Jobs, pay and daily life in Grand Forks, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Grand Forks is a city in North Dakota with 59,042 residents. The median household earns $63,627 a year and the median rent is $980 a month, which is 18.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Grand Forks, ND-MN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 52,000 jobs.
How Grand Forks compares. Among the 30 largest places in North Dakota, Grand Forks is #3 by population, #4 for college degrees (#1 = most), #23 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #21 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Grand Forks County, is #17 of 53 counties for average pay ($59,530).
Grand Forks has 59,042 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 7.5% of the population of North Dakota. It covers 29 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,028 people per square mile. The median age is 29.6, 18% younger than the state median (29.6 against 35.9).
The median gross rent is $980 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($980 against $954). Over a year that is 18.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $249,900, which is 3.9 times the median household income ($63,627); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 46.4% of households own their home, 26% below the state average (46.4% against 62.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Grand Forks, ND-MN metropolitan area has 52,000 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,760 a year, about the same as the national median ($49,760 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (5,260 jobs, median $47,630); food preparation and serving related (5,000 jobs, median $32,220); transportation and material moving (4,810 jobs, median $45,860). The area is most specialised in food preparation and serving related (1.1 times) and office and administrative support (0.9 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($47,630) and food preparation and serving related ($32,220). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Grand Forks County was 1.6%. 69.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Grand Forks County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 78.6% drive alone, 1.3% use public transit, 3.3% walk, 6.5% work from home. 5.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 36% below the state average (5.0% against 7.8%).
40.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 22% above the state share (40.0% against 32.7%). 7.7% of residents were born outside the United States, 63% above the state share (7.7% against 4.7%). The poverty rate is 15.5%, 43% above the state rate (15.5% against 10.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 72°F (22.3°C), and the coolest is Jan at 7°F (-13.9°C). About 585 mm (23 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (104 mm) and Jan the driest (14 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Grand Forks AFB (14 miles, rent 66% higher); Mayville (31 miles, rent 13% lower); Grafton (37 miles, rent 25% lower); Casselton (71 miles, rent 17% lower). Rent differences are against Grand Forks; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in North Dakota (255) →State guide: North DakotaCountry guideGrand Forks CountyNorth Dakota rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 255 federal postings open in North Dakota (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in North Dakota →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 1,620 | 1.25 | $34,440 | $27,890 | $48,070 | -3% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,490 | 1.16 | $29,540 | $22,480 | $35,950 | -5% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,350 | 0.93 | $41,080 | $34,140 | $46,150 | +15% |
| Cashiers | 1,280 | 1.24 | $30,980 | $27,980 | $36,880 | -6% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,280 | 1.13 | $79,070 | $66,380 | $97,850 | -19% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,220 | 1.04 | $85,420 | $46,310 | $167,880 | -19% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,100 | 1.59 | $59,360 | $47,440 | $89,870 | +1% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,030 | 1.05 | $43,580 | $35,250 | $53,770 | +8% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,030 | 2.18 | $36,580 | $23,450 | $46,050 | -1% |
| Nursing Assistants | 930 | 1.91 | $45,740 | $35,330 | $48,830 | +8% |
| Office Clerks, General | 920 | 1.11 | $48,570 | $33,860 | $66,980 | +8% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 830 | 0.87 | $35,460 | $31,010 | $44,660 | -5% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 820 | 1.07 | $27,820 | $18,560 | $58,950 | -21% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 790 | 1.07 | $37,020 | $29,770 | $49,520 | +0% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 750 | 1.31 | $47,920 | $36,530 | $60,240 | +1% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 710 | 1.50 | $51,850 | $34,970 | $58,240 | +16% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 600 | 1.17 | $48,040 | $36,950 | $70,340 | -3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 580 | 0.67 | $42,560 | $31,800 | $69,140 | -5% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 560 | 1.20 | $36,800 | $28,380 | $44,840 | -2% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 540 | 1.16 | $61,430 | $48,900 | $81,030 | -4% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 1,220 | 1.04 | $85,420 | $46,310 | $167,880 | -19% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,280 | 1.13 | $79,070 | $66,380 | $97,850 | -19% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 540 | 1.16 | $61,430 | $48,900 | $81,030 | -4% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,100 | 1.59 | $59,360 | $47,440 | $89,870 | +1% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 710 | 1.50 | $51,850 | $34,970 | $58,240 | +16% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 510 | 1.11 | $50,260 | $37,030 | $66,040 | -1% |
| Construction Laborers | 510 | 1.39 | $49,070 | $41,120 | $66,140 | +4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 920 | 1.11 | $48,570 | $33,860 | $66,980 | +8% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 600 | 1.17 | $48,040 | $36,950 | $70,340 | -3% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 750 | 1.31 | $47,920 | $36,530 | $60,240 | +1% |
| Nursing Assistants | 930 | 1.91 | $45,740 | $35,330 | $48,830 | +8% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,030 | 1.05 | $43,580 | $35,250 | $53,770 | +8% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 580 | 0.67 | $42,560 | $31,800 | $69,140 | -5% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,350 | 0.93 | $41,080 | $34,140 | $46,150 | +15% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 790 | 1.07 | $37,020 | $29,770 | $49,520 | +0% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 560 | 1.20 | $36,800 | $28,380 | $44,840 | -2% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,030 | 2.18 | $36,580 | $23,450 | $46,050 | -1% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 830 | 0.87 | $35,460 | $31,010 | $44,660 | -5% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,620 | 1.25 | $34,440 | $27,890 | $48,070 | -3% |
| Cashiers | 1,280 | 1.24 | $30,980 | $27,980 | $36,880 | -6% |
These figures are for the whole Grand Forks, ND-MN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,760 (US $50,980); unemployment 2.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 34.0% |
| Retail trade | 13.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.4% |
| Manufacturing | 9.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.0% |
| Construction | 4.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.7% |
| Other services | 4.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.5% |
| Public administration | 3.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.7% |
| Information | 1.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Grand Forks lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks County | 72,923 | $5,920 million | $81,185 | 40,704 | 2,774 | $59,530 | +2.1% | 1.6% | 40,583 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 6,973 | 21.9% | $70,566 | 1.20 |
| Retail trade | 5,548 | 17.4% | $37,111 | 1.36 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,033 | 12.7% | $23,567 | 1.09 |
| Manufacturing | 2,827 | 8.9% | $64,370 | 0.85 |
| Construction | 2,482 | 7.8% | $72,672 | 1.16 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,541 | 4.8% | $91,681 | 0.54 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,508 | 4.7% | $49,929 | 0.63 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,386 | 4.4% | $79,020 | 0.86 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,180 | 3.7% | $57,406 | 0.68 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 957 | 3.0% | $47,699 | 0.78 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 845 | 2.7% | $16,728 | 1.24 |
| Finance and insurance | 781 | 2.5% | $100,696 | 0.47 |
| Real estate and rental | 522 | 1.6% | $46,363 | 0.83 |
| Information | 356 | 1.1% | $87,782 | 0.47 |
| Management of companies | 339 | 1.1% | $92,000 | 0.49 |
| Utilities | 309 | 1.0% | $125,957 | 2.00 |
| Educational services | 219 | 0.7% | $86,371 | 0.26 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 78.6% |
| Public transit | 1.3% |
| Walk | 3.3% |
| Work from home | 6.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,627 |
| Income per person | $39,857 |
| Median gross rent per month | $980 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 18.5% |
| Median home value | $249,900 |
| Homeowners | 46.4% |
| Poverty rate | 15.5% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 86.7 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,760 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 2.50%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 29.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 95.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 40.0% |
| Born abroad | 7.7% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 69.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -13.9 | 7 | 14 |
| Feb | -12.0 | 10 | 14 |
| Mar | -2.4 | 28 | 28 |
| Apr | 6.0 | 43 | 38 |
| May | 13.1 | 56 | 84 |
| Jun | 19.0 | 66 | 104 |
| Jul | 22.3 | 72 | 77 |
| Aug | 20.7 | 69 | 69 |
| Sep | 15.2 | 59 | 64 |
| Oct | 6.3 | 43 | 52 |
| Nov | -1.7 | 29 | 19 |
| Dec | -10.0 | 14 | 22 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks AFB | ND | 14 mi | 1,987 | $72,782 | $1,626 |
| Mayville | ND | 31 mi | 1,976 | $55,735 | $854 |
| Grafton | ND | 37 mi | 4,102 | $62,679 | $733 |
| Casselton | ND | 71 mi | 2,953 | $73,259 | $814 |
| Fargo | ND | 74 mi | 131,627 | $66,998 | $946 |
| West Fargo | ND | 74 mi | 40,094 | $90,665 | $1,111 |
| Moorhead | MN | 75 mi | 45,036 | $72,761 | $1,033 |
| Horace | ND | 81 mi | 4,588 | $138,578 | $2,146 |
| Valley City | ND | 81 mi | 6,541 | $60,339 | $780 |
| Langdon | ND | 83 mi | 1,782 | $64,286 | $786 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
59,042 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$980 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 18.5% of the median household income.
$63,627 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
1.6% (BLS county, Grand Forks County (latest month 2026M09)).
North Dakota. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.