Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
28% of residents are 65 or older in Drayton, where North Dakota’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 18%. No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher median age than Drayton. Drayton United Methodist Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Drayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 62 in 1880, a peak of 1,095 in 1970, 757 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1939 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Drayton, 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 Drayton.
In Drayton, 80% of households live in a home they own. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 16% in value. The typical Drayton home is worth about $168,000, up 16.3% in a year, 42% below the North Dakota typical home.
| Drayton | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $495 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 57% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Public schools: the Drayton 19 school district. Its two schools are below. The 2 public schools in Drayton teach 182 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drayton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 120 | C |
| Drayton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 62 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Four-year graduates: nearly a quarter of adults 25 and older here, 33% across North Dakota. Adults 18 to 34 are just over one in ten residents (25% statewide); people 65 and older are 28% of residents (17% statewide). Drayton has lost 4.4% of its people since 2020, down to 724 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Drayton | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 30% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 26% | 22% |
43% women, 57% men
About 132 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.2 points). Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Drayton | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.9% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.2% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.7% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.8% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.5% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.8% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.9% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.8% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.9% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.8% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.8% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.8% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.8% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Expected losses in Drayton break down as 56% from inland flooding and 27% from cold waves. The risk rating from FEMA for Drayton comes to 79 of 100, above both North Dakota’s towns (40 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). Federal disaster aid has reached households in Drayton after 15 declared disasters, most recently in 2023.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs in Drayton fell by 76 from 2013 to 2023, to 170. For Drayton, the average trip to work is 14 minutes. The top destinations are Grafton (14%), Grand Forks (12%) and Drayton Township (8%). Among residents here, 5.6% live below the poverty line.
| Drayton | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Only one of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare has a lower peak summer temperature than Drayton. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to -3° and about 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2 crimes were reported in Drayton in 2023: 1 property and 1 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Drayton is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
For adults in Drayton, the share who sleep under 7 hours is 32%. Only 2 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Drayton.
| Drayton | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Drayton | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.7% | 76.3% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.9% | 82.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Among 24 North Dakota towns, just 2 have a lower trail network density than Drayton. The biggest park or preserve is Schumacher Park, at 36 acres. Trails run 0.2 miles in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Schumacher Park | 0.2 mi | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Drayton; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Drayton residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
Where Drayton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in North Dakota, United States
Drayton is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 757 at the 2020 census. Drayton was founded in 1878.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Drayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.