The Town FilesFort Totten, North Dakota
Community in Benson County · population 1,160 (2020 Census)
- Household income
- $20,250
- Jan low / Jul high
- -2° / 79°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 11
- Median age
- 13.0
Fort Totten is a community of 1,160 people in Benson County, North Dakota. It ranks better for young professionals than 80% of North Dakota towns.
How Fort Totten 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.
Homes and cost of living
Median rent is $337 a month. 51.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fort Totten | Typical North Dakota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $167,950 |
| Median rent | $337 | $775 |
| Median household income | $20,250 | $68,195 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 51.7% | 68.6% |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1973 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Fort Totten
| People | Fort Totten | Typical North Dakota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 13.0 | 39.0 |
| Age 65 and over | 3.0% | 20.1% |
| Under 18 | 63.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 0.0% | 23.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 39.8% | 10.6% |
| Veterans | 0.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 0.0% | 5.5% |
| Average commute | 10.1 min | 16.8 min |
| Homes with broadband | 73.1% | 87.3% |
Weather in Fort Totten
July highs average 79.4°F and January lows -1.8°F. About 20.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 182 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Totten since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical North Dakota town. The strongest, an F1, struck on June 14, 1985 about 8.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 22, 2021.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 42 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 17, 2020.
Severe weather in Benson County since 1996
Benson County has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| October 2, 2020 | Severe Storm | DR-4565: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| April 1, 2020 | Biological | DR-4509: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3477: Covid-19 |
| July 12, 2017 | Flood | DR-4323: Flooding |
| August 19, 2014 | Flood | DR-4190: Severe Storms And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Benson County
Benson County had 1,973 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,294 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Fort Totten itself the ACS puts it at 0%.
Public schools in Fort Totten
2 public schools with 185 students, about 9.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOUR WINDS COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL | 9-12 | 163 | 8.6 |
| FOUR WINDS COMMUNITY PK SCHOOL | PK-PK | 22 | 22.0 |
Towns near Fort Totten
- Devils Lake, ND11.8 mi · 7,192 people · home $164,900
- New Rockford, ND20.9 mi · 1,361 people · home $101,300
Fort Totten questions
Is Fort Totten, North Dakota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fort Totten scores better for retirees than 20% of North Dakota towns and quieter than 37%. 3.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 13.0).
What is the weather like in Fort Totten?
July highs average 79.4°F and January lows -1.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 20.0 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Fort Totten get tornadoes?
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Totten since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on June 14, 1985. The typical North Dakota town has had 11.
- 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)