Mekinock, North Dakota, 2006
Mekinock Township’s story
147 years in pictures
The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 2 maps from 1934 on.
- 1879Mekinock Township is settled
Mekinock TownshipND
A town of 2,175, settled in 1879.
6 bordering townsMap →
Photo: In memoriam afiler · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
2,175
2025 Census estimate · −0% since 2020
Median home value
$404K
Census ACS
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
22.5
years
Jobs based here
317
Balanced
Is Mekinock Township a good place to live?
The best of Mekinock Township’s subject grades are an A− for health and the outdoors; the weakest is a D for cost of living. 40% of residents are under 18 in Mekinock Township, above both North Dakota’s towns (26%) and U.S. towns (22%). On cost of living, just 3 of North Dakota’s 68 towns do worse. Only 6 of North Dakota’s 69 towns score higher on the outdoors. Mekinock Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 86% of U.S. towns. Turtle River State Park, at 214 acres with 1.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Mekinock Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Mekinock Township stand out
Where Mekinock Township beats most towns.
A shrinking town
Mekinock Township has shrunk 15% since 2010
2,535 counted in 2010 and 2,152 in 2020; an estimated 2,175 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Mekinock Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Mekinock Township is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $404K, 5.8 years of the Grand Forks metro’s $70K median household incomeDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 14% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →HealthAltru Hospital 17.4 miles awayA−Open →SchoolsC+Open →Jobs & income$74K median household incomeB−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 0.8% of households have no car; 3.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landA−Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life1.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Mekinock Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mekinock Township, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEast Central Regional Wd-Gf water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Mekinock Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsLarimore Public School District 44Grand Forks Public School District 1Midway Public School District 1283 districts serve Mekinock Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereGrand Forks County AuditorGrand Forks County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2022
ZIP codes58204, 58205, 58258, 5821458204 84% · 58205 9% · 58258 5% · 58214 2%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 Mekinock Township.
HealthA−
Residents of Mekinock Township are healthier than 82% of U.S. towns
Mekinock Township beats the North Dakota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 24% of Mekinock Township adults binge drink, above both the North Dakota town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (16%). 14% of Mekinock Township adults report frequent mental distress.
82%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Mekinock Township | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 22% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 73% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Mekinock Township | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 68.7% | 76.3% |
Altru Hospital
17.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC+
On state tests, Mekinock Township’s schools trail 58% of North Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the Grand Forks 1 school district. Its two schools are below.
42%of ND districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Twining Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 228 | A |
| Nathan Twining Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 69 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Mekinock Township
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 Mekinock Township.
14risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
3
paid flood claims since 1979
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
The median age in Mekinock Township is lower than in the typical North Dakota or U.S. town
The median age in Mekinock Township is 22.5 years. Children under 18 are 40% of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 1% of residents (17% statewide). 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across North Dakota.
22.5median age · ND 35.9
| Mekinock Township | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 22.5 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 30% | 29% |
Mekinock TownshipNorth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
30%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school8%
Some college28%
Associate’s31%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.6 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Mekinock Township | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 29.5% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.8% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 17.5% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.1% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.9% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.4% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 1.3% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 0.1% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 0.4% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.3% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 8.3% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.7% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 30.7% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.8% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,200, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Mekinock Township
Mekinock Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Mekinock Township’s July high is 81°F.
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter1–19°
Spring30–51°
Summer56–79°
Fall33–54°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
About one in three of Mekinock Township’s working residents commute to Grand Forks
Most working residents leave Mekinock Township for work: only 9% work in town. 3.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Mekinock Township. Since 2013, Mekinock Township has added 181 jobs, to 317 in 2023.
9%work in town
| Mekinock Township | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 11 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.5% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Mekinock Township9%
Grand Forks35%
Fargo15%
Grand Forks AFB9%
Bismarck5%
17 mi
median commute distance
317
jobs based in Mekinock Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 47% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsA−
Mekinock Township has set aside 1.2% of its land for conservation
23 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
1.2%conserved
| Mekinock Township | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 2.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
1.2%
conserved · 286 of 23,158 acres
23 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Turtle River State Park | 1.5 mi | 214 |
| 2. Prarie Chicken Wildlife Management Area | — | 88 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mekinock Township
17pages on Mekinock Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Mekinock Township; the nearest are
University of North DakotaUniversity or college · Public · Grand Forks17 mi$10,951 in-state tuitionNorthland Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Thief River Falls, MN59.4 mi$6,289 in-state tuition
About 12 of every 100 Mekinock Township residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
About Mekinock Township
Census Designated Place & City in North Dakota, United States
Mekinock is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in eastern Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. It lies northwest of the city of Grand Forks, the county seat of Grand Forks County. The population of the community was 2,152 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 2,305 in 2023. Mekinock's elevation is 860 feet (260 m). It has a post office with the ZIP code 58258. The post office was established in 1879.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 860 ft
- ZIP code
- 58258
Mekinock Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Mekinock Township.
Hegton TownshipGilby TownshipChester TownshipGrand Forks AFBBlooming TownshipLakeville TownshipMekinock Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | ND rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mekinock Township | — | — | D | — | C+ | A− |
| Hegton Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gilby Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chester Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grand Forks AFB | — | — | C | — | C+ | A |
| Blooming Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lakeville Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Mekinock Township and Grand Forks AFB have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Mekinock Township and Grand Forks AFB report no FBI crime data of their own. Hegton Township, Gilby Township, Chester Township, Blooming Township and Lakeville Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Mekinock Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Mekinock Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mekinock Township, ND expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.