Sargent County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places
Forman’s story
143 years in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1883Forman is settled
FormanND
A town of 617, settled in 1883. Public schools that outperform most of North Dakota.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
617
+1% since 2010
Median home value
$128K
Census ACS
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
47.7
years
Jobs based here
267
Balanced
What makes Forman stand out
The thing Forman does most differently from other towns.
Small town
617 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
RutlandDunbarBowenForman
Forman’s report card
Now in Forman
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Forman? Is a D for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Forman’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Forman. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Forman’s public schools outperform 14% of North Dakota districts
The public schools Forman’s kids attend trail 86% of North Dakota’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
DSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sargent Central Elementary School | PK–6 | 114 | D |
| Sargent Central High School | 7–12 | 74 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state testsAll 2 schools →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Forman has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
45″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter5–23°
Spring31–53°
Summer57–80°
Fall34–56°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
About one in six working residents works right in Forman
Most working residents leave Forman for work: only 16% work in town. The top destinations are Gwinner (27%), Fargo (9%) and Milnor (6%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
16%work in town
Where working residents work
In Forman16%
Gwinner27%
Fargo9%
Milnor6%
Wahpeton4%
14 mi
median commute distance
267
jobs based in Forman
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
How healthy Forman is
Forman beats the North Dakota average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
32 measures vs. North Dakota
6 better19 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Forman | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.6% | 5.8% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.1% | 8.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.9% | 8.2% |
Chi Oakes Hospital
21.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 40% of U.S. communities.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesHailStrong wind
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Outdoors
1.7% of Forman is conserved land
1.3 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
1.7%conserved
1.7%
conserved · 9 of 499 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sargent County Fairgrounds | 0.2 mi | 38 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Forman
City in North Dakota, United States
Forman is a city in and the county seat of Sargent County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 509 at the 2020 census. Forman was founded in 1883.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1883
- Population
- 509
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,253 ft
- ZIP code
- 58032
- Area code
- 701