Grand Forks City Rental Housing Assessment

Grand Forks City Rental Housing Assessment

DRAFT May 2026

Authored by Mark Schill, Praxis Strategy Group

Research commissioned by The Chamber Grand Forks/East Grand Forks and the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation.

Housing Tenure in the City of Grand Forks

According to U.S. Census American Community Survey data, about 54% of households in the city of Grand Forks are occupied by renters of all types and 47%. Nationally, renters account for 35% of households and the statewide figure is 37%. The significant skew towards renting in Grand Forks is due to its hosting of a sizeable university and military population.



Rent Price Growth in Grand Forks

Rent in the city of Grand Forks is rising rapidly in the past four years, with growth beginning its acceleration in early 2022 according to Zillow’s Observed Rent Index (ZORI). The index is dollar-denominated by computing the mean of listed rents that fall into the 35th to 65th percentile range for all homes and apartments in a given region, which is weighted to reflect the rental housing stock.[i]

Median advertised rent in the city was $1,187 in April 2026, up more than $275 per month since January 2022. Rent prices in the city tend to show a seasonal pattern, beginning to rise early in the year and reaching a peak in late summer months before flattening during early winter.

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