Pierce County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places
Rugby’s story
140 years in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1886Rugby is settled
RugbyND
A town of 2,481, settled in 1886. A typical home worth about $205K.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,481
−12.8% since 2010
Typical home
$205K
+5.3% in a year
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
40.1
years
Jobs based here
1,145
Balanced
What makes Rugby stand out
The 3 things Rugby does most differently from other towns.
A shrinking town
Rugby has shrunk 12.8% since 2010
2,876 people in 2010; 2,481 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Rugby’s report card
Now in Rugby
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Rugby? Is a B+ for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Rugby’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Rugby. Another town gets a different order.
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 11% of U.S. communities.
11risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Housing
A typical Rugby home is worth about $205K
The typical Rugby home is worth about $205,000, up 5.3% in a year, 30% below the North Dakota typical home.
$205KZillow home value
Typical home value
Rugby$205K
North Dakota$292K
+5.3%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Rugby’s public schools outperform 69% of North Dakota districts
The public schools Rugby’s kids attend outperform 69% of North Dakota’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
B+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rugby Ely Elementary School | PK–6 | 285 | B+ |
| Rugby High School | 7–12 | 304 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state testsAll 2 schools →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Rugby has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to -4°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter-0–20°
Spring27–50°
Summer53–78°
Fall30–53°
Sep 23
typical first frost
May 17
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Rugby
45% of Rugby’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Fargo (5%), Minot (5%) and Bismarck (4%). Half commute less than 1 miles.
45%work in town
Where working residents work
In Rugby45%
Fargo5%
Minot5%
Bismarck4%
Harvey3%
1 mi
median commute distance
1,145
jobs based in Rugby
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Crime reported in Rugby
Rugby's reported crime rate is well below North Dakota's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2023.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Rugby0.4
North Dakota2.8
U.S.3.9
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Rugby6.9
North Dakota19.7
U.S.19.5
1
violent crimes reported in 2023
17
property crimes reported in 2023
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Health
Healthier than 55% of U.S. towns
Rugby beats the North Dakota average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. North Dakota
2 better21 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Rugby | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.6% | 76.3% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.2% | 82.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.3% | 6.1% |
Heart of America Medical Center
0.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
22nd
percentile among ND towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
0.9% of Rugby is conserved land
0.2 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0.9%conserved
0.9%
conserved · 14 of 1,475 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ellery Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Landmarks
4 places in Rugby on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Rugby
City in North Dakota, United States
Rugby is a city in and the county seat of Pierce County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 2,509 at the 2020 census, making it the 19th largest city in North Dakota. Rugby was founded in 1886. Rugby is often billed as the geographic center of North America.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1886
- Population
- 2,509
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,549 ft
- ZIP code
- 58368
- Area code
- 701
Rugby’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Rugby.
TorgersonMeyerRugby