Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,023, settled in 1879. 27% more nonprofits per person than the typical North Dakota town.
Grafton gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $174K for a typical one, or 2.4 years of the county’s $72K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 13th of 23 in North Dakota. 53% of working residents work locally in Grafton, against 38% in North Dakota’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. No town among the 17 in North Dakota we compare has a lower typical home value than Grafton. Grafton's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Where Grafton beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Grafton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,594 in 1890, a peak of 5,946 in 1970, 4,170 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1903 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grafton, 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 Grafton.
Grafton has more trail for its size than nearly any town in North Dakota and fares better on crime within North Dakota than nationally, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Dakota (mostly inland flooding).
At 1.3 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #3 of 22 North Dakota towns.
4.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Grafton’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Leistikow Memorial Park, at 41 acres.
| Grafton | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2% | 2.8% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Leistikow Memorial Park | 0.1 mi | 41 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Grafton 18 school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 532 | – |
| Grafton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 284 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests
At 2.4 years of the county’s $72K median household income, the typical home (about $174K) costs less against local pay than in any other North Dakota town; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
The median rent in Grafton is $733 a month. Typical home values rose 6.9% in the year to September 2026. The typical Grafton home is worth about $174,000, up 6.9% in a year, 40% below the North Dakota typical home.
| Grafton | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $733 a month | $980 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 56% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 73% of North Dakota towns, with expected losses of about $187 per resident a year; that rating is what its C for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1978, 236 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Grafton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
January nights average -2.3°, colder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 80.9°.
No town among the 23 in North Dakota we compare has a lower January low than Grafton. Grafton has cold winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Only 1 of the 23 North Dakota towns we compare have a lower July high than Grafton.
| Grafton | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | -2°F | 2°F | 22°F |
| July high | 81°F | 83°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
14% of residents live below the poverty line in Grafton. Jobs based in Grafton grew to 2,434 in 2023, 323 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Grand Forks (9%), Fargo (5%) and Park River (3%).
| Grafton | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9.6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 15.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 73% of North Dakota’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2024, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
Grafton reports less crime per resident than 58% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
| Grafton | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 6 per 1,000 residents | 16.6 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Against the 9,546 U.S. towns with household incomes like Grafton’s, it is healthier than 79%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Grafton beats the North Dakota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 18% of Grafton adults binge drink. Of the 23 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Grafton.
| Grafton | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 23% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Grafton | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.4% | 76.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 12.2% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Grafton; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Grafton residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
5 places in Grafton on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Grafton.
City in the United States
Grafton is a city and the county seat of Walsh County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 4,170 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 4,027 in 2024, making it the 16th-most populous city in North Dakota.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Grafton.
| Town | ND rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grafton · Grafton Township | #13 | B | A− | B | C | B |
| Oakwood Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Oakwood Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Grafton Township and Grafton are one community, graded once. Compare Grafton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Grafton grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #13 of 23 in North Dakota. It grades B for health, B for safety and C for schools.
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−.
11 notable people were born here, including Paula Winslowe and Raymond W. Lessard.
