Sarles, North Dakota, 2009
Sarles’s story
121 years in pictures
Census counts: 346 in 1910, 16 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 2 maps from 1953 on.
- 1905Sarles is settled
SarlesND
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
21
2025 Census estimate · −4.5% since 2020
Median home value
$10K
Census ACS
Household income
$2K
median
Median age
52.1
years
Land area
0 sq mi
Is Sarles a good place to live?
Sarles has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Sarles stand out
Where Sarles beats most towns.
Small town
21 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Cypress TownshipDash TownshipSarles
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sarles: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sarles, and how to reach them.
PowerOtter Tail Power11.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Sarles’ trash rules yet
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereCavalier County AuditorCavalier County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code5837258372 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 Sarles.
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very low risk in Sarles, mostly cold waves
In Sarles, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 17 of 100, below both the North Dakota town median (40 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Federal aid has come to Sarles households in 5 declared disasters; the latest was in 2009. FEMA puts 52% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 14% to inland flooding.
17risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingHail
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Sarles stands out in North Dakota and nationally: a typical July afternoon there is cooler
Sarles has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to -4° and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter-1–17°
Spring26–49°
Summer52–76°
Fall29–51°
Sep 23
typical first frost
May 18
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults in Sarles have high blood pressure than in the typical North Dakota or U.S. town
The share of adults in Sarles who worry about having enough food is 9.1%, against 12% in North Dakota’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. A fifth of Sarles adults have been diagnosed with depression. Among 24 North Dakota towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Sarles. The town beats the North Dakota average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
| Sarles | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 16% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
5 better19 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Sarles | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.6% | 5.8% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.1% | 8.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.6% | 6.1% |
Presentation Medical Center
28.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sarles
16pages on Sarles
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sarles; the nearest are
Turtle Mountain Community CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Belcourt34.5 mi$2,794 tuitionLake Region State CollegeCommunity college · Public · Devils Lake56.8 mi$5,520 in-state tuitionUniversity of North DakotaUniversity or college · Public · Grand Forks113.1 mi$10,951 in-state tuition
College town 21 of every 100 Sarles residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
About Sarles
City in North Dakota, United States
Sarles is a city in Cavalier and Towner counties in the State of North Dakota. The population was 16 at the 2020 census. Sarles was founded in 1905 at the end of the Great Northern railway extension north of Munich, called the "Sarles Branch". The town is named for North Dakota Governor Elmore Y. Sarles.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1905
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,585 ft
- ZIP code
- 58372
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Sarles
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sarles, ND a good place to live?
Sarles has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.