Photo: Brenda Riskey · Public domainWithin North Dakota, Grand Forks is healthier than 45% of graded towns
Grand Forks differs from North Dakota on 11 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 5 better, 6 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Grand Forks. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Grand Forks
Grand Forks is healthier than its income would predict
Against all U.S. towns, Grand Forks is healthier than 76%. Against the 9,670 towns with similar household incomes ($48K–$80K), it’s healthier than 95%. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Grand Forks
1 in 7 adults worry about having enough food (13.4%), vs 10.7% across North Dakota. No reliable transportation (8.4% vs 6.5%) and utility shut-off threats (7% vs 5.8%) are higher too. 9.1% of adults receive SNAP, vs 6.7% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Cancer and heart disease are less common in Grand Forks
Grand Forks runs below North Dakota on cancer (6.5% vs 8.2%), heart disease (5.1% vs 6.1%) and stroke (2.6% vs 3.1%). Conditions ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the North Dakota figure falls outside Grand Forks’ likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
What’s behind Grand Forks’ grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Grand Forks is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns, #13 of 23 in North Dakota. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is diabetes (fewer adults with diabetes than 92% of towns); the weakest is obesity, still better than 51%.
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Grand Forks’ median household income is $63,627; among the 9,670 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($48K–$80K), it’s healthier than 95%, more than its income alone would suggest.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
9.1% of Grand Forks adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 6.7% across North Dakota.
Out of every 100 Grand Forks adults…
Grand Forks runs below ND on 5 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Care in and near Grand Forks
1 hospital and 1 community health center in Grand Forks, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Grand Forks; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Everyday habits, side by side with North Dakota
Share of adults, with the North Dakota figure marked.
24 miles of trails across 33 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Grand Forks adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks North Dakota.
How Grand Forks adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Grand Forks runs above North Dakota.
1 in 3 Grand Forks adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Grand Forks and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Nearby towns are shaded from CDC’s estimates for their ZIP codes, or CDC’s own figure for cities and villages.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks | A− | 36.1% | 8.9% | 12.1% | CDC place |
| Grand Forks Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Rye Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Falconer Township | — | — | — | — | |
| Brenna Township | — | — | — | — |
Grand Forks Township, Rye Township, Falconer Township and Brenna Township: fewer than 1,000 residents. Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Grand Forks adults live with a disability (North Dakota 27.6%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Grand Forks
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Grand Forks is better than North Dakota on 5 and worse on 6; on the rest, the North Dakota figure falls inside Grand Forks’ likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Grand Forks | ND | U.S. | vs ND |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17%15.1–19.2 | 16.1% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11.4%10.1–12.9 | 11.4% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.3%14.5–18.4 | 14.2% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 36.1%31.4–41.3 | 36.5% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 8.9%7.8–10.2 | 9.8% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 27.7%25–30.8 | 31.8% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 31.5%28.5–34.8 | 33.8% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 21.9%19.7–24.3 | 25.3% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 10.7%9.5–12.1 | 10.1% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 6.5%5.9–7.1 | 8.2% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 5.1%4.6–5.7 | 6.1% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 5.5%4.9–6.2 | 5.9% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.4–2.9 | 3.1% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 11.2%9.1–13.5 | 10.8% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 12.1%10.5–13.9 | 13.1% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 22.8%19.7–26.2 | 21.8% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 23.8%20.5–27.5 | 21.3% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 33.3%28.8–38 | 32.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.7%6.6–9 | 7.3% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.5%68.8–76 | 74.4% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.5%59.1–65.9 | 64.5% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 77.7%75.3–80 | 82.7% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 71.7%68.9–74.4 | 76.3% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 66.2%61.8–70.4 | 64.9% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.6%69.6–82.5 | 78% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 23.9%20.9–27.3 | 21.3% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 32.2%28.3–36.5 | 29.6% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.2%18.4–24.4 | 20.6% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 13.4%11.6–15.4 | 10.7% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 10.2%8.8–11.8 | 8.9% | 12% | About the same |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7%6.1–8.1 | 5.8% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 8.4%7.4–9.6 | 6.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 9.1%7.8–10.7 | 6.7% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.7%25.5–32.2 | 27.6% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 10.1%8.9–11.4 | 11.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 14.8%13.2–16.7 | 12.6% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 6.8%6–7.6 | 7.8% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.5%4.2–5 | 4.1% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.1%7.3–9.1 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.1%2.8–3.4 | 3.1% | 3.8% | About the same |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the North Dakota figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Grand Forks
Is Grand Forks a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Grand Forks is healthier than 76% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #13 of 23 in North Dakota. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 95%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Grand Forks?
CDC estimates 36.1% of adults have obesity, likely between 31.4% and 41.3%, against 36.5% across North Dakota and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Grand Forks?
Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, 1.2 miles in a straight line from Grand Forks’ center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 3 of 5 stars.
How many people in Grand Forks have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.7% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.6–9%), against 7.3% across North Dakota.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Grand Forks more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B− to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Grand Forks.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The North Dakota figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.