Elevated view of Thompson, N.D., 1890s, 1890
Thompson’s story
145 years in pictures
Census counts: 273 in 1930, 1,101 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1890 and 2 maps from 1934 on.
- 1881Thompson is settled
ThompsonND
A town of 1,100, settled in 1881.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Andrew Filer · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,100
2025 Census estimate · +0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$408K
+12% in a year
Household income
$118K
median
Median age
44.2
years
Jobs based here
187
A commuter town
Is Thompson a good place to live?
Thompson’s best subject grades are an A for health and an A− for incomes and schools. 1.7% of working residents work locally in Thompson, below both North Dakota’s towns (39%) and U.S. towns (8%). On health, just 5 of North Dakota’s 69 towns do better. No town in North Dakota scores lower than Thompson on the outdoors. Thompson has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Thompson stand out
Where Thompson beats most towns.
Small town
1,100 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Walle TownshipAllendale TownshipThompson
How Thompson grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Thompson is from typical.
HealthAltru Hospital 9.5 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & incomeA−Open →SchoolsA−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.2 of 20; 2.1% of households have no car; 2.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History1 notable person born hereCOpen →Civic life7.9 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 44.2; 44% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Thompson: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thompson, 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
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Thompson’s trash rules yet
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 code5827858278 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 Thompson.
HealthA
Thompson ranks healthier than 91% of the country’s towns
Thompson beats the North Dakota average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 25% of Thompson adults binge drink, above both the North Dakota town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (16%). 27% of adults feel lonely in Thompson.
91%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Thompson | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 22% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
13 better18 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Thompson | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.7% | 10.7% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.8% | 7.3% |
| More binge drinkers | 24.8% | 21.3% |
Altru Hospital
9.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA−
On state tests, Thompson’s schools beat 83% of North Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the Thompson 61 school district. Its two schools are below.
83%of ND districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 399 | B |
| Thompson High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 280 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade B+
A typical Thompson home is worth about $408K
The typical Thompson home is worth about $408,000, up 12% in a year, 40% above the North Dakota typical home. 94% of Thompson households own their home.
$408KZillow home value
| Thompson | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 94% | 57% | 73% |
| Median rent | $775 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Thompson$408K
North Dakota$291K
+12%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
About two in three of Thompson’s working residents commute to Grand Forks
Most working residents leave Thompson for work: only 2% work in town. The median household income in Thompson is $118,000. Since 2013, Thompson has added 45 jobs, to 187 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Thompson | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $118,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 1.5% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Thompson2%
Grand Forks63%
Fargo7%
East Grand Forks3%
Bismarck2%
10 mi
median commute distance
187
jobs based in Thompson
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 65% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Thompson, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Thompson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. Thompson’s July high is 81°F.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter2–20°
Spring30–52°
Summer56–79°
Fall33–54°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 10
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Thompson stands out in North Dakota and nationally: property crime there is lower
Of the 17 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower property crime rate than Thompson. Thompson's reported crime rate is well below North Dakota's. Among 17 North Dakota towns, just 1 have a lower violent crime rate than Thompson.
| Thompson | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 18.7 | 13.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.6 | 1.8 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Thompson0
North Dakota2.8
U.S.3.9
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Thompson0
North Dakota19.7
U.S.19.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2023
0
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Thompson
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Thompson.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHail
3
paid flood claims since 1997
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thompson
18pages on Thompson
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 83% of ND districts · 2 schoolsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2023)HealthABetter than ND on 13 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$408K typical home · up 12% in a yearWork & commuteA−$118K median household income · 187 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Thompson
About 5 of every 100 Thompson residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Thompson for work
Where Thompson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
187jobs based in Thompson
2%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Thompson
City in North Dakota, United States
Thompson is a city in Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. It is part of the Greater Grand Forks Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located on the border of Allendale and Walle townships, with Walle on the east and Allendale on the west. The population was 1,101 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 1,091 in 2024.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1881
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 873 ft
- ZIP code
- 58278
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Thompson
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Thompson, ND expensive?
Not for the area. That is 5.8 years of the area's median household income ($69,836 across the Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.