new census estimate

[UND92,96]

link

[Shawn-O]

No real surprises here, except Rolette County. What's driving the growth there?

[UND92,96]

Not surprisingly, the MPO's projection of the GF population is higher than that of the census. link.

[MrLeisure]

Is anyone curious as to why Grand Forks is growing? What is making this place such a great place to move to?

[SoonersNSioux]

Can't speak for others, but my wife and I are 2 new residents. I'm here for research. She has a job at EERC.

Aaron

[UND Fan]

Can't speak for others, but my wife and I are 2 new residents. I'm here for research. She has a job at EERC.

Aaron

I don't live in GF anymore but welcome to the city and hope you enjoy it! AND I hope you become a huge UND fan!

[SoonersNSioux]

I don't live in GF anymore but welcome to the city and hope you enjoy it! AND I hope you become a huge UND fan!

Of course! It works out well, UND hockey fan and a OU football fan.

[Big A HG]

I wonder if it has something to do with the University.

[GeauxSioux]

I'm sure that Cirrus and LM Glasfiber have something do with the population increase. They have both added a lot of jobs in the past couple of years. I agree, also, that the "U" has been involved in the growth, as well.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Is anyone curious as to why Grand Forks is growing? What is making this place such a great place to move to?

I moved back for a job that pays the same as it would in the cities area. I love it here, no matter what people say. Sioux sports played a big role, being closer to northern minnesota (the REAL minnesota), and the fact that GF is growing at a good rate attracted me. The beauty of living in GF is that the cities are a fairly easy 4.5 hour drive, so I can attend Vikings and Twins games, but I get to leave that area afterwards and come back home. I attend the same amount of games as my buddies who live in the cities area, but they are stuck living there and dealing with all the "big city" problems like traffic and crime and high cost of living.

[Shawn-O]

I moved back for a job that pays the same as it would in the cities area. I love it here, no matter what people say. Sioux sports played a big role, being closer to northern minnesota (the REAL minnesota), and the fact that GF is growing at a good rate attracted me. The beauty of living in GF is that the cities are a fairly easy 4.5 hour drive, so I can attend Vikings and Twins games, but I get to leave that area afterwards and come back home. I attend the same amount of games as my buddies who live in the cities area, but they are stuck living there and dealing with all the "big city" problems like traffic and crime and high cost of living.

You're in Grand Forks? I think the whole "cost of living" argument is way overblown (check your property tax bill). If you're in Inkster or Minto, then yes, otherwise, I really don't see a significant difference between the suburban Metro or Fargo-Moorhead or the Grand Cities.

[Sioux-per Fan]

I moved here 30 years ago population was around 48,0000...2nd largest City in the State.

Now 30 years later we have grown to a whopping 52,000...3rd maybe 4th largest City in State.

The truth is that the City of Grand Forks is a aging population with a very small % of students staying after they graduate. We have no "Great Paying Jobs" in Industry / Technology / Manufacturing. Fargo's Micorsoft announces 100 jobs at the begining of this year that start for college grads at 100,0000 per, Grand Forks L & M Fiber announces 200 jobs for 13-15 dollars per hour.

Until Grand Forks is able to secure some form of attractive High paying jobs, we will continue to lag behind in population.

I believe it is a great place to live and raise a family, but you can not ask college grads to stay for 20-30,000 a year. I have seen alot come back into the community when a higher job opens up in the educational field (UND) or medical profession (Altru).

Fargo in this same 30 year period has grown from 60,000 in 1977 to well over 90,000 and if you included West Fargo, Morehead and surrounding areas, I think they are close to 150,000.

[GeauxSioux]

I moved here 30 years ago population was around 48,0000...2nd largest City in the State.

Now 30 years later we have grown to a whopping 52,000...3rd maybe 4th largest City in State.

The truth is that the City of Grand Forks is a aging population with a very small % of students staying after they graduate. We have no "Great Paying Jobs" in Industry / Technology / Manufacturing. Fargo's Micorsoft announces 100 jobs at the begining of this year that start for college grads at 100,0000 per, Grand Forks L & M Fiber announces 200 jobs for 13-15 dollars per hour.

Until Grand Forks is able to secure some form of attractive High paying jobs, we will continue to lag behind in population.

I believe it is a great place to live and raise a family, but you can not ask college grads to stay for 20-30,000 a year. I have seen alot come back into the community when a higher job opens up in the educational field (UND) or medical profession (Altru).

Fargo in this same 30 year period has grown from 60,000 in 1977 to well over 90,000 and if you included West Fargo, Morehead and surrounding areas, I think they are close to 150,000.

We've had this discussion once before as to why Fargo has grown so much more than GF, aside from the 1997 flood. There was a time in the 1960's and 1970's when GF's growth rate was higher than Fargo's, mostly due to the AFB. When the interstate system was built, Fargo was put in a prime location at the confluence of two interstate highways. Fargo started to become a distribution center and evolved from that. If I-94 (or an I-98) had gone through GF you would have seen a different scenario.

Grand Forks cannot try and be like Fargo. Grand Forks needs to find its own niches and part of that is attracting high paying jobs. This is why I was kind of surprised when the GF City Council turned down Aurora Medical. I hope Aurora Medical still decides to build in GF. Someone in GF needs to think about ways to recruit high wage jobs, maybe from Winnipeg. Sorry to cut his off, in somewhat mid-thought, but I have to run.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

You're in Grand Forks? I think the whole "cost of living" argument is way overblown (check your property tax bill). If you're in Inkster or Minto, then yes, otherwise, I really don't see a significant difference between the suburban Metro or Fargo-Moorhead or the Grand Cities.

I disagree. I make the same here I would there. My house is 100,000 cheaper than an equivalent one in Maple Grove or Burnsville. I don't have to drive far to work, saving gas everyday also. It is much cheaper for me to live here.

[Riverman]

I'm sure that Cirrus and LM Glasfiber have something do with the population increase. They have both added a lot of jobs in the past couple of years. I agree, also, that the "U" has been involved in the growth, as well.

I agree with your statement.

Take a look behind Cirrus and LM Glasfiber. Those blades are probaly slated for the wind farms near Langdon, Southern Minn and maybe Upstate New York.

Cirrus just introduced a 1mill 5 person jet in Duluth this weekend.

UND continues to grow. I could see both Cirrus and LM joining up with UND for research.

WIN ! WIN !

[Riverman]

We have no "Great Paying Jobs" in Industry / Technology / Manufacturing. Fargo's Micorsoft announces 100 jobs at the begining of this year that start for college grads at 100,0000 per, Grand Forks L & M Fiber announces 200 jobs for 13-15 dollars per hour.

$13-15 so that puts a person around say $30,000 and this is bad for Grand Forks??

(remember $13-$15 is starting don't forget OT and bonus pay)

So let's put this to the test.

$30,000 x 800 say working at LM =24,000,000

$100,000 x 100 say at Microsoft =10,000,000

Or how about this. How many homes, cars,insurance,food,entertainment etc.

Will 800 purchase vs 100?

Good for Fargo on the 100 jobs at Microsoft.

GREAT for Grand Forks on the 800 people working at JUST LM.

Rememer we need the ditch diggers as well as the engineers.

Proud to be a part of the "Blue Collar Holler".