Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety76#221/924
Economy78#207/925
Housing42#539/925
Health87#122/925
Healthcare95#45/923
Environment93#64/917
Education93#70/925
Infrastructure87#123/925
Community92#78/925
Leisure & amenities88#109/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Mammography screening · high60.3%
98/100North Dakota 55.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Some college · high77.9%
97/100North Dakota 73.0%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · low15.4%
96/100North Dakota 15.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average commute time · low16.6 min
95/100North Dakota 17.9 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Loneliness · low30.3%
95/100North Dakota 29.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · high109 /100k
94/100North Dakota 79 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

New business applications · low8.4 /1k
13/100North Dakota 11.1 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · high15.4%
28/100North Dakota 12.0%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.07%
29/100North Dakota 0.92%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Property crime rate · high1,339 /100k
38/100North Dakota 1,458 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high3.5×
39/100North Dakota 3.3×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
83% (2021) → 17% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−65 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
72.1% (2010 & 2021) → 84.1% (2022 & 2024)
+12 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
18.1 /100k (2021) → 9.0 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−50%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$52,433 (2019) → $75,174 (2024)
+43%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.0% (2015-2019) → 88.7% (2020-2024)
+7.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
24.2% (Dec 2021) → 31.7% (Aug 2026)
+7.5 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area improved on 16 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 9 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Real income+43%$52,433 → $75,174
Traffic deaths−33%11.0 /100k → 7.3 /100k
Grocery stores+16%1.7 /10k → 2.0 /10k
Homicides−64%4.3 /100k → 1.6 /100k
Child poverty−4.9 points15.4% → 10.5%

Declined4

Suicides+24%13.1 /100k → 16.2 /100k
Restaurants−7.8%10.8 /10k → 10.0 /10k
Gyms−7.4%1.4 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Pharmacies−7%1.5 /10k → 1.4 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.6 /10k2020	6.2 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	57%
Average commute time	15.8 min2015-2019	16.6 min2020-2024	+0.7 min	Within the margin of error	37%
Average weekly wage	$9512020	$1,1622025	+22%	Improved	38%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.1%2015-2019	34.8%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Improved	47%
Broadband subscriptions	81.0%2015-2019	88.7%2020-2024	+7.7 points	Improved	33%
Child poverty rate	15.4%2015-2019	10.5%2020-2024	−4.9 points	Improved	75%
Distance to an airport	68 mi2020	68 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	13%
Drug overdose deaths	11.0 /100k2020	9.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−18%	Improved	42%
Effective property tax rate	1.13%2015-2019	1.07%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Firearm deaths	12.8 /100k2020	11.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−6.9%	Improved	60%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	+16%	Improved	85%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.4 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−7.4%	Declined	27%
High school diploma or higher	94.0%2015-2019	95.2%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	36%
Home price to income ratio	3.5×2015-2019	3.5×2020-2024	+0.0×	Within the margin of error	94%
Homicide rate	4.3 /100k2020	1.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−64%	Improved	87%
Income adjusted for local prices	$52,4332019	$75,1742024	+43%	Improved	94%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4582015-2019	0.4532020-2024	−0.005	Within the margin of error	70%
Median household income	$55,6092015-2019	$69,8362020-2024	+26%	Improved	43%
New business applications	6.5 /1k2020	8.4 /1k2025	+29%	Improved	26%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−7%	Declined	53%
Poverty rate	14.8%2015-2019	12.8%2020-2024	−2 points	Improved	73%
Property crime rate	1,831 /100k2020	1,339 /100k2025	−27%	Improved	35%
Public libraries	0.9 /10k2019	0.9 /10k2024	−3.2%	Little change	36%
Public transit commuters	0.9%2015-2019	1.3%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	97%
Rent as share of income	28.9%2015-2019	28.4%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Rent-burdened households	47.5%2015-2019	46.4%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Restaurants and bars	10.8 /10k2020	10.0 /10k2025	−7.8%	Declined	17%
Suicide rate	13.1 /100k2020	16.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+24%	Declined	21%
Traffic deaths	11.0 /100k2015-2019	7.3 /100k2020-2024	−33%	Improved	96%
Unemployment rate	4.8%2020	2.8%2025	−2 points	Improved	22%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.2%2015-2019	5.7%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Violent crime rate	242 /100k2020	233 /100k2025	−3.6%	Little change	30%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area itself moved +2.6 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

103,628 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

43,655 households (±560)

Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area
United States share

Under $25k17%7,232
$25k–50k19%8,425
$50k–75k17%7,478

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

43,655 households (±560)

Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area
United States share

Own57%25,014
Rent43%18,641

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.7 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

55,367 workers (±830)

Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area
United States share

Drive alone78%43,289
Carpool8.5%4,711
Public transit1.3%†696

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Grand Forks, ND-MN employ 12,330 people. 4 pay a median above the US median and 6 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Grand Forks, ND-MN by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Retail Salespersons1,620 jobs	1,620	$34,440US $35,410	−3%	1.25×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,490 jobs	1,490

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Grand Forks, ND-MN has 2,636 employer establishments, 255 for every 10,000 residents (1.03× the US rate of 248), with 40,663 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,398. The Census Bureau also counts 6,938 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,636; 6,938 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 255; US 248
Paid employees: 40,663
Average annual pay: $52,398; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Grand Forks, ND-MN by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	197	19	1.23×About typical	1,680	$83,172	446
Restaurants and other eating places	164	15.8	0.86×About typical	3,664	$20,168	17
Ambulatory health care services	143	13.8	0.66×Fewer than typical	2,117	$64,913	260
Lessors of real estate	96	9.3	0.75×Fewer than typical	466	$46,060	952
Religious organizations	89	8.6	1.55×More than typical	584	$23,683	—
Construction of buildings	85	8.2	1.09×About typical	641	$75,072	205
Services to buildings and dwellings	85	8.2	1.22×About typical	459	$29,610	410
Truck transportation	83	8	1.59×More than typical	1,097	$54,732	194
Building equipment contractors	81	7.8	1.30×More than typical	973	$82,704	62
Limited-service restaurants	70	6.8	0.84×About typical	1,430	$18,729	4
Offices of other health practitioners	70	6.8	1.11×About typical	334	$54,994	128
Automotive repair and maintenance	66	6.4	1.27×More than typical	234	$54,350	92

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 103,529 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $128.4M on contracts performed in Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area: $1,222 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $128.4M; −3.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,222; US $1,995
Sole-source: 4.9%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Federal Aviation Administration$76.3M59%
Department of the Army$16.9M13%
Defense Logistics Agency$11.4M8.9%
Department of the Air Force$10.6M8.3%
Agricultural Research Service$4.9M3.8%
Agricultural Marketing Service$1.7M1.3%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$1.6M1.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs$1.4M1.1%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

75.6MFY2017
64.8MFY2018
78.5MFY2019
56.1MFY2020
68.2MFY2021
70.5MFY2022
125MFY2023
158.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$94.2M73%
Water, sewage and other systems · 2213$8.2M6.4%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$4.9M3.8%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$3.8M2.9%
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution · 2211$2.5M1.9%
Scientific research and development services · 5417

Largest awards

BID BUILD GFK ATCT$74.4M
WALSH FEDERAL LLC· Grand Forks County, ND· Construction & real property· Jun 17, 2026 – Sep 4, 2026· 697DCK26C00134
THIS CONTRACT IS AWARDED FOR THE OWNERSHIP, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE WATER AND WASTEWATER UTILITY SYSTEMS AT GRAND FORKS AFB AND CAVALIER AFS, NORTH DAKOTA.$74.1M
BASE UTILITIES INC· Grand Forks County, ND· Facilities & utilities· Jun 29, 2018 – Mar 26, 2026· SP060018C8322
CONSTRUCTION OF DRP AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE FACILITY, GRAND FORKS BLDG. 649$67.1M
KORTE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY· Grand Forks County, ND· Construction & real property· Sep 27, 2024 – May 29, 2026· W9128F24C0033

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $779.4M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area: $7,420 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $779.4M; −27% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,420; US $12,975
Loan face value: $44.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 6.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$341M44%
81.089 · Fossil Energy Research and Development$72M9.2%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$63.2M8.1%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$40.2M5.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$28.7M3.7%
93.600 · Head Start$20.5M2.6%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$19.9M2.5%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$18.9M2.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA$106.8M14%
GRAND FORKS, ND
NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$36.4M4.7%
BISMARCK, ND
TRI VALLEY OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL INC$17.6M2.3%
CROOKSTON, MN
GRAND FORKS REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY$14.3M1.8%
GRAND FORKS, ND
GRAND FORKS HOUSING AUTHORITY OF CIT

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$419.7M54%
Department of Energy$76.1M9.8%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$73.6M9.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$41.6M5.3%
Department of Transportation
Farm Service Agency$35.6M4.6%

Assistance by fiscal year

740.1MFY2021
767.8MFY2022
692.1MFY2023
679.6MFY2024
1.1BFY2025
779.4MFY2026

County aggregates

65%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 8, 2026, loaded Oct 8, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Grand Forks, ND-MN

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

States

The share of the area's residents living in each state.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Grand ForksPrincipal city59,042

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in North Dakota

Areas based in North Dakota, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M24220

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Grand Forks, ND-MN

States

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in North Dakota

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type