Rents are 5% above what Grand Forks's 10-year trend predicts — running hotter than its own history.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,149 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Grand Forks usually run 1.3% below trend in December and 0.7% above it in May, about $23 a month apart at today's median. Based on 7 years of data.
Rent in Grand Forks is 0.5% below its high of $1,155 in June 2026, at $1,149 as of September 2026.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Grand Forks rose 22.5% while median household income rose 27.1% ($50,076 to $63,627). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Grand Forks is 35.8% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has fallen 2 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($63,627) is $1,591 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,385); a 4-bedroom is $1,665.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Grand Forks. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Grand Forks, ND is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 40% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Grand Forks, ND has changed in 5 years
Rent in Grand Forks, ND has increased 33.4% since 2021, going from about $861 per month to roughly $1,149 today. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $53,611 in 2021 to $63,627 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 14.7 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. About 53.6% of households rent today, against 56.3% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 37.9% to 40%. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Grand Forks, ND market of 2021.
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At $1,149/mo, how Grand Forks rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Grand Forks rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Grand Forks. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Grand Forks
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Grand Forks is $1,149/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $780/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $985/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $785/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,385/mo.
At 22% of local median household income ($63,627/yr), Grand Forks ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.9% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Grand Forks rent compare to other cities in North Dakota?
At $1,149/mo, rent takes ~22% of Grand Forks's median household income ($63,627/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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