Fargo, ND — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

Cass County · Fargo · population 136,285

Fargo, ND
Image: Wikipedia · Fargo, North Dakota
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72
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Fargo stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.1% in the last year.

Median home $318,584
1-year +4.1%
5-yr CAGR +4.7%
vs 5-yr peak -0.1%
Population +2.0%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-03$319k$207k$249k$290k$332k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
88/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,092/mo$826$992$1,158202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent126124100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 24.3
Lean rent

At a 24.3 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Fargo. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
70 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
63 · w22%
Distance from peak
89 · w18%
Population growth
80 · w16%
Rent YoY
69 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
51 · w10%
Long thesis

Fargo has held up across the cycle: home values at $318,584 with +4.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Fargo's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Fargo

Fargo is a city in Cass County, North Dakota, with an estimated population of 136,285. The population grew 2.0% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Fargo is $318,584 as of 2026-04, up 4.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Fargo average $1,092 per month, up 3.6% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 72 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

Quiet strength: +4.1% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
Net positive migration: population up 2.0% per year — demand fundamentals are intact.
Held the highs: currently -0.1% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

Bear case

Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Fargo (Wikipedia)

Fargo is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 census and estimated at 136,285 in 2024. Fargo and its twin city of Moorhead, Minnesota, form the core of the Fargo–Moorhead metropolitan area, which had a population of 248,591 in 2020. It is the county seat of Cass County.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorTim Mahoney (D-NPL)
Area50.835 sq mi
Elevation906 ft
Founded1871
Density2620/sq mi
Named forWilliam Fargo

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Cass County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Cass County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Fargo

33 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Rose Creek$581,586+4.4%
2Centennial$508,022+3.7%
3Woodhaven$464,337+4.1%
4River Drive$440,218+3.2%
5Brandt Crossing$434,254+4.0%
6Maple Valley$414,675+2.5%
7Davies$411,655+1.2%
8Pointe West$410,559+2.9%
9Longfellow$407,830+2.3%
10Bluemont Lakes$396,605+2.7%
11Osgood$393,041+2.6%
12Anderson Park$387,321+3.7%
13Deer Creek$373,194+0.2%
14Southpointe$363,293+5.6%
15Prariewood$347,381+5.9%
16Lincoln$332,412+7.1%
17Stonebridge$329,665+4.9%
18Bennett$324,219+1.8%
19Clara Barton$301,143+6.3%
20Trollwood$287,445+3.7%
21Northport$274,814+3.8%
22Downtown$272,279-1.0%
23Village West$269,469+4.5%
24South High$267,733+2.0%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Fargo

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
21° / 1°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
83° / 59°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
209
~57% of year
Annual precip
18″ rain
39″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Fargo listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Fargo area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$73,900
North Dakota state median
Top industries (state-level)
Oil & Gas (Bakken)AgricultureManufacturing

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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