Fargo, North Dakota Population 2023

132,122

Fargo is a city located in Cass County North Dakota. It is also the county seat of Cass County. With a 2023 population of 132,122, it is the largest city in North Dakota and the 225th largest city in the United States.Fargo is currently growing at a rate of 1.57% annually and its population has increased by 4.87% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 125,990 in 2020. Spanning over 50 miles, Fargo has a population density of 2,656 people per square mile.

The average household income in Fargo is $78,237 with a poverty rate of 15.35%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Fargo is 31.4 years, 30.9 years for males, and 32.1 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.

Fargo Diversity

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%).

Fargo Population Growth

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.

Fargo Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Fargo was:

  • White: 83.13%
  • Black or African American: 7.84%
  • Asian: 4.16%
  • Two or more races: 3.12%
  • Native American: 1.18%
  • Other race: 0.54%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.03%
The current population of Fargo, North Dakota is 132,122 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 125,990.

Fargo, North Dakota Population 2023

Fargo Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

White

Black or African American

Asian

Two or more races

Native American

Other race

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Fargo Population by Race

Fargo Population Pyramid 2023

Fargo Median Age

31.4

Total

30.9

Male

32.1

Female

Fargo Adults

There are 98,910 adults, (15,843 of whom are seniors) in Fargo.

Fargo Age Dependency

48.7

Age Dependency Ratio

19.1

Old Age Dependency Ratio

29.7

Child Dependency Ratio

Fargo Sex Ratio

Female61,28049.6%
Male62,27050.4%

Fargo Population by Age

Fargo Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

2.91

Average Family Size

2.14

Average Household Size

44.4%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Fargo Households and Families

Male

Female

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Fargo Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Fargo Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

The highest rate of high school graduation is among other race people with a rate of 93.92%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 37.35%.

Fargo Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

$41,245

Average Earnings

$43,779

Average Male

$38,660

Average Female

Fargo Earnings by Educational Attainment

Fargo Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Fargo Language

90.09% of Fargo residents speak only English, while 9.91% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Asian and Pacific Island languages, which is spoken by 3.57% of the population.

Fargo Language

Fargo Poverty by Race

rate

15.35%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.71%

Male Poverty Rate

13.7%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Fargo

The race most likely to be in poverty in Fargo is Black, with 47.52% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Fargo is White, with 11.24% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.77%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 20.19%.

Fargo Poverty

Fargo Poverty Rate by Education

Fargo Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Fargo Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Fargo Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

44.6%

Overall Marriage Rate

43.5%

Male Marriage Rate

45.6%

Female Marriage Rate

Fargo Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Fargo Marriage

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.

Fargo Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Fargo Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

6,729

Number of Veterans

6,102

Male Veterans

627

Female Veterans

Fargo Veterans by War

Fargo Veterans by Age

count

Fargo Veterans by Race

Fargo Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

6.56%

Veteran Poverty Rate

34.05%

Veteran Disability Rate

Fargo Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

75.1%

Labor Force Participation

71.7%

Employment Rate

3.9%

Unemployment Rate

Fargo Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Fargo Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Fargo Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

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.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

48.45%

Born in Fargo

88.33%

Native Born

9.73%

Foreign Born

5.99%

Non Citizen

3.74%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

88.33% of Fargo residents were born in the United States, with 48.45% having been born in North Dakota. 5.99% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Africa.

Fargo Place of Birth

Note: data after 2020 is projected based on recent growth

Fargo Population by Year