Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Washburn’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a C for incomes. 12% of working residents work locally in Washburn, against 39% in North Dakota’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Cross Ranch Archeological District and Fort Buford Stage Road is on the National Register of Historic Places. Washburn has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Washburn beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Dakota), ordered by how far Washburn is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1905.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Washburn, 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 Washburn.
Washburn beats the North Dakota average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 21% of Washburn adults binge drink, where North Dakota’s towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 16%. 14% of adults report frequent mental distress in Washburn.
| Washburn | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 29% | 33% |
| What stands out | Washburn | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.4% | 6.5% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.5% | 82.7% |
| More adults with arthritis | 29.7% | 25.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Washburn 4 school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 234 | A− |
| Washburn High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 142 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduation
Washburn has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 3° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (25% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 39% of residents (35% statewide). 26% of Washburn residents are under 18. Washburn has lost 3.4% of its people since 2020, down to 1,254 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Washburn | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 26% | 22% |
| Median age | 36.7 years | 33.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 13% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 30% | 29% |
47% women, 53% men
About 113 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.8 points). Across North Dakota, 48.8% of residents are women. Among residents 45 to 54, 74% are men (ND 53%).
| Washburn | ND | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.5% | 13% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.8% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6% | 11.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.3% | 14.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 13.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.1% | 10.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.3% | 11.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.6% | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.6% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.6% | 6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.6% | 25.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.9% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.4% | 14% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.5% | 23% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 2.9% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Since 2013, Washburn has lost 614 jobs, to 493 in 2023. Washburn’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Bismarck (20%), Wilton (6%) and Underwood (5%).
| Washburn | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 16 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9.8% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Washburn home is worth about $257,000, up 2.1% in a year, 11% below the North Dakota typical home. The median rent in Washburn is $818 a month.
| Washburn | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 74% | 57% | 73% |
| Median rent | $818 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Washburn. Close and well known come first.
23 mi LakeLake Sakakawea
12 mi LandmarkFort Mandan
38 mi State parkFort Abraham Lincoln
16 mi National Historic SiteKnife River Indian Villages National Historic Site9K visitors a year
in town MuseumNorth Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center36 mi Zoo & aquariumDakota ZooLake Sakakawea: Shannon1, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Mandan: Gooseterrain2, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Abraham Lincoln: MatthewUND, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site: Unknown, Public domain · North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center: Gooseterrain2, CC0
None within 15 miles of Washburn; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Washburn residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
3 notable people were born in Washburn.
City in North Dakota, United States
Washburn is a city in southern McLean County, North Dakota, United States. Located along the upper Missouri River, it is the county seat of McLean County. The population was 1,300 at the 2020 census. Washburn was founded in 1882 near the former site of Fort Mandan, winter quarters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804–1805, near a Mandan village. The town was designated as the county seat in 1883. The city's name honors General Cadwallader C. Washburn. Washburn is home to the North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, which focuses on the Expedition's winter near the Mandan village. It houses a full-scale replica of Fort Mandan, which workers of the expedition built as their base…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.
3 notable people were born here, including Bruce Peterson and Gary Emineth.
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