Shell ValleyND
A town of 1,243.
Is Shell Valley a good place to live?
Shell Valley’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for health. 0.3% of working residents work locally in Shell Valley, below both North Dakota’s towns (39%) and U.S. towns (8%). No town in North Dakota scores lower than Shell Valley on health. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 98% of U.S. towns. Shell Valley’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, against 0.7 in North Dakota’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Only 3 of North Dakota’s 69 towns score lower on history. Shell Valley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
1,243 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Shell Valley grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Shell Valley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Shell Valley: who provides what
Shell Valley is unincorporated, so Rolette County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Shell Valley.
Compared with most of North Dakota and the rest of the country, more of Shell Valley’s adults say their health is fair or poor
32% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Shell Valley. No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Shell Valley. 19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Shell Valley.
| Shell Valley | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 16% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 8.9% | 12% |
| What stands out | Shell Valley | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.6% | 8.2% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 18% | 21.3% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 36.2% | 10.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Shell Valley’s schools rank behind 89% of North Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by Ojibwa Indian School. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ojibwa Indian SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 220 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
About half of Shell Valley’s working residents commute to Belcourt
Most working residents leave Shell Valley for work: only 0% work in town. 22% of Shell Valley residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Belcourt (49%), Rolette (5%) and Rolla (4%).
| Shell Valley | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Shell Valley stands out in North Dakota and nationally, with a typical July afternoon cooler than most
The July high in Shell Valley is 78°F. Shell Valley has cold winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Low risk in Shell Valley, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
7.6% of Shell Valley is conserved land
18 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Only 2 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of conserved land than Shell Valley.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Shell Valley
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Shell Valley
About 5 of every 100 Shell Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
100% of working residents leave Shell Valley for work
Where Shell Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Shell Valley
Census-designated place & Unincorporated community in North Dakota, United States
Shell Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Rolette County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,146 at the 2020 census. The community is partially located on lands of Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribe.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 15 sq mi
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Shell Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Shell Valley, 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+.