Untitled, 1935
Grenora’s story
110 years in pictures
Census counts: 358 in 1920, a peak of 525 in 1950, 221 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1935 and 2 maps from 1948 on.
- 1916Grenora is settled
Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
230
2025 Census estimate · +4.1% since 2020
Median home value
$97K
Census ACS
Median age
27.5
years
Jobs based here
71
Balanced
Is Grenora a good place to live?
Grenora’s average trip to work is 41 minutes, above both the North Dakota town median (16 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Grenora has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
230 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Grenora TownshipGrenora
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Grenora: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grenora, and how to reach them.
PowerMontana-Dakota Utilities11.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Grenora water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereWilliams County AuditorWilliams County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code5884558845 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Grenora.
Natural hazards
In Grenora, the FEMA risk score runs lower than in the typical North Dakota or U.S. town
Grenora’s FEMA risk score is 3 of 100, against 40 of 100 in North Dakota’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns.
3risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Grenora’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Grenora 99 school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grenora Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 83 | B+ |
| Grenora High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 83 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
In Grenora, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Grenora has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 0° and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter3–23°
Spring28–53°
Summer52–80°
Fall29–54°
Sep 21
typical first frost
May 18
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
About half of Grenora’s working residents commute to Williston
Most working residents leave Grenora for work: only 1% work in town. 16% of Grenora residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Grenora has lost 445 jobs, to 71 in 2023.
1%work in town
| Grenora | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Grenora1%
Williston46%
Williston Township11%
Judson Township11%
Missouri Ridge Township3%
35 mi
median commute distance
71
jobs based in Grenora
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
Grenora stands out in North Dakota and nationally, with more of its adults who have high blood pressure
37% of adults have high blood pressure in Grenora. Among 24 North Dakota towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Grenora. 11% of adults have diabetes in Grenora.
| Grenora | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
1 better28 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Grenora | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.8% | 76.3% |
| More adults with high blood pressure | 37.1% | 31.8% |
Sheridan Memorial Hosptial
30.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
$20Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in March
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Outdoors
0% of Grenora is conserved land
0.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Grenora’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 383 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunset Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Grenora
17pages on Grenora
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Grenora; the nearest are
Williston State CollegeCommunity college · Public · Williston35.2 mi$6,128 in-state tuitionNueta Hidatsa Sahnish CollegeUniversity or college · Public · New Town80.4 mi$3,870 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Grenora residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
About Grenora
City in North Dakota, United States
Grenora is a city in Williams County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 221 at the 2020 census. Grenora was founded in July 1916 at the terminus of a Great Northern Railway branch line that began in Stanley. The name is a portmanteau of letters in the railway's name: GREat NOrthern RAilway. The tracks were in place until 2002, when Great Northern successor BNSF Railway filed for abandonment. The city's motto is, "Friendliness lives here – you're only a stranger once." The city is home to a senior citizen's center, credit union, gas station, grain elevator, restaurant, bar, apartment buildings, and community-built low-income housing. There are also two churches: the St. Olaf Lu…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1916
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,123 ft
- ZIP code
- 58845
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Grenora
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Grenora, ND a good place to live?
Grenora has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.