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Compare towns

Forman vs Steele

120 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (2.8× in Steele) and property tax bill (+67% in Forman).

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Forman, NDKnown for its schoolsNorth Dakota · 617 people
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Steele, NDA regional job hubNorth Dakota · 757 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

FormanKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 14%of ND districts All about Forman →
SteeleA regional job hub
Work332 jobsbased in Steele, a regional job hub HistorySettled in 18782 places on the National Register Housing$242K typical home17% below the ND typical home All about Steele →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid2.8×
Steele has the more walkable street grid
Steele 172Forman 61.5
Property tax bill+67%
Tax bills are bigger in Forman
Forman $2,261Steele $1,353
Work from home+12.9 pts
More people work from home in Steele
Steele 14.8%Forman 1.9%
Growth since 2010+8 pts
Forman has grown faster since 2010
Forman +1%Steele -7%
Average commute6 min
Steele has the shorter commute
Forman 18 minSteele 11 min
Work in town+11.7 pts
More of Steele’s workers stay in town
Steele 27.5%Forman 15.8%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $580 more a month in Steele

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Forman$860/mo
Typical home $128K (Census) · tax rate 1.77% · or rent about $758/mo · Housing →
Steele$1,440/mo
Typical home $242K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $824/mo · Housing →

The difference: $580 a month, about $7,000 a year, between Steele and Forman.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every North Dakota ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
DFormanBetter than 14% of districts in the state –SteeleNot graded
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
FormanSteele
Snow a year45″49″
January low0°F1°F
July high83°F80°F
Growing season (days)135d139d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)40th65th
Outdoors & history
FormanSteele
Trails1 mi—
Conserved land1.7%—
Settled18831878
National Register places12
Archive photos—6
Famous people born here—1
Community
FormanSteele
Library hours a week16 hrs34 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

120 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

FormanNDSteeleND
Forman ↔ Steele120 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

FormanSteele
People
Population 617Lowest 757Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1%Highest ND: +15.8% -7%Lowest ND: +15.8%
Median age 47.7±5.5Lowest 33% above ND 52.2±6.2Highest 45% above ND
Steele and Forman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 13.3%±3.7Lowest ND: 23.5% 17.3%±3.7Highest ND: 23.5%
Steele and Forman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 34.4%±6.4Highest ND: 16.5% 31.6%±6.8Lowest ND: 16.5%
Forman and Steele are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20.6%Lowest ND: 32.7% 30.6%Highest ND: 32.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.2%±3.1Highest ND: 7.6% 3.2%±2.6Lowest ND: 7.6%
Forman and Steele are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $69,712±$12kHighest 9% below ND $65,329±$17kLowest 15% below ND
Forman and Steele are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $128,100±$43kLowest 49% below ND $161,000±$18kHighest 36% below ND
Steele and Forman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $758±$44Lowest 21% below ND $824±$304Highest 14% below ND
Steele and Forman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,261Highest 8% below ND $1,353Lowest 45% below ND
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 11.5%±17.9Lowest ND: 38.9% 31.9%±17.1Highest ND: 38.9%
Steele and Forman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 2.6%Lowest ND: 10.8% 9.1%Highest ND: 10.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 66.2%Lowest ND: 62.9% 68.7%Highest ND: 62.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 6 yrs older than ND 1969Lowest 13 yrs older than ND
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minHighest about the ND average 11 minLowest 36% below ND
Work from home 1.9%±1.5Lowest ND: 8.1% 14.8%±8.1Highest ND: 8.1%
Work in townworking residents 15.8%Lowest 27.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.8 miLowest 38.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.32Lowest 1.52Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Gwinner (27%)Bismarck (18%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SteeleFew work in Forman
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.7%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.6 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 61.5Lowest 172Highest
Schools
School district SARGENT CENTRAL 6—
High school in town Sargent Central High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 7.4 —
North Dakota average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Forman neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Forman’s Town Square.

Steele neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Steele’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Forman and Steele

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Forman

+ Compare
Rutland Township35 people
D
+ Compare
Dunbar Township92 people · $219K homes
B
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Bowen Township52 people · $163K homes

Towns like Forman

M
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Mohall634 people · $169K homes
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LaMoure658 people · $152K homes
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Enderlin985 people · $149K homes
E
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Elgin585 people · $103K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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