Thompson, North Dakota

History

Thompson was founded in 1881.

The first residents of the town were businessmen who had come to support the needs of new settlers to the area. The town was first called Norton because the first buildings of the town were adjacent to land owned by George Norton. However, when the railroad came in 1881, the name caused an issue, since there was already a nearby town of Norton in Minnesota.

Albert Thompson, co-owner of a general store with his brother Robert, was commissioned postmaster in January 1881. The name of the town was then changed to Thompson in honor of Albert Thompson.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.438 sqmi, of which 0.432 sqmi is land and 0.006 sqmi (1.37%) is water.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 2020 Census

According to realtor website Zillow, the average price of a home as of October 31, 2025, in Thompson is $356,166.

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 412 estimated households in Thompson with an average of 2.65 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $110,909. Approximately 1.0% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Thompson has an estimated 75.3% employment rate, with 39.7% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 98.1% holding a high school diploma. There were 439 housing units at an average density of 1016.20 /sqmi.

The top five reported languages (people were allowed to report up to two languages, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (99.1%), Spanish (0.7%), Indo-European (0.0%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.2%), and Other (0.0%).

The median age in the city was 44.5 years.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 1,101 people, 387 households, and 319 families residing in the city. The population density was 2352.56 PD/sqmi. There were 396 housing units at an average density of 846.15 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 92.55% White, 0.09% African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.00% from some other races and 5.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.45% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 986 people, 356 households, and 293 families living in the city. The population density was 2143.5 PD/sqmi. There were 362 housing units at an average density of 787.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 98.07% White, 0.30% African American, 1.01% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from some other races and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.91% of the population.

There were 356 households, of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.0% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 17.7% were non-families. 14.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.04.

The median age in the city was 36.8 years. 28.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 7.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.0% male and 49.0% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,006 people, 329 households, and 273 families living in the city. The population density was 2177.6 PD/sqmi. There were 339 housing units at an average density of 733.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 97.71% White, 0.40% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 0.80% of the population.

There were 329 households, out of which 53.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.5% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.43.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.9% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,514, and the median income for a family was $57,250. Males had a median income of $35,682 versus $21,298 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,857. None of the families and 0.7% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 7.7% of those over 64.

Transportation

Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which operates between Seattle/Portland and Chicago, passes through the town on BNSF tracks, but makes no stop. The nearest station is located in Grand Forks, 14 mi to the north.

Education

It is within the Thompson Public School District 61.

Notable people

• Greg Brockman, Open AI President

References

References

1. "2025 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. {{GNIS. 1036294
3. "Explore Census Data". [[United States Census Bureau]].
4. "Memories of Yesterday: Thompson Centennial, 1881-1981".
5. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau.
6. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing". United States Census Bureau.
7. "Thompson, ND Housing Market". [[Zillow]].
8. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Thompson city, North Dakota".
9. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Thompson city, North Dakota". [[United States Census Bureau]].
10. "U.S. Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau.
11. "How many people live in Thompson city, North Dakota". [[USA Today]].
12. "2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Grand Forks County, ND". [[United States Census Bureau]].