Eddy County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places
New Rockford’s story
143 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1883New Rockford is settled
Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,342
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Typical home
$118K
−4.3% in a year
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
46.1
years
Jobs based here
515
Balanced
Is New Rockford a good place to live?
The best of New Rockford’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and walkability and an A− for schools; the weakest is a D for incomes. 30% of residents are 65 or older in New Rockford, above both the North Dakota town median (13%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). On incomes, just 3 of North Dakota’s 69 towns do worse. Only 6 of North Dakota’s 69 towns score higher on history. New Rockford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes New Rockford stand out
Where New Rockford beats most towns.
Typical home value
New Rockford$118K
North Dakota$291K
Cost of livingA
2.3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 94% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 89% of U.S. towns
14.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
NEW ROCKFORD-SHEYENNE 2 schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| New Rockford-Sheyenne Elementary School | PK–5 | 188 |
| New Rockford-Sheyenne High School | 6–12 | 161 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Small town
1,342 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
New Rockford TownshipSuperior TownshipNew Rockford
How New Rockford grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far New Rockford is from typical.
Jobs & income$44K median household income; 515 jobs based hereDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.2 of 20; 5.7% of households have no carAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listBOpen →HealthCarrington Health Center 16.8 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksB−Open →History3 places on the National Register; 5 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life11.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
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 New Rockford: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Rockford, and how to reach them.
PowerOtter Tail Power11.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCentral Plains Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereEddy County AuditorEddy County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code5835658356 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 New Rockford.
HousingCost of living grade A
New Rockford stands out in North Dakota and nationally: the median rent there is lower
At $587 a month, New Rockford’s median rent is below both North Dakota’s towns ($977 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The typical New Rockford home is worth about $118,000, down 4.3% in a year, 59% below the North Dakota typical home. 64% of New Rockford households own their home.
$118KZillow home value
| New Rockford | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $587 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 57% | 73% |
Typical home value
New Rockford$118K
North Dakota$291K
−4.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsA−
Public schools in New Rockford beat 82% of North Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the New Rockford-Sheyenne 2 school district. Its two schools are below.
82%of ND districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Rockford-Sheyenne Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 188 | B+ |
| New Rockford-Sheyenne High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 161 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
The median age in New Rockford is higher than in the typical North Dakota or U.S. town
The median age in New Rockford is 46.1 years. Among 24 North Dakota towns, just 2 have a lower share of children under 18 than New Rockford. People 65 and older are 30% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (25% statewide).
46.1median age · ND 35.9
| New Rockford | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.1 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 26% | 22% |
New RockfordNorth DakotaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school29%
Some college18%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.9 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| New Rockford | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.5% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.4% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.3% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.7% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.6% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.8% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.3% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.8% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.5% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.6% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
New Rockford has snowy winters and pleasant summers
New Rockford has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. New Rockford’s July high is 81°F.
60″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter2–21°
Spring29–51°
Summer54–79°
Fall32–54°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
New Rockford has 0.9 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
About one in 3 of New Rockford’s working residents works in town. Among 24 North Dakota towns, just 1 have a lower median household income than New Rockford. The top destinations are Carrington (8%), Fargo (8%) and Superior Township (5%).
30%work in town
| New Rockford | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In New Rockford30%
Carrington8%
Fargo8%
Superior Township5%
Devils Lake5%
17 mi
median commute distance
515
jobs based in New Rockford
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 89% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Cold waves leads a low hazard risk in New Rockford
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingIce storms
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, New Rockford is less healthy than 55% of U.S. towns
New Rockford beats the North Dakota average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 40% of adults have high blood pressure in New Rockford. No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than New Rockford.
45%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| New Rockford | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
2 better19 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | New Rockford | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 17.5% | 21.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.9% | 76.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.3% | 6.1% |
Carrington Health Center
16.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about New Rockford
17pages on New Rockford
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of New Rockford; the nearest are
Cankdeska Cikana Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fort Totten21.7 mi$3,950 in-state tuitionValley City State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Valley City74.8 mi$8,514 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 New Rockford residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
Landmarks
3 places in New Rockford on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from New Rockford
5 notable people were born in New Rockford.
About New Rockford
City in North Dakota, United States
New Rockford is a city in Eddy County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Eddy County. The population was 1,361 at the 2020 census. New Rockford was founded in 1883.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1883
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,532 ft
- ZIP code
- 58356
- Area code
- 701
Questions about New Rockford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is New Rockford, ND expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
What is New Rockford, ND known for?
5 notable people were born here, including James Buchli and John Harvey.