grand Forks County, North Dakota?

The typical household in Grand Forks County, North Dakota earns about $68,075 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Grand Forks County, North Dakota expensive?

In Grand Forks County, North Dakota, the median home is worth about $252,700, and the typical rent is about $992 a month.

How educated are people in Grand Forks County, North Dakota?

About 38.0% of adults age 25 and over in Grand Forks County, North Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Grand Forks County, North Dakota?

About 13.2% of people in Grand Forks County, North Dakota live below the federal poverty line.

Has Grand Forks County, North Dakota grown since 1990?

Yes, Grand Forks County, North Dakota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,240 residents, a change of about 3 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Grand Forks County, North Dakota: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy