Living in Grand Forks, ND
Small city in North Dakota
Grand Forks is a small city in North Dakota, home to about 59,000 people, with 87,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Grand Forks a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 78°F
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $277k and rents for $1,520 a month
- Safe: violent crime is 0.8× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Low natural disaster risk: 17 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 87,000 people live within 31 mi
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Few top-rated hospitals: no 4–5★ hospital within 31 mi
- Fewer family amenities than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Grand Forks ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Grand Forks: common questions
What is the cost of living in Grand Forks?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $277k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,520 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 87, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Grand Forks?
North Dakota collects about $546 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.22% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Grand Forks safe?
Violent crime is close to the national rate (0.8× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Grand Forks?
Grand Forks has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 19°F and summer days around 78°F, with roughly 49″ of snow a year.
Does Grand Forks get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and tornadoes: 17 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.38 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Grand Forks?
The nearest major airport is MSP, about 279 mi away.
How Grand Forks scores
Each bar compares Grand Forks with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Grand Forks
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.
Nearby
See all the best places to live in North Dakota.
Is Grand Forks right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.