Max, North Dakota, 1940
Max’s story
122 years in pictures
Census counts: 285 in 1910, a peak of 500 in 1930, 331 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1940 and 3 maps from 1954 on.
- 1904Max is settled
Population
321
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Typical home
$179K
−0.4% in a year
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
41.5
years
Jobs based here
71
A commuter town
Is Max a good place to live?
Max’s average trip to work is 32 minutes, above both the North Dakota town median (16 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 21 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower midpoint rent than Max. Max has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
321 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Max: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Max, and how to reach them.
PowerOtter Tail Power11.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Max water system2 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 hereMcLean County AuditorMcLean County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2022
ZIP code5875958759 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 Max.
$179KZillow home value
Typical home value
Max$179K
North Dakota$291K
−0.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
Fewer adults under 35 in Max than across North Dakota
Max has lost 3% of its people since 2020, down to 321 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Adults 18 to 34 are just over one in ten residents (25% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 49% of residents (35% statewide). Also worth knowing: 30% of residents are under 18 in the town. Only one of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare has a higher age of the median resident than Max.
41.5median age · ND 35.9
| Max | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 30% | 26% | 22% |
| Median age | 41.5 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
MaxNorth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma1%
High school34%
Some college25%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s27%
Graduate1%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.7 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Max | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 19% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.2% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 22.9% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.6% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.3% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.3% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.4% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.6% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.6% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.2% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0.9% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
Most of Max’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Garrison (21%), Minot (14%) and Bismarck (10%). Only 2% of working residents stay in Max for work; the rest commute out. Since 2013, Max has added 47 jobs, to 71 in 2023. The share of residents in Max who live below the poverty line: 1.4%.
2%work in town
| Max | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.8% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 1.4% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Max2%
Garrison21%
Minot14%
Bismarck10%
Turtle Lake8%
28 mi
median commute distance
71
jobs based in Max
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Top of a low hazard risk in Max: cold waves
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Max after 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2011. Compared with 77% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is lower. The national flood insurance program has paid 3 claims in the town since 1997. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 33% come from cold waves and 30% from inland flooding.
23risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingHail
3
paid flood claims since 1997
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Max brings snowy winters and pleasant summers
In Max, the typical July afternoon high is 81°F.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–22°
Spring29–51°
Summer54–78°
Fall32–53°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Max is
Two figures for adults in Max: 41% have obesity, 75% had a checkup this year. The town tracks North Dakota closely on all 32 CDC measures. For adults in the town, the share who binge drink is 21%.
| Max | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 73% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 17% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Garrison Memorial Hospital
13.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Max
17pages on Max
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Max; the nearest are
Minot State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Minot29.5 mi$8,702 in-state tuitionDakota College at BottineauCommunity college · Public · Bottineau80.1 mi$5,388 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Max residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Max for work
Where Max’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
71jobs based in Max
2%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Max
City in North Dakota, United States
Max is a city in McLean County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 331 at the 2020 census. Max was founded in 1906.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1906
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,093 ft
- ZIP code
- 58759
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Max
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Max, ND a good place to live?
Max has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Max, ND known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Edward Arthur Steinhaus and Roland J. Barnick.