Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Cavalier’s best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for walkability; its weakest is a C for incomes. Cavalier’s average trip to work is 11 minutes, where North Dakota’s towns sit at 16 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. On walkability, just 3 of North Dakota’s 68 towns do better. Pembina County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Cavalier has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Cavalier beats most towns.
In 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 Cavalier is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 671 in 1900, 1,246 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1912 and 3 maps from 1939 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cavalier, 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 Cavalier.
The typical Cavalier home is worth about $178,000, up 11.8% in a year, 39% below the North Dakota typical home. 51% of Cavalier households own their home, below both North Dakota’s towns (57%) and U.S. towns (73%). The median rent in Cavalier is $800 a month.
| Cavalier | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 57% | 73% |
| Median rent | $800 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Cavalier 6 school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cavalier Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 195 | B− |
| Cavalier High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 180 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cavalier.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Cavalier has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Cavalier’s July high is 80°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
24% of residents are 65 or older in Cavalier. Only 1 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a higher median age than Cavalier. 21% of residents are under 18 in Cavalier.
| Cavalier | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 13% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.5 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 26% | 22% |
56% women, 44% men
About 79 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.2 points). Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Cavalier | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.8% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.5% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.1% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.8% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.2% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.3% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.8% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.3% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.2% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.8% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.4% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18.7% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.8% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.1% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
About one in 3 of Cavalier’s working residents works in town. 6.2% of Cavalier residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Fargo (7%), Grand Forks (6%) and Crystal (5%).
| Cavalier | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 34% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Cavalier's reported crime rate is well below North Dakota's. Among 17 North Dakota towns, just 1 have a lower violent crime rate than Cavalier. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Cavalier | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 18.7 | 13.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.8 |
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Cavalier. Cavalier beats the North Dakota average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
| Cavalier | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 16% |
| What stands out | Cavalier | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.9% | 76.3% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86% | 82.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.7% | 10.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cavalier City Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Cavalier; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Cavalier residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
7 notable people were born in Cavalier.
City in North Dakota, United States
Cavalier is the largest city in Pembina County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Pembina County. The population was 1,246 at the 2020 census. Cavalier was founded in 1875 and became the county seat in 1911. Icelandic State Park is located 6 miles west of Cavalier, is also home to Lake Renwick. Although there is the county to the west of Pembina named Cavalier County, Cavalier is not located in nearby Cavalier County. The Tongue River flows past Cavalier and Cavalier Space Force Station is located approximately 14 miles southwest of the city.
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+.
7 notable people were born here, including Brent Goulet and John Kobs.