Grand Forks County, North Dakota


Grand Forks County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 73,170, and was estimated to be 73,771 in 2024, making it the third-most populous county in North Dakota. The county seat and the largest city is Grand Forks. Grand Forks County is included in Grand Forks County is included in the Grand Forks Metropolitan statistical Area, aka Greater Grand Forks or Grand Cities area, with it's core cities being Grand Forks ND and East Grand Forks MN.

History

Using territory annexed from Pembina County, the Dakota Territory legislature created Grand Forks County on January 4, 1873. Its governing structure was not established at that time, nor was the territory attached to another county for administrative and judicial purposes. The government was organized on March 2, 1875.
The county's boundaries were altered in 1875, 1881, and 1883. It has retained its present boundary since 1883.
Grand Forks County is included in the Greater Grand Forks.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. It is the 17th largest county in North Dakota by total area.
Grand Forks County lies on the east side of North Dakota. Its eastern boundary line abuts the west boundary line of the state of Minnesota. The Red River flows northward along the county's east border, on its way to Lake Winnipeg and Hudson Bay. The Forest River flows eastward and northward across the upper western part of the county.
The terrain of Grand Forks County consists of low rolling hills, devoted to agriculture except around urban areas. The terrain slopes to the north and east; its highest point is a hill at its southwestern corner, at ASL.
The University of North Dakota has established a Field Biology Station on Forest River, at the county's northern border. In 2013 it partnered with ND Game & Fish Department to establish a wildlife management area at the station, to monitor whitetail deer activity in the forest. The field station is tasked with identifying plants native and endemic to the area. A total of 498 plants have been collected at the Forest River Biology Station and Wildlife Management Area.

Major highways

Source:
Source:
  • Fordville Dam
  • Larimore Dam
  • Smith Lakes

    Demographics

As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Grand Forks County was $276,879.

2023 American Community Survey

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 31,045 estimated households in Grand Forks County with an average of 2.20 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $68,450. Approximately 12.5% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Grand Forks County has an estimated 68.7% employment rate, with 37.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 95.7% holding a high school diploma.
Grand Forks County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition
Race / ethnicity Pop. 1980Pop. 1990Pop. 2000Pop. 2010
White alone 62,524
66,128
60,801
59,271
58,755
Black or African American alone 1,117
1,413
871
1,322
3,009
Native American or Alaska Native alone 798
1,198
1,473
1,592
1,637
Asian alone 506
849
636
1,280
2,479
Pacific Islander alone ——44
35
52
Other race alone 202
42
39
27
169
Mixed race or multiracial ——886
1,383
3,412
Hispanic or Latino 953
1,053
1,359
1,951
3,657
Total66,100
70,683
66,109
66,861
73,170

2024 estimate

As of the 2024 estimate, there were 73,771 people and 31,045 households residing in the county. There were 34,140 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 86.9% White , 4.3% African American, 2.9% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.7% of the population.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 73,170 people, 30,658 households, and 16,186 families residing in the county. The population density was. Of the residents, 21.0% were under the age of 18 and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 31.4 years. For every 100 females there were 104.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 104.5 males.
The racial makeup of the county was 82.1% White, 4.2% Black or African American, 2.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.4% Asian, 1.4% from some other race, and 6.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.0% of the population.
There were 30,658 households in the county, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 33,428 housing units at an average density of, of which 8.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 49.8% were owner-occupied and 50.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 66,861 people, 27,417 households, and 15,215 families in the county. The population density was. There were 29,344 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 90.27% White, 2.04% African American, 2.48% Native American, 1.93% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from some other races and 2.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.92% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 34.1% were German, 33.8% were Norwegian, 9.5% were Irish, 5.8% were Polish, 5.3% were English, and 2.9% were American.
Of the 27,417 households, 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 44.5% were non-families, and 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 29.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,242 and the median income for a family was $65,804. Males had a median income of $40,622 versus $31,633 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,276. About 8.2% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade


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