Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 437, settled in 1893.
Fessenden’s mean commuting time is 10 minutes, against 16 minutes in North Dakota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Of the 21 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower median rent than Fessenden. Fessenden has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Beiseker Mansion and Wells County Courthouse. Fessenden 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.
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fessenden, 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 Fessenden.
Most people who work leave Fessenden to do it: just 19% work in town. The share of residents in Fessenden who live below the poverty line is 21%, above both North Dakota’s towns (9.8%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). This North Dakota town had 217 jobs in 2023, down 20 from 2013. For half of commuters, work is under 23 miles away.
| Fessenden | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 39% | 8% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its two schools are below. The 2 public schools in Fessenden teach 196 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fessenden-Bowdon Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 140 | C |
| Fessenden-Bowdon High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 56 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Households in Fessenden have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2009. On expected storm and flood damage, Fessenden sits below 64% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 57% come from cold waves and 15% from inland flooding.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Fessenden. The share of adults in Fessenden who have diabetes: 13%. Also worth knowing: among 24 North Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Fessenden. The town beats the North Dakota average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
| Fessenden | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 8.9% | 12% |
| What stands out | Fessenden | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.9% | 10.8% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 72.7% | 64.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.7% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Fessenden; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Fessenden residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
Where Fessenden’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in North Dakota, United States
Fessenden is a city in and the county seat of Wells County, North Dakota, United States. It was founded in 1893 and is home of the Wells County Fair. The population was 462 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Fessenden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.