Grand Forks, ND vs Bismarck, 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: Grand Forks, ND leads with police at $1,224 per resident, while Bismarck, ND leads with parks and recreation at $1,065.
On the revenue side both lean hardest on intergovernmental transfers — 674% of total revenue in Grand Forks, ND and 22% in Bismarck, ND.
Summary
Bismarck spends 55.9% 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 | $0 | $998 |
| Income Tax | $0 | $1,341 |
| Intergovernmental | $5,633 | $5,654 |
| Charges & Fees | $0 | $2,652 |
| Other | $625 | $3,626 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $1,224 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $500 | $663 |
| Highways & Roads | $0 | $123 |
| Public Welfare | $621 | $1,581 |
| Health | $0 | $404 |
| Hospitals | $0 | $26 |
| Parks & Recreation | $0 | $1,065 |
| Housing | $1,057 | $3,590 |
| Sewerage | $0 | $143 |
| Utilities | $1,216 | $2,252 |
| Interest on Debt | $0 | $725 |
| Other | $1,627 | $3,599 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.