Grand Forks vs Williston
Grand Forks, North Dakota versus Williston, North Dakota: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Grand Forks and Williston score about the same overall (49 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Grand Forks | Williston |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $59k | $80k |
| Cost of Living | $41k | $48k |
| Home Value | $237k | $246k |
| Monthly Rent | $927 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.21% | 0.73% |
| Income Tax | 2.50% | 2.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.04% | 7.04% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.68% | 7.04% |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 2.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 6°F | 12°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 69°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 22.8 in | 15.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 48.7 in | 48.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 229 days | 242 days |
| Summer Humidity | 60°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 77 days | 53 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 34.9 | 85.6 |
| Air Quality | — | 19 AQI |
| School Quality | 59.1 | 50.2 |
| Violent Crime | 1689/100k | 2344/100k |
| Property Crime | 3002/100k | 2152/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 58,935 | 27,783 |
| Median Age | 29.1 | 31.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.32 | 0.38 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.09 | 1.15 |
| Political Leaning | R+14 | R+69 |
| White (%) | 80.7% | 73.5% |
| Black (%) | 4.3% | 7.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.9% | 11.3% |
| Asian (%) | 3.3% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.9% | 6.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 14 min | 15 min |
| Walkability | 15.2/20 | 9.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 280 mi | 546 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.7% | 84.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 22.23 | 10.08 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Grand Forks or Williston more affordable?
- Grand Forks has the lower cost of living: its index is $41k, compared with Grand Forks's $41k and Williston's $48k. Median rent is $927 in Grand Forks versus $1k in Williston.
- Is Grand Forks or Williston safer?
- Grand Forks has the lower violent crime rate. Grand Forks reports 1689/100k and Williston reports 2344/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Grand Forks or Williston?
- The median home value is $237k in Grand Forks and $246k in Williston, so homes are more affordable in Grand Forks.