Bismarck, ND vs Grand Forks, ND
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Bismarck, ND outspends Grand Forks, ND by a wide margin per resident — $14,170 versus $6,244, a 127% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Bismarck, ND edges Grand Forks, ND on the Fiscal Health Score by 3 points — 60/100 (grade C) to 57/100 (grade C). At a margin this narrow the grade is close enough that the factor-level detail matters more than the composite.
Grand Forks, ND reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Bismarck, ND carries $1,499 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Bismarck, ND leads with parks and recreation at $1,065 per resident, while Grand Forks, ND leads with police at $1,224.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 22% of total revenue in Bismarck, ND and 674% in Grand Forks, ND.
Summary
Bismarck spends 126.9% more per capita than Grand Forks ($7,926/person difference). Bismarck, ND has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (C, 60/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Sales Tax | $998 | $0 |
| Income Tax | $1,341 | $0 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,654 | $5,633 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,652 | $0 |
| Other | $3,626 | $625 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $1,224 |
| Fire Protection | $663 | $500 |
| Highways & Roads | $123 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $1,581 | $621 |
| Health | $404 | $0 |
| Hospitals | $26 | $0 |
| Parks & Recreation | $1,065 | $0 |
| Housing | $3,590 | $1,057 |
| Sewerage | $143 | $0 |
| Utilities | $2,252 | $1,216 |
| Interest on Debt | $725 | $0 |
| Other | $3,599 | $1,627 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.