Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Cando’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a C− for incomes. Only 3 of North Dakota’s 69 towns score lower on the outdoors. Towner County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Cando has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Cando beats most towns.
Towner County CourthouseIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Cando is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 200 in 1890, a peak of 1,566 in 1960, 1,117 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1902 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cando, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Cando.
Among households in Cando, 65% live in a home they own, above the North Dakota town median (57%) but below the median of U.S. towns (73%). Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 13% in value. For Cando, the median rent is $764 a month.
| Cando | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $764 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 57% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its two schools are below. Public schools: the North Star 10 school district. 2 public schools serve Cando, with 284 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Star Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 208 | B |
| North Star High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 76 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
Among residents in Cando, 20% are 65 or older, against 13% in North Dakota’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (25% statewide); children under 18 are 32% of residents (24% statewide). The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Cando at 1,051 residents, down 6.2% since 2020. Its median age is 40.8 years.
| Cando | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 13% | 18% |
| Median age | 40.8 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.2 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Cando | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 18.8% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.8% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.7% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.2% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.7% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.2% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.1% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.6% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 32% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.8% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.2% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.5% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Cando. For adults in the town, the share who have obesity is 44%. This North Dakota town beats the North Dakota average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16.
| Cando | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 31% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 8.9% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Cando | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 17.2% | 21.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.5% | 76.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Summers in Cando are pleasant, and winters cold, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 79° and January nights drop to -4°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in two thirds of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Cando break down as 62% from cold waves and 12% from inland flooding. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2022.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The top destinations are Cando Township (11%), Devils Lake (7%) and Rolla (6%). One in 3 of the town’s working residents works locally. Employers in Cando shed 81 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 330. For Cando, the average commute is 14 minutes.
| Cando | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 30% | 39% | 8% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Cando; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Cando residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
3 notable people were born in Cando.
City in North Dakota, United States
Cando ( KAN-doo) is a city in Towner County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Towner County. The population was 1,117 at the 2020 census. Cando was founded in 1884.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
3 notable people were born here, including Dick Armey and Dewey King.
