Carrington, North Dakota

City in Foster County · population 2,080 (2020 Census)

Median home: $150,600
Household income: $77,171
Jan low / Jul high: -1° / 82°
Snow a year: 60 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 6
Median age: 40.5

Carrington is a city of 2,080 people in Foster County, North Dakota. The median home is worth $150,600, below the typical North Dakota town ($167,950). It ranks easier by car than 99% of North Dakota towns, quieter than 85% of North Dakota towns, better for retirees than 77% of North Dakota towns.

Carrington in our rankings:

How Carrington ranks

Percentile among North Dakota towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of North Dakota towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Carrington is worth $150,600, below the typical North Dakota town ($167,950). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $77,171, which is more affordable than 79% of North Dakota towns. Median rent is $778 a month. 71.4% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of North Dakota towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Carrington	Typical North Dakota town
Median home value	$150,600	$167,950
Median rent	$778	$775
Median household income	$77,171	$68,195
Home value ÷ income	2.0×	2.5×
Homeownership	71.4%	68.6%
Median year built	1972	1973
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Carrington

People	Carrington	Typical North Dakota town
Median age	40.5	39.0
Age 65 and over	21.9%	20.1%
Under 18	23.3%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.2%	23.0%
Below the poverty line	9.7%	10.6%
Veterans	5.2%	—
Born outside the U.S.	2.5%	—
Work from home	6.4%	5.5%
Average commute	11.4 min	16.8 min
Homes with broadband	90.4%	87.3%

Weather in Carrington

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows -1.5°F. About 20.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 59.8 inches of snow (typical North Dakota town: 44.3 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 190 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Carrington 4 N station (3.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Carrington since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical North Dakota town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 18, 1994 about 6.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 18, 1994.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 32 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on August 24, 1983.

Severe weather in Foster County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Foster County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Foster County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, biological, severe storm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
September 11, 2025	Severe Storm	DR-4888: Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds
July 13, 2022	Severe Storm	DR-4660: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding
July 9, 2020	Flood	DR-4553: Flooding
April 1, 2020	Biological	DR-4509: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3477: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Foster County

Foster County had 1,542 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $57,351 a year. Unemployment was 1.8% in 2023; in Carrington itself the ACS puts it at 1.4%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Carrington

2 public schools with 588 students, about 14.3 students per teacher.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher
CARRINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL	PK-6	346	16.5
CARRINGTON HIGH SCHOOL	7-12	242	12.1

Towns near Carrington

New Rockford, ND
15.7 mi · 1,361 people · home $101,300

Carrington questions

Is Carrington, North Dakota a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Carrington scores better for retirees than 77% of North Dakota towns and quieter than 85%. 21.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.5).

How much does a house cost in Carrington?

The median owner-occupied home in Carrington is valued at $150,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $77,171, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $778 a month.

What is the weather like in Carrington?

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows -1.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 20.8 inches of precipitation a year and 59.8 inches of snow.

Does Carrington get tornadoes?

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Carrington since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 18, 1994. The typical North Dakota town has had 11.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Carrington's Census boundary (GEOID 3812340). Comparisons use the median of North Dakota towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.