Hope Lutheran Church
Elgin’s story
116 years in pictures
Census counts: 429 in 1920, a peak of 944 in 1960, 543 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and a map from 1980 on.
- 1910Elgin is settled
ElginND
A town of 516, settled in 1910.
Population
516
2025 Census estimate · −5% since 2020
Median home value
$103K
Census ACS
Household income
$35K
median
Median age
49.5
years
Jobs based here
353
A job hub
Is Elgin a good place to live?
36% of residents are 65 or older in Elgin, where North Dakota’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 18%. Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher median age than Elgin. Elgin’s concentration of trails is 1.5 miles per square mile, against 0.7 in North Dakota’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Elgin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Elgin stand out
Where Elgin beats most towns.
Small town
516 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Elgin: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elgin, and how to reach them.
PowerMontana-Dakota Utilities11.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Elgin water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Elgin’s trash rules yet
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereGrant County AuditorGrant County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code5853358533 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Elgin.
Work & commute
Elgin stands out in North Dakota and nationally, with more of its residents who live below the poverty line
The top destinations are Bismarck (11%), Carson (10%) and Grand Forks (2%). No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a lower median household income than Elgin. The town’s mean commuting time stands at 13 minutes. Since 2013, Elgin has added 116 jobs, to 353 in 2023.
27%work in town
| Elgin | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 28% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $35,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 27% | 39% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Elgin27%
Bismarck11%
Carson10%
Grand Forks2%
New Leipzig2%
36 mi
median commute distance
353
jobs based in Elgin
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Elgin’s kids attend
Public schools: the Elgin-New Leipzig 49 school district. Its two schools are below. 2 public schools serve Elgin, with 168 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin-New Leipzig Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 100 | D |
| Elgin-New Leipzig High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 68 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Elgin: snowy winters and pleasant summers
The range runs from 5° on a January night to 83° on a July afternoon, with about 57 inches of snow a winter.
57″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter7–27°
Spring30–54°
Summer54–80°
Fall32–56°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 14
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of North Dakota and the rest of the country, more of Elgin’s adults have diabetes
The share of adults in Elgin who had a checkup this year: 81%. Only 2 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Elgin. Two figures for adults locally: 14% binge drink, 48% have high blood pressure. Of 32 CDC measures, Elgin beats the North Dakota average on 4 and trails it on 12.
| Elgin | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 8.9% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 22% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 14% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
4 better16 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Elgin | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14% | 21.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 85.7% | 76.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 12.4% | 6.1% |
Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center
0.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Elgin, mostly cold waves
Households in Elgin have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2025. Compared with 51% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is lower. FEMA puts 52% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 17% to hail.
49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesHailInland flooding
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 528 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 1.5 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elgin
18pages on Elgin
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Elgin; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Elgin residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
A job hub
Every workday, about 304 people come to Elgin for work
Where Elgin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
353jobs based in Elgin
27%of working residents work in town
36 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Elgin
City in North Dakota, United States
Elgin is a city in Grant County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 543 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1910
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,356 ft
- ZIP code
- 58533
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Elgin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elgin, ND a good place to live?
Elgin has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.