Is being in an area of North Dakota that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Fargo and Bismarck, while others want peace and quiet like in Watford City and Valley City, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in North Dakota have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Peace Garden State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
245.9% growth since 2010 · 4,293 net new residents
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
102.5% growth since 2010 · 14,204 net new residents
Located in
Williams County, North Dakota
Williston is a city in and the county seat of Williams County, North Dakota, United States. The 2010 census gave its population as 14,716, and the Census Bureau gave the 2015 estimated population as 26,977, making Williston the sixth largest city in North Dakota. The North Dakota oil boom is largely responsible for the sharp increase in population.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
68.0% growth since 2010 · 16,226 net new residents
Located in
Cass County, North Dakota
West Fargo is a city in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. It is, as of the 2016 Census Estimates, the fifth largest city in the state of North Dakota with a population estimated at 34,858, and it is one of the state’s fastest growing cities. West Fargo was founded in 1926. The city is part of the Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
47.7% growth since 2010 · 8,189 net new residents
Located in
Stark County, North Dakota
Dickinson is a city in Stark County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Stark County. The population was 17,787 at the 2010 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated 2015 population is 23,765.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
37.7% growth since 2010 · 6,709 net new residents
Located in
Morton County, North Dakota
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
28.4% growth since 2010 · 29,100 net new residents
Located in
Cass County, North Dakota
Fargo is the most populous city in the state of North Dakota, accounting for nearly 16% of the state population. Fargo is also the county seat of Cass County. According to the 2016 United States Census estimates, its population was 120,762, making it the 229th-most populous city in the United States. Fargo, along with its twin city of Moorhead, Minnesota, as well as the adjacent cities of West Fargo, North Dakota and Dilworth, Minnesota, form the core of the Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in 2016 contained a population of 238,124. In 2014, Forbes magazine ranked Fargo as the fourth fastest-growing small city in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
26.0% growth since 2010 · 15,568 net new residents
Located in
Burleigh County, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second-most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city’s population was estimated in 2016 at 72,417, while its metropolitan population was 131,635. In 2015, Forbes magazine ranked Bismarck as the seventh fastest-growing small city in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
22.4% growth since 2010 · 8,737 net new residents
Located in
Ward County, North Dakota
Minot MY-not) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state’s north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state and a trading center for a large portion of northern North Dakota, southwestern Manitoba, and southeastern Saskatchewan. Founded in 1886 during the construction of the Great Northern Railway, Minot is also known as “Magic City”, commemorating its remarkable growth in size over a short time.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
12.9% growth since 2010 · 6,748 net new residents
Located in
Grand Forks County, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the State of North Dakota and is the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city’s population was 52,838, while the total of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461. Grand Forks, along with its twin city of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, forms the center of the Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is often called Greater Grand Forks or The Grand Cities.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
3.8% growth since 2010 · 268 net new residents
Located in
Ramsey County, North Dakota
Devils Lake is a city in Ramsey County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Ramsey County. The population was 7,141 at the 2010 census. It is named after the nearby body of water, Devils Lake. The first house in Devils Lake was built in 1882. It was surveyed in 1883 and named Creelsburg and later Creel City, after the surveyor, Heber M. Creel. In 1884 it was renamed Devils Lake.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is North Dakota’s statewide median.
On the map
Where North Dakota’s growth is happening
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Peace Garden State for 2026
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (the latest available data, which came out in Dec 2024)
We ranked all 13 North Dakota cities with a population over 6,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Peace Garden State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula: [Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010].
The data has been updated for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the fastest growing cities in North Dakota.
The full plate
Fastest Growing Places In North Dakota For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watford City | 6,039 | 1,746 | 245.9% | 4,293 |
| 2 | Williston | 28,056 | 13,852 | 102.5% | 14,204 |
| 3 | West Fargo | 40,094 | 23,868 | 68.0% | 16,226 |
| 4 | Dickinson | 25,357 | 17,168 | 47.7% | 8,189 |
| 5 | Mandan | 24,522 | 17,813 | 37.7% | 6,709 |
| 6 | Fargo | 131,627 | 102,527 | 28.4% | 29,100 |
| 7 | Bismarck | 75,556 | 59,988 | 26.0% | 15,568 |
| 8 | Minot | 47,791 | 39,054 | 22.4% | 8,737 |
| 9 | Grand Forks | 59,042 | 52,294 | 12.9% | 6,748 |
| 10 | Devils Lake | 7,308 | 7,040 | 3.8% | 268 |
| 11 | Jamestown | 15,787 | 15,292 | 3.2% | 495 |
| 12 | Wahpeton | 8,010 | 7,853 | 2.0% | 157 |
| 13 | Valley City | 6,541 | 6,558 | -0.3% | -17 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS, 2010-current. 13 North Dakota cities with more than 6,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In North Dakota, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in North Dakota are led by Watford City which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in North Dakota are Watford City, Williston, West Fargo, Dickinson, Mandan, Fargo, Bismarck, Minot, Grand Forks, and Devils Lake.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
