Hotel Berry · National Register of Historic Places
Velva’s story
133 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1909.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1893Velva is settled
VelvaND
A town of 1,046, settled in 1893. 3.1 times the library visits per person than the typical North Dakota town.
Trash day: TuesdayPhoto: Elcajonfarms at en.wikipedia · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,046
2025 Census estimate · −4.9% since 2020
Typical home
$228K
+5.2% in a year
Household income
$83K
median
Median age
35.4
years
Jobs based here
414
Balanced
Is Velva a good place to live?
Velva’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A+ for civic life. Only 3 of North Dakota’s 69 towns score higher on hazard risk. No town in North Dakota scores higher than Velva on civic life. Velva has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Hotel Berry and Alfred and Clara Sevareid House. Velva has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Velva stand out
Where Velva beats most towns.
Library visits per resident
Velva8.5
Typical U.S. town3.4
Typical ND town2.8
Civic lifeA+
3.1 times the library visits per person
than the typical North Dakota town
IMLS Public Libraries Survey.
Natural hazardsA+
Lower risk than 96% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Typical home value
Velva$228K
North Dakota$291K
Cost of livingA
2.9 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 94% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Small town
1,046 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Velva grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Velva is from typical.
Hazard riskcold waves tops the listA+Open →Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Jobs & income$83K median household income; 414 jobs based hereC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6 of 20; 5.1% of households have no car; 2.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →HealthLess healthy than 50% of U.S. towns; Trinity Hospitals 20.3 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksB−Open →History2 places on the National Register; 1 notable person born hereA−Open →Civic life8.5 library visits per resident; 14.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+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 35.4; 20% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Velva: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Velva, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Velva water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTuesdayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereMcHenry County AuditorMcHenry County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code5879058790 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 Velva.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Velva stands out in North Dakota and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower
At 4 of 100, Velva’s FEMA risk score is below both North Dakota’s towns (40 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1979, 15 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Velva.
4risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
15
paid flood claims since 1979
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsA−
Public schools in Velva beat 75% of North Dakota districts
Its public schools are run by the Velva 1 school district. Its two schools are below.
75%of ND districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Velva Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 217 | B |
| Velva High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 222 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A
Velva’s typical home value is about $228K
The typical Velva home is worth about $228,000, up 5.2% in a year, 21% below the North Dakota typical home. 78% of households own their home in Velva, where North Dakota’s towns sit at 57% and U.S. towns at 73%.
$228KZillow home value
Typical home value
Velva$228K
North Dakota$291K
+5.2%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Velva, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Velva has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. The July high in Velva is 82°F.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter4–22°
Spring29–52°
Summer55–80°
Fall32–54°
Sep 22
typical first frost
May 22
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
About one in six working residents works right in Velva
Most working residents leave Velva for work: only 16% work in town. Velva’s average trip to work is 24 minutes. The top destinations are Minot (23%), Bismarck (10%) and Fargo (4%).
16%work in town
| Velva | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 39% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Velva16%
Minot23%
Bismarck10%
Fargo4%
Harvey4%
27 mi
median commute distance
414
jobs based in Velva
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 45% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB−
Compared with most of North Dakota and the rest of the country, more of Velva’s adults have high blood pressure
37% of Velva adults have high blood pressure. Only 1 of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have obesity than Velva. 11% of Velva adults have diabetes.
50%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Velva | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
0 better24 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Velva | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.7% | 5.9% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 26.9% | 21.8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.8% | 3.1% |
Trinity Hospitals
20.3 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 Velva
18pages on Velva
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Velva; the nearest are
Minot State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Minot21.3 mi$8,702 in-state tuitionDakota College at BottineauCommunity college · Public · Bottineau58.1 mi$5,388 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Velva residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
Landmarks
2 places in Velva on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Velva
City in North Dakota, United States
Velva is a city in McHenry County, North Dakota, United States. Part of the Minot Metropolitan Statistical Area, it was founded in 1897 and the population was 1,086 at the 2020 census. Southeast of Minot, Velva is at the southernmost point of the Souris River. Since Velva is about 20 miles away from the nearby city Minot, Velva has had a slight steady increase of population, which makes Velva a nearby bedroom community for Minot. Velva is home to the first invention of Dot's pretzels, also home to a section of Dot's Pretzels Headquarters.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1897
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,512 ft
- ZIP code
- 58790
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Velva
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Velva, ND a good place to live?
3.1 times the library visits per person than the typical North Dakota town.
Is Velva, 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.