Fargo is a city located in Cass County North Dakota. Fargo has a 2024 population of 135,588. Fargo is currently growing at a rate of 1.8% annually and its population has increased by 7.62% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 125,986 in 2020.
The average household income in Fargo is $90,961 with a poverty rate of 13.33%. The median age in Fargo is 31.9 years: 31.8 years for males, and 32 years for females.
Fargo is the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota and the largest city in the state, accounting for almost 16% of North Dakota's population.
Fargo -- along with Moorhead, Minnesota; West Fargo, North Dakota, and Dilworth, Minnesota -- make up the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area, which has a population of 229,000.
The average age in Fargo is 30 years with 19% of people under the age of 18. About 16% of people in Fargo live below the poverty line. The Fargo-Moorhead metro area is even less diverse with a white population of more than 93%.
The Asian population in the Fargo metro area is somewhat diverse. People of Chinese descent account for 0.5% of the community as the largest Asian American group, followed by Indians, Vietnamese, Koreans, and Filipinos. Hispanics and Latinos are the most significant minority in the metropolitan area at 2.5% of the population, of which most are Mexican with small groups of Puerto Ricans and Cubans.
North Dakota as a whole has one of the least diverse populations among U.S. states. Black, Hispanic, and Asian people each account for less than 2% of the population while Native Americans represent the largest minority at 5.4% of North Dakota's population.
The most common ancestry groups in Fargo include German (41%), Norwegian (36%), Irish (9%), Swedish (6.5%), English (5%), French (4.7%), and Italian (3.5%).
Forbes recently ranked Fargo as the 4th fastest-growing small city in the country with a population growth of almost 28% between 2000 and 2013 and job growth of more than 28% between 2001 and 2014.
In 2011, North Dakota had the country's lowest unemployment rate following a decade of prosperity. Fargo hit a record high of 105,550 people in 2011, while its neighbor, West Fargo, reached 25,800 people. Fargo continues its steady growth because the housing boom (and bust) missed it completely.
Fargo and North Dakota as a whole have trouble attracting new residents in large part due to the area's extreme temperatures, with average temperatures in January below zero. The state often hosts job fairs in other states to match people with jobs in the region.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Fargo was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 103,721 | 81.47% |
Black or African American | 10,807 | 8.49% |
Two or more races | 5,156 | 4.05% |
Asian | 5,149 | 4.04% |
Native American | 1,462 | 1.15% |
Other race | 1,020 | 0.8% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 4 | 0% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Native American
Other race
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 56,890 | 2.14 | 44.2 | 55.8 |
Non Family | 28,889 | 1.32 | 25.8 | 74.2 |
Married | 21,427 | 2.95 | 72.7 | 27.3 |
Female | 4,597 | 3.12 | 34.4 | 65.6 |
Male | 1,977 | 3.05 | 26.3 | 73.7 |
2.92
Average Family Size
2.14
Average Household Size
44.2%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 2,080 | 2.61% |
Associates Degree | 10,518 | 13.18% |
Bachelors Degree | 22,739 | 28.5% |
Graduate Degree | 11,078 | 13.89% |
High School Graduate | 15,206 | 19.06% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 1,919 | 2.41% |
Some College | 16,236 | 20.35% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 67,240 | 64,914 | 29,596 |
Black | 5,822 | 4,886 | 1,322 |
Asian | 2,797 | 2,261 | 1,615 |
2+ Races | 1,887 | 1,822 | 785 |
Hispanic | 1,885 | 1,774 | 481 |
Native American | 686 | 648 | 122 |
Other Race | 490 | 479 | 139 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among other race people with a rate of 97.76%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 57.74%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $56,553 | $60,248 | $54,057 |
Graduate Degree | $73,741 | $72,736 | $74,718 |
High School Graduate | $34,561 | $39,387 | $30,203 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $28,809 | $29,353 | $26,047 |
Overall | $47,121 | $50,738 | $45,048 |
Some College | $43,289 | $48,405 | $38,154 |
$47,121
Average Earnings
$50,738
Average Male
$45,048
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
89.04% of Fargo residents speak only English, while 10.96% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other languages, which is spoken by 4.38% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 97,846 | 10,168 | 10.39% |
Black | 10,655 | 2,892 | 27.14% |
Asian | 4,690 | 1,273 | 27.14% |
Multiple | 4,950 | 1,051 | 21.23% |
Native | 1,402 | 663 | 47.29% |
Hispanic | 3,915 | 517 | 13.21% |
Other | 923 | 67 | 7.26% |
13.33%
Overall Poverty Rate
12.23%
Male Poverty Rate
14.45%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Fargo is Native, with 47.29% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Fargo is Other, with 7.26% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.55%. Among those working part-time, it was 24.17%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 18.71%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 23.02% |
High School | 13.63% |
Some College | 7.02% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 47.23% |
Male Unemployed | 37.21% |
Female Employed | 9.68% |
Male Employed | 8.25% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $97,518 | $125,666 |
Households | $64,432 | $90,961 |
Married Families | $115,229 | $146,035 |
Non Families | $43,573 | $55,196 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
42.6%
Overall Marriage Rate
41.5%
Male Marriage Rate
43.8%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
6,521
Number of Veterans
5,816
Male Veterans
705
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 2,522 |
Second Gulf War | 1,469 |
First Gulf War | 1,076 |
Korea | 346 |
World War II | 207 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 1,791 |
75+ | 1,594 |
35 to 54 | 1,265 |
55 to 64 | 1,220 |
18 to 34 | 651 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 6,337 | 7.32% |
Hispanic | 154 | 5.9% |
Native American | 78 | 9.18% |
2+ Races | 59 | 1.99% |
Asian | 47 | 1.21% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
4.05%
Veteran Poverty Rate
34.92%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
74.9%
Labor Force Participation
71.8%
Employment Rate
3.6%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
50.14%
Born in Fargo
89.69%
Native Born
10.31%
Foreign Born
6.08%
Non Citizen
4.23%
Naturalized
89.69% of Fargo residents were born in the United States, with 50.14% having been born in North Dakota. 6.08% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Africa.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 147,591 | 2,400 | 1.65% |
2028 | 145,191 | 2,401 | 1.68% |
2027 | 142,790 | 2,401 | 1.71% |
2026 | 140,389 | 2,400 | 1.74% |
2025 | 137,989 | 2,401 | 1.77% |
2024 | 135,588 | 2,400 | 1.8% |
2023 | 133,188 | 1,744 | 1.33% |
2022 | 131,444 | 1,869 | 1.44% |
2021 | 129,575 | 3,589 | 2.85% |
2020 | 125,986 | 1,088 | 0.87% |
2019 | 124,898 | 394 | 0.32% |
2018 | 124,504 | 1,799 | 1.47% |
2017 | 122,705 | 2,271 | 1.89% |
2016 | 120,434 | 2,106 | 1.78% |
2015 | 118,328 | 2,427 | 2.09% |
2014 | 115,901 | 2,016 | 1.77% |
2013 | 113,885 | 2,913 | 2.62% |
2012 | 110,972 | 2,794 | 2.58% |
2011 | 108,178 | 2,154 | 2.03% |
2010 | 106,024 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 90,599 | 16,488 | 22.25% |
1990 | 74,111 | 12,728 | 20.74% |
1980 | 61,383 | 8,018 | 15.02% |
1970 | 53,365 | 6,703 | 14.37% |
1960 | 46,662 | 8,406 | 21.97% |
1950 | 38,256 | 5,676 | 17.42% |
1940 | 32,580 | 3,961 | 13.84% |
1930 | 28,619 | 6,658 | 30.32% |
1920 | 21,961 | 7,630 | 53.24% |
1910 | 14,331 | 4,742 | 49.45% |
1900 | 9,589 | 3,925 | 69.3% |
1890 | 5,664 | 2,971 | 110.32% |
1880 | 2,693 | -144,898 | -98.18% |