Also known as: Fargo Metro Authority
Fargo is a middle-income small city of 131,627.
Fargo is, among other things, the largest city in North Dakota, which is a distinction that sounds more modest than it is: the state's population is spread across an area larger than many European countries, and Fargo has quietly assembled a city of 131,627 people, a median age of 31.8, and a broadband penetration rate that would make most American metros envious. It is a place that tends to surprise people who have only encountered it through a Coen Brothers film.
Demographics and Population Character
According to Census ACS 5-Year 2024 data, Fargo's total population stands at 131,627, with a median age of 31.8 years. That figure places the city firmly in "young professional" territory — a characterization supported by the age distribution, which shows 45,699 residents between 18 and 34, and 26,301 residents under 18. The city counts 58,629 total households, of which 27,686 are family households.
The racial composition, per Census ACS 5-Year 2023, includes 104,304 white residents, 10,681 Black residents, 4,978 Asian residents, and 4,756 Hispanic or Latino residents. The presence of a substantial East African refugee community, which these aggregate figures only partially capture, has shaped Fargo's cultural institutions and service landscape in ways that the Census categories were not really designed to describe.
Housing and Affordability
The price-to-income ratio in Fargo sits at 4.2, and rent consumes approximately 16.9 percent of median household income, according to calculations derived from Census median income and home value data. The city is classified as "not affordable" under standard thresholds, though the interpretation is described as "moderate" — meaning Fargo is not inexpensive, but it occupies a different register than coastal markets where the same ratio might read 8 or 12. The median household income, per Census ACS data, is $66,029. These figures are worth holding alongside each other rather than reading in isolation.
Education
Fargo is home to five colleges and universities, per NCES IPEDS 2022 data. The most prominent is North Dakota State University, which according to the College Scorecard enrolls 9,471 students, charges $11,110 in in-state tuition and $15,764 out-of-state, carries an admission rate of 94.96 percent, and reports an average SAT score of 1,150. The completion rate is available in the underlying data. The presence of a major land-grant research university in a city of this size has a compounding effect on the young-professional demographic profile noted above — students arrive, some stay, and the median age holds steady.
The city also supports 41 licensed childcare centers, per state facility data, ranging from A Step Ahead Learning Center on 51st Street South to Active Minds Academy on 32nd Avenue South, among others.
Air Quality
The EPA's AQI Annual Summary for 2024 recorded 366 days of air quality data for the Fargo area. Of those, 288 were classified as "good" days and 76 as "moderate." One day reached the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" threshold, and one day was classified as "unhealthy." No days were recorded as "very unhealthy" or "hazardous." The maximum AQI recorded was 158. For a northern plains city that sits in an agricultural region and experiences periodic wildfire smoke transport from the west, this profile is relatively clean.
Climate
The nearest NOAA weather station, FARGO 3S, located 1.8 miles from the city center, records an average annual temperature of 42.7 degrees Fahrenheit and annual precipitation of 20.7 inches, according to NOAA ACIS data. Those numbers describe a climate that is cold in winter, warm in summer, and drier than most of the eastern United States — a continental pattern that shapes everything from building codes to the city's relationship with the Red River, which flows north and has a well-documented history of flooding.
Broadband Infrastructure
According to FCC Broadband Data Collection figures as of June 2025, 100 percent of Fargo's 90,604 housing units have access to broadband at speeds of 25/3 Mbps, 100/20 Mbps, and 250/25 Mbps. Access at gigabit speeds (1000/100 Mbps) reaches 93.25 percent of units. Universal coverage at the lower tiers is not common among cities of this size, and the gigabit figure suggests infrastructure investment that extends well beyond the city's core.
Civic and Community Organizations
Fargo supports a range of civic institutions documented in IRS Exempt Organizations data. The city has 13 civic service organizations, including the YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties and Altrusa International Foundation. There are 47 registered religious congregations, spanning traditions from Atonement Lutheran Church to Amistad Worldwide. Seven arts organizations are on record, including the Fargo-Moorhead Orchestral and the Fargo Moorhead Opera Company — both of which serve a binational metro that straddles the North Dakota–Minnesota border. Two animal welfare organizations operate in the city: Homeward Animal Shelter Inc. and Diamond in the Ruff Pet Rescue, per IRS EO BMF data.
Banking
FDIC branch data lists multiple banking institutions with Fargo locations, including First Western Bank & Trust at 4040 42nd Street South and Starion Bank's Fargo Urban Plains Branch, among others. The presence of both community banks and larger regional institutions reflects the city's role as the commercial center of the eastern North Dakota economy.
Nearby Attractions
The city's attraction inventory, per available data, includes 15 nearby points of interest. The Southwest Recreation Pool, a water park, sits 0.3 miles from the city center. The Roger Maris Museum — dedicated to the Fargo-born baseball player who broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run record in 1961 — is 1.4 miles out. Thunder Road, an amusement venue, is also listed among nearby attractions. The Roger Maris Museum is the kind of institution that a city builds when it has produced someone genuinely remarkable and wants to make sure visitors understand the connection.
Municipal Governance
Fargo operates under a municipal code maintained on Municode. The city's zoning and land-use framework is established through local ordinance, governing development, permitted uses, and related regulatory matters. The full text of the Fargo Municipal Code is accessible at https://library.municode.com/nd/fargo-city-north-dakota.
Further Reading
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates — data.census.gov
- National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data — nces.ed.gov/ccd/
- FEMA, Disaster Declarations — fema.gov/disaster/declarations