Bangor receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Bangor
Grand Forks
Opportunity
75 · Top 15%
vs81 · Top 8%
Growth
59 · Top 35%
vs60 · Top 35%
Climate
49 · Bottom 2%
vs45 · Bottom 1%
Physical resilience
84 · Top 10%
vs63 · Top 40%
Housing affordability
96 · Top 47%
vs95 · Top 49%
Access
70 · Bottom 38%
vs57 · Bottom 18%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 39%
vs72 · Top 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Bangor | Grand Forks | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 154,710 | 103,628 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $66,356 | $69,836 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,915 | $39,465 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 46/sq mi | 30/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $214,100 | $242,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,041 | $967 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.5% | 57.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 3.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.1% | 34.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.1% | 12.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 477 | 272 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 2.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -10.8% | 30.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 6°F | -3°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.6" | 21.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 63 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 17.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.5 | 33.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Bangor
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hurricane.
Grand Forks
Elevated or high exposure: winter weather, hail, cold wave.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Bangor
68
Your Score
72
Area Score
Grand Forks
67
Your Score
69
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Bangor, ME Metro Area · Grand Forks, ND-MN Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology