Photo: Billybob2002 · CC BY 4.0At 1.1%, unemployment in West Fargo is lower than in 94% of U.S. towns
The two grades for West Fargo are A− for jobs and income and B+ for walkability. About one in five work in West Fargo; the top destination outside it is Fargo (64%, 4 miles). Working residents average 17 minutes each way; North Dakota averages 18, the U.S. 26.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2024, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
West Fargo at work: what stands out
More than half of West Fargo works in Fargo
13,831 working residents, 64%, have their main job in Fargo, 3.6 miles away across the town line. That’s 4 times as many as work in West Fargo itself. The commute map ↓
Most West Fargo residents work close to home
88% of working residents have their main job less than 10 miles from home. How far ↓
West Fargo has added jobs fast
Jobs based in West Fargo went from 11,425 in 2014 to 17,558 in 2024, +54%. The jobs ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2024, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey; a jump in jobs can partly be a big employer changing how it reports its locations.
The four measures behind West Fargo’s grade
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, West Fargo is better than 84% of U.S. towns, #5 of 23 in North Dakota. Unemployment is its strongest input; the poverty rate ranks lowest, though still above most U.S. towns (8.8%, U.S. 12.5%). It also does well on household income and the poverty rate and job access by car.
A fairly firm grade. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, West Fargo could be anywhere from A− to A.
Commuting out of West Fargo: the destinations
Where West Fargo clocks in
64% of workers
4% of workers
2% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
The commute from West Fargo, by distance
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2024.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
67% of the jobs in West Fargo pay over $3,333 a month
17,558 jobs are based in West Fargo.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in West Fargo, 2014 → 2024: 11,425 → 17,558. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2024.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs West Fargo’s own residents hold wherever they work.
West Fargo by day and by night
On a workday 17,776 residents head out to work, 3,966 work right here, and 13,592 people come in from elsewhere.
About 37,000 people are in West Fargo on a workday afternoon, 10% fewer than live here.
About as many jobs as working residents (0.81 per resident).
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2024, primary jobs.
The trip to work from West Fargo: about 17 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 5.5 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of West Fargo workers work from home, vs 8% across North Dakota. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 20,899 commuters (the 10% who work from home are left out). Across North Dakota: 85% drive alone, <1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Getting around West Fargo: mostly by car
On EPA’s walkability index and the share of commuters who walk, bike or take transit, West Fargo is more walkable than 67% of U.S. towns, #13 of 23 in North Dakota. The street layout scores higher than the way people actually get to work: 1.0% of commuters walk, bike or take transit, below the 4.2% across North Dakota.
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 23,268 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). 98% of residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 68% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 1.5 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 64% of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 4.0% of West Fargo households have no vehicle (North Dakota 5.9%, U.S. 8.4%). <1% of West Fargo’s commuters take a bus or train.
For jobs and income, West Fargo is 291st of 1,037 U.S. towns of 29,000 to 56,000
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLean VA | 49,627 | $250K | 2.9% | 2.3% | 6% | A+ |
| 2 | Southlake TX | 31,175 | $250K | 1.5% | 2.7% | 10% | A+ |
| 3 | Leawood KS | 34,093 | $186K | 3.1% | 2.0% | 9% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 289 | Annapolis MD | 40,634 | $114K | 7.8% | 3.7% | 19% | A− |
| 290 | Savage MN | 32,970 | $126K | 5.8% | 5.3% | 6% | A− |
| 291 | West Fargo ND | 41,175 | $91K | 8.8% | 1.1% | 18% | A− |
| 292 | Monroe Township NJ | 49,830 | $108K | 3.7% | 5.3% | 6% | A− |
| 293 | Beavercreek OH | 48,134 | $110K | 6.9% | 3.6% | 15% | A− |
| … | |||||||
| 708 | Minot ND | 47,308 | $73K | 11.1% | 3.4% | 61% | B− |
| … | |||||||
| 740 | Williston ND | 29,522 | $79K | 8.1% | 4.9% | 56% | B− |
| … | |||||||
| 1,037 | Bullhead City AZ | 43,987 | $51K | 18.7% | 11.5% | 25% | D− |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of West Fargo, the top three, the last and three more from North Dakota.
65% of West Fargo works in a bordering town
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | West Fargo workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Fargo | – | A− | B+ | 17 min | $90,665 |
| Fargo | 64% | B− | A | 16 min | $66,998 |
| Mapleton Township | under 1% | — | — | 31 min | — |
| Barnes Township | under 1% | — | — | — | — |
| Reed Township | 1% | A+ | C | 20 min | $130,938 |
| Raymond Township | under 1% | — | — | 15 min | — |
| Horace | under 1% | A+ | C− | 29 min | $138,578 |
Same-state neighbors only. Mapleton Township, Barnes Township and Raymond Township: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
The biggest share goes to Fargo. Darker towns draw more of West Fargo’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2024, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in West Fargo: questions
What is the median household income in West Fargo?
$90,665 (±$5,927) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $76,657 across North Dakota and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in West Fargo?
8.8%, against 10.8% across North Dakota and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from West Fargo?
17 minutes each way on average, against 18 across North Dakota and 26 nationally. 10% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in West Fargo work?
18% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Fargo (64%, 4 mi), Moorhead (4%, 8 mi), Grand Forks (2%, 74 mi) (Census LEHD 2024).
Is West Fargo walkable?
West Fargo is more walkable than 67% of U.S. towns (Walkability B+): an EPA walkability index of 13.9 out of 20, and 1% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around West Fargo without a car?
<1% of commuters take transit and 4% of households have no car. 68% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from West Fargo, from the people who make the trip.
More of West Fargo
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2024, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.