Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
McHenry County Courthouse and Elliott Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. Towner has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Towner beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 211 in 1890, a peak of 955 in 1950, 479 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and 2 maps from 1950 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Towner, 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 Towner.
The share of households in Towner who own their home is 79%, against 57% in North Dakota’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 5.2%.
| Towner | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $450 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 57% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Tgu 60 school district. Two of its 4 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Public school enrollment in Towner: 229 students across 2 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tgu-Towner Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 154 | C+ |
| Tgu-Towner High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 75 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Federal aid has come to Towner households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2011. On expected storm and flood damage, Towner sits below 86% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts just over a quarter of the town’s expected hazard losses down to wildfires, and 26% to cold waves.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In July, afternoons reach 81°; in January, nights fall to -2°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher age of the median resident than Towner. The share of adults 25 and older in Towner who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 25%, where North Dakota’s towns sit at 30% and U.S. towns at 29%. Since 2020, Towner has lost 5.2% of its people, to 454 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Towner | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 13% | 18% |
| Median age | 45.1 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 30% | 29% |
44% women, 56% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.8 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Towner | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.7% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.4% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.1% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.9% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.2% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.7% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.7% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.4% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.9% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.5% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.9% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.1% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
The average trip to work in Towner is 16 minutes. Since 2013, Towner has lost 43 jobs, to 209 in 2023. 15% of Towner residents live below the poverty line. Among 24 North Dakota towns, just one has a lower income of the median household than Towner.
| Towner | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Only one of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare has a higher share of conserved land than Towner. Trails total 0.2 miles in 1 park or preserve. The town’s density of trails stands at 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Towner | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 9.7% | 2.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Towner City Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Among adults in Towner, 40% have obesity. Against the North Dakota average, Towner comes out ahead on 4 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 9. Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Towner. Two figures for adults here: 13% report frequent mental distress, 17% binge drink.
| Towner | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 22% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 23% |
| What stands out | Towner | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 17% | 21.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83% | 76.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.1% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Towner; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Towner residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
City in North Dakota, United States
Towner is a city in and the county seat of McHenry County, North Dakota. The population was 479 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Minot Metropolitan Statistical Area. Towner was founded in 1886.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Towner has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
