Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Valley City gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $200K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the county’s $68K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 6th of 23 in North Dakota. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and the median household income is $60K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 87% of U.S. towns. 55% of working residents work locally in Valley City, above both the North Dakota town median (38%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). No town in North Dakota scores higher than Valley City on history. Valley City is home to Valley City State University.
Where Valley City beats most towns.
Census counts: 302 in 1880, 6,575 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1881 and a map from 1961 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Valley City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Valley City, 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 Valley City.
Valley City fares better on crime within North Dakota than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Dakota (mostly inland flooding).
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 100% of North Dakota towns, with expected losses of about $495 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Of the 23 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a higher FEMA risk score than Valley City. Since 1979, 245 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Valley City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Valley City 2 school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Valley City High School, with 317 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 258 | A |
| Valley City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 317 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
At 2.9 years of the county’s $68K median household income, the typical home (about $200K) costs less against local pay than in 85% of North Dakota towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
Valley City’s median rent is $780 a month. Typical home values rose 6.5% in the year to September 2026. 56% of Valley City households own their home.
| Valley City | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $780 a month | $980 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2.9 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves.
| Valley City | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 2.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Medicine Wheel Park | 0.1 mi | 15 |
| 2. City Park | 0.2 mi | 11 |
| 3. Riverview Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 9,014 U.S. towns with household incomes like Valley City’s, it is healthier than 91%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Valley City beats the North Dakota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 21% of adults binge drink in Valley City.
| Valley City | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 73% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 36% |
| What stands out | Valley City | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.1% | 76.3% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.4% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
January nights average -1.1°, colder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 81.5°.
Valley City has cold winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. The January low in Valley City is -1°F.
| Valley City | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | -1°F | 2°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 83°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based in Valley City fell to 3,459 in 2023, 288 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Fargo (11%), Jamestown (4%) and Bismarck (4%). Half commute less than 1 miles.
| Valley City | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Valley City has lost 2.3% of its people since 2020, down to 6,430 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. People 65 and older are 23% of residents (17% statewide). 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 33% across North Dakota.
| Valley City | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 13% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 27% | 22% |
| Median age | 39.4 years | 33.7 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.4 points. Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women.
| Valley City | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.5% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.1% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 13.6% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.2% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.1% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.9% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.5% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.1% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.9% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.8% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.3% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.3% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.3% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.5% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.9% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
At 14.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 80% of North Dakota’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Valley City
About 12 of every 100 Valley City residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
9 places in Valley City on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Valley City.
City in North Dakota, United States
Valley City is a city in and the county seat of Barnes County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 6,575 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 6,430 in 2025, making it the 13th most populous city in North Dakota. Valley City is known for its many bridges over the Sheyenne River, including the Hi-Line Railroad Bridge. These bridges have earned it the nickname "City of Bridges". The city is also the home of Valley City State University and the North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Valley City grades B+ overall, better than 73% of U.S. towns and #6 of 23 in North Dakota. It grades B+ for health, B for safety and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
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−.
11 notable people were born here, including Earl Pomeroy and James M. McPherson.
