Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Pembina’s average trip to work is 9 minutes, below both the North Dakota town median (16 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Pembina. Pembina has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them US Customs House and Post Office-Pembina and Grace Episcopal Church. Pembina has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Pembina beats most towns.
Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran ChurchIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pembina, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Pembina.
About one in 3 of Pembina’s working residents works in town. Pembina’s median household income is $102,000, where North Dakota’s towns sit at $73,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Since 2013, Pembina has lost 120 jobs, to 387 in 2023.
| Pembina | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 32% | 39% | 8% |
| Median household income | $102,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.2% | 5.6% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.7% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the North Border 100 school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Border-Pembina Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 109 | A |
| North Border-Pembina High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 36 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (25% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 41% of residents (35% statewide). Among 24 North Dakota towns, just 1 have a higher median age than Pembina. 19% of residents are 65 or older in Pembina.
| Pembina | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.9 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 13% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 30% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 25% | 26% | 22% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.6 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Pembina | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.1% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.9% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.2% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.4% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.4% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.5% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.5% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 19.7% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.2% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
The January low in Pembina is -4°F. Pembina has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 135 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pembina.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Pembina beats the North Dakota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 43% of Pembina adults have obesity. Only 1 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Pembina.
| Pembina | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 29% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| What stands out | Pembina | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.3% | 82.7% |
| More adults with arthritis | 30.2% | 25.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.7 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Pembina’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pembina State Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Fort Daer Landing and Recreation Area | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Pembina; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Pembina residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
Where Pembina’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in North Dakota, United States
Pembina ( ) is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 512 at the 2020 census. Pembina is 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the Canada–US border. Interstate 29 passes on the western side of Pembina, leading north to the Canada–US border at Emerson, Manitoba, and south to the cities of Grand Forks and Fargo. The Pembina–Emerson Border Crossing is the second busiest along the Canada–United States border west of the Great Lakes. It is one of three 24-hour ports of entry in North Dakota, the others being Portal and Dunseith. The Noyes–Emerson East Border Crossing, 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east on the Minnesota side of the Red River, also processed cross-border traffic u…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Pembina has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin and Colleen Kiko.