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Gas station in Forest RiverPhoto: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0
–Not graded–Not graded
Jobs & commute in Forest River

Forest River has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out

The average commute takes 28 minutes each way, where North Dakota has 18 and the U.S. 26. 13 jobs are based in Forest River, and 42 of its residents work somewhere. Hardly any work in Forest River; the top destination outside it is Grafton (26%, 14 miles).

Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made

Day and night

Who leaves Forest River for work, and who comes in

On a workday 42 residents head out to work, none work right here, and 13 people come in from elsewhere.

42live here, work elsewhere
0live and work here
13work here, live elsewhere
Night and day
At night110
Workday80
110live here− 42head out to work+ 13come in to work= 80on a workday

About 80 people are in Forest River on a workday afternoon, 27% fewer than live here.

Job hub or commuter town?
0.31jobs per workerCommuter townJob hub

Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.

The commute map

Out of Forest River to work: where people go

Argyle: 1 residents work here (2%)Fergus FallsBinford: 1 residents work here (2%)Forest RiverHoople: 4 residents work here (10%)Cavalier: 1 residents work here (2%)MintoGrafton: 11 residents work here (26%)Devils LakeBismarck: 2 residents work here (5%)Grand Forks: 5 residents work here (12%)Fargo: 2 residents work here (5%)Twin Lake TownshipCoulee TownshipVernon TownshipRye TownshipFarmington Township: 2 residents work here (5%)Fertile Township: 2 residents work here (5%)Grafton TownshipMedford TownshipGraftonGrand ForksHoopleBismarckFargoFarmington TownshipForest River
1
Grafton14 mi away
26%11
2
Grand Forks27.1 mi away
12%5
3
Hoople23.4 mi away
10%4
4
Bismarck181.8 mi away
5%2
5
Fargo98.1 mi away
5%2
65%2
7
Fertile Township14.8 mi away
5%2
8
Argyle, MN31.2 mi away
2%1
9
Binford60.8 mi away
2%1
10
Cavalier40.5 mi away
2%1
Everywhere elseother towns and states
26%11
The top trips

Where Forest River clocks in

Lines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.

A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.

The jobs

69% of the jobs in Forest River pay over $3,333 a month

Jobs based in Forest RiverJobs Forest River residents hold

What kind of work

Goods: factories, building, farms0%33%
Trade, transport & utilities77%17%
Services: health, schools, offices23%50%

What it pays

$1,250 a month or less15%24%
$1,251–$3,333 a month15%21%
Over $3,333 a month69%55%

Who does it

29 or younger8%19%
30 to 5462%48%
55 and older31%33%
−50%

Jobs based in Forest River, 2013 → 2023: 26 → 13. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.

Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.

Here is what they are, next to the jobs Forest River’s own residents hold wherever they work.

Time on the road

About 28 minutes each way for Forest River’s commuters

A year of commuting
216 hours

Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 9 full days in the car, bus or train.

Average commute minutes, one way

Forest River28 min
North Dakota18 min
U.S.26 min
Working from home
2%

of Forest River workers work from home, vs 8% across North Dakota. Their commute is the hallway.

About 0 in 10
How Forest River gets to work
80%Drive alone
20%Carpool

Share of the 44 commuters (the 2% who work from home are left out). Across North Dakota: 85% drive alone, <1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.

From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.

How far

The commute from Forest River, by distance

10 mi25 mi50 mi80 miGrafton: 26% · 14 miGrand Forks: 12% · 27.1 miHoople: 10% · 23.4 miBismarck: 5% · 181.8 miFargo: 5% · 98.1 miFarmington Township: 5% · 19.5 miFertile Township: 5% · 14.8 miArgyle: 2% · 31.2 miBinford: 2% · 60.8 miCavalier: 2% · 40.5 miGrafton 26%Grand Forks 12%Hoople 10%Bismarck 5%Fargo 5%Forest River
Forest RiverTop destinations (size = commuters)
2%Under 10 mi1 residents
52%10–24 mi22 residents
26%25–50 mi11 residents
19%Over 50 mi8 residents

About 19% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.

Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.

Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.

How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

  • Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
  • Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.

How these figures and grades are made →

Jobs and commuting in Forest River: questions

What is the median household income in Forest River?

$71,875 (±$25,663) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $76,657 across North Dakota and $80,734 nationally.

What is the poverty rate in Forest River?

6.9%, against 10.8% across North Dakota and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).

How long is the commute from Forest River?

28 minutes each way on average, against 18 across North Dakota and 26 nationally. 2% of workers work from home.

Where do people who live in Forest River work?

0% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Grafton (26%, 14 mi), Grand Forks (12%, 27 mi), Hoople (10%, 23 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).

Can you get around Forest River without a car?

0% of commuters take transit and 2% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.

Commuter talk

Getting to work from Forest River, from the people who make the trip.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors
Beyond the commute

More of Forest River

Forest River home →

Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.