Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,987, settled in 1957.
The best of Grand Forks AFB’s subject grades are an A for health and an A− for the outdoors; the weakest is a C for cost of living. Grand Forks AFB’s average trip to work is 10 minutes, against 16 minutes in North Dakota’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a lower median age than Grand Forks AFB. Grand Forks AFB’s trail density is 2.2 miles per square mile, where North Dakota’s towns sit at 0.7 and U.S. towns at 0.4. No town in North Dakota scores lower than Grand Forks AFB on history. Grand Forks AFB has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Grand Forks AFB beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Grand Forks AFB | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 1.9% | 8.2% |
2,367 counted in 2010 and 2,002 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Grand Forks AFB is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1981 and 2 maps from 1934 on.
Grand Forks AFB is unincorporated, so Grand Forks County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Grand Forks AFB.
15% of Grand Forks AFB adults have high blood pressure. Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Grand Forks AFB. 3.6% of Grand Forks AFB adults have diabetes.
| Grand Forks AFB | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 3.6% | 8.9% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 22% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 65% | 73% | 79% |
| What stands out | Grand Forks AFB | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 1.9% | 8.2% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 1.5% | 6.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 31% | 21.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Children under 18 are 43% of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 0% of residents (17% statewide). 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across North Dakota.
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Grand Forks AFB | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 31.2% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 18.9% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.3% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.5% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 1.7% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 0% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 0% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 0% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 7.7% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 31.2% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 30.1% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.7% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.2% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Grand Forks AFB.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Grand Forks AFB has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Grand Forks AFB’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Grand Forks AFB for work: only 11% work in town. 4% of residents live below the poverty line in Grand Forks AFB. Jobs based in Grand Forks AFB grew to 312 in 2023, 21 more than in 2013.
| Grand Forks AFB | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Grand Forks AFB
About 13 of every 100 Grand Forks AFB residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
US Air Force base near Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States
Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) (IATA: RDR, ICAO: KRDR, FAA LID: RDR) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and 16 miles (26 km) west of Grand Forks. The host unit is the 319th Reconnaissance Wing (319 RW) assigned to the Air Combat Command (ACC) operating E/RQ-4B Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) role. During the Cold War, GFAFB was a major installation of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), with B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Grand Forks AFB.
| Town | ND rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks AFB | — | — | C | — | C+ | A |
| Mekinock Township | — | — | D | — | C+ | A− |
Grand Forks AFB and Mekinock Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Grand Forks AFB and Mekinock Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Grand Forks AFB with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
The typical home is worth about $10,000. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.