Fargo-Moorhead is a common name given to the metropolitan area

Metropolitan area

The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

 comprising Fargo, North Dakota

Fargo, North Dakota

Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...

, Moorhead, Minnesota

Moorhead, Minnesota

Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....

, and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota

North Dakota

North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

-Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

 border, on opposite banks of the Red River of the North

Red River of the North

The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...

. The larger Fargo-Moorhead area also encompasses the communities of West Fargo, North Dakota

West Fargo, North Dakota

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,940 people, 5,771 households, and 4,091 families residing in the city, however the current population of West Fargo is estimated at over 26,000 residents. The population density was 2,049.2 per square mile . There were 5,968 housing units at an average...

, Dilworth, Minnesota

Dilworth, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,001 people, 1,160 households, and 787 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,510.6 people per square mile . There were 1,238 housing units at an average density of 623.2 per square mile...

, and numerous other towns and developments from which commuters travel daily for work, education, and regular activities.

The Census Bureau defines the Fargo-Moorhead ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, MSA, as comprising all of Cass County, North Dakota

Cass County, North Dakota

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 123,138 people, 51,315 households, and 29,814 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 people per square mile . There were 53,790 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile...

 and Clay County, Minnesota

Clay County, Minnesota

Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 58,999. Its name is in honor of American statesman Henry Clay, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. Its county seat is Moorhead...

. The metropolitan area has an area of 7,278 km² (2,810 mi²) with a population of 208,777 according to the 2010 census. That is up nearly 20% from 174,367 in the 2000 census.

Core cities

• Fargo, North Dakota
  Fargo, North Dakota
  Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
  
  
• Moorhead, Minnesota
  Moorhead, Minnesota
  Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....
  
  
• West Fargo, North Dakota
  West Fargo, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 14,940 people, 5,771 households, and 4,091 families residing in the city, however the current population of West Fargo is estimated at over 26,000 residents. The population density was 2,049.2 per square mile . There were 5,968 housing units at an average...
  
  
• Dilworth, Minnesota
  Dilworth, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 3,001 people, 1,160 households, and 787 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,510.6 people per square mile . There were 1,238 housing units at an average density of 623.2 per square mile...
  
  

Suburbs and adjacent towns

• Briarwood, North Dakota
  Briarwood, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 78 people, 25 households, and 21 families residing in the city. The population density was 353.8 people per square mile . There were 26 housing units at an average density of 117.9 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.72% White, and 1.28% from...
  
  
• Frontier, North Dakota
  Frontier, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 273 people, 78 households, and 73 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,522.5 people per square mile . There were 78 housing units at an average density of 435.0 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.27% White and 0.73%...
  
  
• Horace, North Dakota
  Horace, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 915 people, 300 households, and 248 families residing in the city. The population density was 408.7 people per square mile . There were 311 housing units at an average density of 138.9 per square mile...
  
  
• North River, North Dakota
  North River, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 65 people, 19 households, and 19 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,017.5 people per square mile . There were 19 housing units at an average density of 297.4 per square mile...
  
  
• Prairie Rose, North Dakota
  Prairie Rose, North Dakota
  At the 2000 census, there were 68 people, 20 households and 19 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,253.2 per square mile . There were 20 housing units at an average density of 368.6 per square mile...
  
  
• Reile's Acres, North Dakota
  Reile's Acres, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 254 people, 72 households, and 68 families residing in the city. The population density was 528.6 people per square mile . There were 72 housing units at an average density of 149.8 per square mile...
  
  

Bedroom communities

• Casselton, North Dakota
  Casselton, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 1,855 people, 702 households, and 509 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,315.5 people per square mile . There were 738 housing units at an average density of 523.4 per square mile...
  
  
• Barnesville, Minnesota
  Barnesville, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 2,173 people, 865 households, and 569 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,032.8 people per square mile . There were 923 housing units at an average density of 438.7 per square mile...
  
  
• Glyndon, Minnesota
  Glyndon, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 1,049 people, 359 households, and 283 families residing in the city. The population density was 693.5 people per square mile . There were 403 housing units at an average density of 266.4 per square mile...
  
  
• Hawley, Minnesota
  Hawley, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 1,882 people, 744 households, and 514 families residing in the city. The population density was 764.8 people per square mile . There were 787 housing units at an average density of 319.8 per square mile...
  
  
• Sabin, Minnesota
  Sabin, Minnesota
  Sabin is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 522 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. The altitude is approximately 915 feet....
  
  
• Harwood, North Dakota
  Harwood, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 607 people, 192 households, and 174 families residing in the city. The population density was 517.9 people per square mile . There were 201 housing units at an average density of 171.5 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.01% White, 0.33% from...
  
  
• Kindred, North Dakota
  Kindred, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 614 people, 248 households, and 167 families residing in the city. The population density was 615.3 people per square mile . There were 267 housing units at an average density of 267.6 per square mile...
  
  
• Mapleton, North Dakota
  Mapleton, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 606 people, 191 households, and 160 families residing in the city. The population density was 151.4 people per square mile . There were 193 housing units at an average density of 48.2 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.18% White, 0.17%...
  
  
• Oxbow, North Dakota
  Oxbow, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 248 people, 83 households, and 76 families residing in the city. The population density was 609.5 people per square mile . There were 84 housing units at an average density of 206.5 per square mile...
  
  
• Davenport, North Dakota
  Davenport, North Dakota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 261 people, 91 households, and 77 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,091.2 people per square mile . There were 92 housing units at an average density of 737.1 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.47% White and 1.53% Asian...
  
  

Demographics

According to the 2006-2008 American Community Survey

American Community Survey

The American Community Survey is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, sent to approximately 250,000 addresses monthly . It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census...

, the Fargo-Moorhead metro area had a population 192,187, of which 96,145 (50.03%) are male and 96,042 (49.97%) are female.

Age

According to the same survey, the age distribution was as follows:

• Under 5 years: 6.8%
• 5-9 years: 6.1%
• 10-14 years: 5.9%
• 15-19 years: 8.0%
• 20-24 years: 11.9%
• 25-34 years: 16.0%
• 35-44 years: 12.8%
• 45-54 years: 13.2%
• 55-59 years: 5.1%
• 60-64 years: 3.7%
• 65-74 years: 4.9%
• 75-84 years: 3.7%
• 85 years and over: 1.8%

• Median age: 31.6 years

Race

According to the same survey, the racial composition was as follows:

• White
  White American
  White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
  
  : 93.3% (Non-Hispanic Whites
  Non-Hispanic Whites
  Non-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is...
  
  : 92.0%)
• Black or African American
  African American
  African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
  
  : 1.6%
• American Indian
  Native Americans in the United States
  Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
  
  : 1.4%
• Asian
  Asian American
  Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
  
  : 1.4%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
  Pacific Islander American
  Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
  
  : 0.1%
• Some other race: 0.8%
• Two or more races
  Multiracial American
  Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
  
  : 1.4%

• Hispanic or Latino
  Hispanic and Latino Americans
  Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
  
   (of any race): 2.5%

There were 3,032 African Americans, whom made up 1.6% of the population.

The Native American population is predominantly Chippewa, with a small Sioux

Sioux

The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...

 minority. Of the 2,679 Native Americans, 1,447 are of the Chippewa tribal grouping. The Chippewa alone make up 0.8% of the population. The 444 Sioux make up 0.2% of the population. In addition, 20 people identified themselves as a member of the Cherokee

Cherokee

The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...

 tribal grouping.

The Asian American population is not dominated by a single ancestry group, and is fairly diverse. The largest Asian American group are those of Chinese

Chinese American

Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...

 descent, whom number at 928 and make up 0.5% of the population. Other sizable groups include Indians

Indian American

Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...

, Vietnamese

Vietnamese American

A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....

, and Koreans

Korean American

Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...

, whom number at 393, 379, and 360 respectively; all three groups comprise roughly 0.2% of the population. There are 134 Filipinos

Filipino American

Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...

, making up roughly 0.1% of the population. People of Japanese

Japanese American

are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...

 descent were very few, with only 40 people identifying themselves as Japanese; they make up a mere 0.02% of the population.

Pacific Islander Americans numbered at 119, and made up approximately 0.06% of the population.

Multiracial Americans make up 1.4% of the metro area's population. Those of white and Native American ancestry made up 0.5% of the population, and numbered at 938. People of white and Asian ancestry numbered at 557, and those of white and black ancestry numbered at 571. Both groupings made up roughly 0.3% of the population. Approximately 72 people identified themselves as black and Native American.

Hispanics and Latinos are the largest minority group in Fargo-Moorhead. Hispanics and Latinos make up 2.5% of the population, of which 2.0% are of Mexican

Mexican American

Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...

 descent. Of the 4,786 Hispanics, 3,846 are Mexican. There were 196 Puerto Ricans

Puerto Ricans in the United States

Stateside Puerto Ricans are American citizens of Puerto Rican origin, including those who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States and those who were born outside of Puerto Rico in the United States...

 and 136 Cubans

Cuban American

A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...

; both of these groups made up roughly 0.1% of the population. In addition, 608 individuals identified themselves with other Hispanic or Latino groups other than Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban, making up 0.3% of the population.

Source:

NOTE: The source above contains all of the information on population, age, and race.

Ancestry

The European American

European American

A European American is a citizen or resident of the United States who has origins in any of the original peoples of Europe...

 population is overwhelmingly German

German American

German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...

 and Scandinavian. Most of the Scandinavian population is of Norwegian

Norwegian American

Norwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...

 descent. Smaller Euro-American groups include those of English

English American

English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....

, Irish

Irish American

Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...

, and French

French American

French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...

 descent.

As of the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, the top ten largest European ancestry groups were the following:

• German
  German American
  German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
  
  : 42.9% (82,398)
• Norwegian
  Norwegian American
  Norwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
  
  : 36.4% (69,964)
• Irish
  Irish American
  Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
  
  : 8.6% (16,589)
• Swedish
  Swedish American
  Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
  
  : 6.6% (12,641)
• English
  English American
  English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
  
  : 4.8% (9,286)
• French
  French American
  French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
  
  : 4.3% (8,283)
• Polish
  Polish American
  A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
  
  : 3.2% (6,180)
• Russian
  Russian American
  Russian Americans are primarily Americans who traces their ancestry to Russia. The definition can be applied to recent Russian immigrants to the United States, as well as to settlers of 19th century Russian settlements in northwestern America which includes today's California, Alaska and...
  
  : 2.0% (3,783)
• Czech
  Czech American
  Czech Americans are citizens of the United States who were born in, or who descended from, the territory of the historic Czech lands, , or succession states, now known as the Czech Republic...
  
  : 1.6% (3,047)
• Scottish
  Scottish American
  Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
  
  : 1.5% (2,871)

Language spoken at home

• Population 5 years and over: 179,175

• English
  English language
  English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
  
   only: 93.6% (167,729)

• Language other than English: 6.4% (11,446)
• Spanish
  Spanish language
  Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
  
  : 2.1% (3,771)
• Other Indo-European languages
  Indo-European languages
  The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
  
  : 2.5% (4,393)
• Asian
  Languages of Asia
  There is a wide variety of languages spoken throughout Asia, comprising a number of families and some unrelated isolates. Many languages have a long tradition of writing.-Central and North Asian languages:*Turkic**Azeri**Kazak**Kyrgyz**Tatar**Turkish...
  
   and Pacific Islander languages: 0.9% (1,659)
• Other languages: 0.9% (1,623)

Source:

NOTE: The source above contains all of the information on ancestry and language.

Fargo/Wahpeton CSA

The Census Bureau also tracks a Fargo-Wahpeton Combined Statistical Area

Combined Statistical Area

The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...

, consisting of Cass and Clay counties, as well as Richland County, North Dakota

Richland County, North Dakota

-History:Richland County wa formed in 1873. It was named for Morgan T. Rich, an early settler in the area.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,998 people, 6,885 households, and 4,427 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile . There...

 and Wilkin County, Minnesota

Wilkin County, Minnesota

-External links:*...

. This area includes the twin cities of Wahpeton, North Dakota

Wahpeton, North Dakota

The first European explorer in the area was Jonathan Carver in 1767. He explored and mapped the Northwest at the request of Major Robert Rogers, commander of Fort Michilimackinac, the British fort at Mackinaw City, Michigan, which protected the passage between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron...

 and Breckenridge, Minnesota

Breckenridge, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,559 people, 1,438 households, and 911 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,516.4 people per square mile . There were 1,582 housing units at an average density of 674.0 per square mile...

. The Fargo-Moorhead urban core is actually about an hour's worth of highway travel from the Wahpeton-Breckenridge core. The main connection between these two pairs of cities is the Red River Valley

Red River Valley

The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North. It is significant in the geography of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba for its relatively fertile lands and the population centers of Fargo, Moorhead, Grand Forks, and Winnipeg...

, the flat, fertile land that both depend upon for a major part of their economies. Potatoes and sugar beets are important crops in the region, in addition to most of the other crops produced elsewhere in Minnesota and North Dakota.