HomeNorth DakotaGrand Forks County
Grand Forks County, North Dakota: commercial real estate data.
Grand Forks County, North Dakota has a population of 72,923 across 1,436 square miles, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $5.92 bn in 2024, 1,903 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 67 7(a) approvals worth $40.2 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Grand Forks County
How many people live in Grand Forks County
- Population72,923
- Households31,295
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$68,075
- Median age30.9
- Median gross rent$992 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$252,700
- Home value to household income3.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher38.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over43,548
- Population under 1815,443
- Share under 1821.2 percent
- Population 65 and over10,391
- Share 65 and over14.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6447,089
- Civilian labor force40,726
- Unemployment rate2.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.9 percent
- Rank by population among North Dakota counties3rd of 53
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents767th
Grand Forks County is the 3rd largest of 53 North Dakota counties by population. A median home costs 3.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.2 percent against 14.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Grand Forks County
Is Grand Forks County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.82 percent
- Census 2020 base population73,169
- Births, 2024834
- Deaths, 2024567
- Natural change, 2024267
- Net domestic migration, 2024-375
- Net international migration, 2024685
- Total net migration, 2024310
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,193
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1547th
The county has grown 0.82 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Grand Forks County
Where people moving to Grand Forks County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,320
- People arriving, from those returns3,864
- Adjusted gross income arriving$117.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$50,665
- Largest single originGrand Forks County Non-migrants (25,748 households)
- Largest single destination (25,748 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks County Non-migrants | 25,748 | 50,140 | $2.42 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,163 | 1,963 | $60.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 465 | 680 | $24.3 m |
| Other flows - West | 338 | 632 | $19.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 307 | 567 | $15.0 m |
| Polk County | 238 | 386 | $12.4 m |
| Cass County | 185 | 280 | $7.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 142 | 218 | $7.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Grand Forks County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Grand Forks County
What the Grand Forks County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$5.92 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.51 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.5 percent
- GDP change over five years38.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among North Dakota counties4th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents655th
- GDP per resident$81,185
Output grew 7.5 percent in the latest year and 38.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Grand Forks County
Who employs people in Grand Forks County
- Covered employment, annual average40,704
- Establishments reporting2,774
- Average annual pay$59,530
- Average weekly wage$1,145
- Sector 62, employment6,973
- Sector 62, average annual pay$70,566
- Sector 44-45, employment5,548
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,111
- Sector 72, employment4,033
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,567
- Sector 31-33, employment2,827
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$64,370
- Sector 23, employment2,482
- Sector 54, employment1,541
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 6,973 | 289 | $70,566 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,548 | 281 | $37,111 |
| Sector 72 | 4,033 | 198 | $23,567 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,827 | 82 | $64,370 |
| Sector 23 | 2,482 | 303 | $72,672 |
| Sector 54 | 1,541 | 319 | $91,681 |
| Sector 56 | 1,508 | 194 | $49,929 |
| Sector 42 | 1,386 | 169 | $79,020 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,973 jobs, 17.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Grand Forks County
What businesses operate in Grand Forks County
- Establishments, all industries1,903
- Employment at those establishments31,719
- Annual payroll$1.71 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Grand Forks County
What is being built in Grand Forks County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024182
- Declared construction value permitted$32.8 m
- Single family units authorised114
- Multifamily units authorised68
- Multifamily share of units37.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$180,484
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.8
Multifamily is 37.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Grand Forks County
How much SBA lending happens in Grand Forks County
- 7(a) approvals recorded67
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$40.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$600,148
- Median 7(a) approval$258,200
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,347,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)685
- Jobs per approval10.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active19
- Distinct industries receiving approvals44
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter57
- Franchise loans8
- Franchise share of approvals11.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers (3)
- Most active lenderBank Forward (16)
- 504 approvals recorded54
- 504 gross approval dollars$43.8 m
- Average 504 approval$810,667
- Median 504 approval$534,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval11.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.5
- Most active CDCDakota Business Lending (27)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals55.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$84.0 m
The average approval of $600,148 sits well above the median of $258,200, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 6.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Grand Forks County
Do SBA loans in Grand Forks County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded20
- Paid in full20
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full20
- Status: Exempt from disclosure39
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Of the 20 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Grand Forks County
Which parts of Grand Forks County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending6
- Grand Forks, approvals57
- NORTHWOOD, approvals4
- LARIMORE, approvals3
- MEKINOCK, approvals1
- THOMPSON, approvals1
- Emerado, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks | 57 | $36,476,000 |
| NORTHWOOD | 4 | $3,272,400 |
| LARIMORE | 3 | $216,500 |
| MEKINOCK | 1 | $80,000 |
| THOMPSON | 1 | $15,000 |
| Emerado | 1 | $150,000 |
Grand Forks accounts for 57 approvals against 4 in NORTHWOOD. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Grand Forks County
How big is Grand Forks County
- Land area1,436 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Dakota counties17th of 53
- Width, east to west46.9 mi
- Height, north to south36.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land51
- Establishments per square mile1.33
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Grand Forks County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Grand Forks County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population72,923
- Households31,295
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$68,075
- Median age30.9
Common questions
Grand Forks County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Grand Forks County, North Dakota?
72,923, in 31,295 households, ranking 3rd of 53 North Dakota counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Grand Forks County growing?
The population has grown 0.82 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 834 births against 567 deaths, with net migration of 310. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Grand Forks County?
$68,075. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $252,700, which is 3.7 times income, and median gross rent is $992 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Grand Forks County?
1,903 establishments, employing 31,719 people with an annual payroll of $1.71 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Grand Forks County?
Average annual pay is $59,530, or $1,145 a week, across 40,704 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Grand Forks County?
67 7(a) approvals totalling $40.2 m since FY2020, across 19 lenders, with a median approval of $258,200, plus 54 504 approvals worth $43.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Grand Forks County get paid back?
Of the 20 loans that have reached a final outcome, 20 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Grand Forks County?
182 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $32.8 m. Multifamily was 37.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Grand Forks County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Grand Forks County come from?
The largest single origin is Grand Forks County Non-migrants, with 25,748 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,665 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Grand Forks County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Grand Forks County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.