Grand Forks County, North Dakota

ND · FIPS 38035 Republican

Located in North Dakota, Grand Forks County has a population of 72,923 residents and a median age of 30.9 years, making it the #767 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.2%. The median home value is $252,700, and the median household income is $68,075, which is 9% below the national median.

72,923
Population
#767 of 3,222
$68,075
Median Income
-9.4% #1,337 of 3,222
30.9 years
Median Age
-20.6% #3,161 of 3,222
13.2%
Poverty Rate
+4.8% #1,579 of 3,222

Demographics

Grand Forks County has a population of 72,923, making it the #767 most populous county in the US. The median age is 30.9 years, which is 20.6% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

93.3%
Native Born
6.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Grand Forks County is $68,075, ranking #1,337 out of 3,222 counties — 9.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.2% and unemployment stands at 2.3%.

Income#1,337
$68,075
-9.4%
vs nation
59th percentile
Per Capita#781
$40,347
-2.2%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poverty#1,579
13.2%
+4.8%
vs nation
51th percentile
Unemployment#359
2.3%
-57.4%
vs nation
89th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Grand Forks County is $252,700 (-10.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $992/mo and the homeownership rate is 51.8%.

Home Value#875
$252,700
-10.4%
vs nation
73th percentile
Rent#1,021
$992
-14.7%
vs nation
68th percentile
Homeownership#3,159
51.8%
-19.6%
vs nation
2th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Grand Forks County, 38.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 12.8% above the national average, ranking #345 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
38.0% +12.8% vs nation
Rank #345 of 3,222
89th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Grand Forks County is 78.6 years. 15.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#488
78.6
+4.6%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#745
15.8%
-19.2%
vs nation
76th percentile
Diabetes#716
9.3%
-16.5%
vs nation
77th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#759
34.2%
-8.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#141
4.6
-19.2%
vs nation
96th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#395
3.7
-17.2%
vs nation
88th percentile
Uninsured Rate#598
6.4%
-38.5%
vs nation
81th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,413
25.3%
-4.1%
vs nation
55th percentile
Food Insecurity#105
8.6%
-40.3%
vs nation
97th percentile

Substance Use

16.7% of adults in Grand Forks County smoke , 37.4% are obese , and 23.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 14.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,193
16.7%
-7.0%
vs nation
62th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,263
37.4%
-1.3%
vs nation
60th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,746
23.4%
+17.8%
vs nation
13th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#221
14.4
-55.3%
vs nation
90th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Grand Forks County is 3.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.5 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#335
3.4
-57.3%
vs nation
78th percentile
Suicide Rate#784
15.2
-23.0%
vs nation
69th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#722
13.0
-27.5%
vs nation
71th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#515
11.5
-43.3%
vs nation
82th percentile

Families & Children

9.4% of children in Grand Forks County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 9.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#162
4.5
-34.3%
vs nation
88th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#341
9.0
-58.8%
vs nation
89th percentile
Child Poverty#280
9.4%
-50.5%
vs nation
91th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Grand Forks County is 58.1%. The mean commute time is 17.4 min, which is 36.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
58.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
17.4 min −36.8% vs nation
Rank #3,042 of 3,222
6th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Grand Forks County voted Republican with a margin of 18.2%. The vote was 40.1% Dem / 58.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +18.2%
40.1% 58.3%
Dem 31,089 votes Rep
2020 REP +13.2%
41.6% 54.8%
Dem 30,970 votes Rep
2016 REP +18.5%
36.4% 54.9%
Dem 29,711 votes Rep
2012 REP +3.5%
47% 50.5%
Dem 29,796 votes Rep
2008 DEM +5.1%
51.7% 46.6%
Dem 31,153 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Grand Forks County, North Dakota

Grand Forks County, North Dakota has a total population of 72,923, making it the 767th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Grand Forks County is 30.9 years, which is 20.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Grand Forks County is $68,075, which ranks #1,337 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.3%.

The median home value in Grand Forks County is $252,700, 10.4% below the national median. Renters in Grand Forks County pay a median gross rent of $992 per month. The homeownership rate is 51.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Grand Forks County, 38.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 12.8% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 17.4 min.

Grand Forks County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 81.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).

All data for Grand Forks County, North Dakota comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.