Census Data for Thompson

Population ...

The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave Thompson a population of 1,031 people.

The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave Thompson a population of 986 people.

The city of Thompson is located in Grand Forks County. The 2010 Census gave Grand Forks County; a population of 66,994 people. This means that Thompson had 1.47% of the county's total population, making it Grand Forks' 3rd most populous community.

At the same time, North Dakota had a population of 672,591 people, meaning that Thompson had 0.15% of the total population of North Dakota - making it the state's 64th most populous community.

Area ...

The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for Thompson has a total area of 0.46 square miles [1.2 km²]. Of this total, 0.46 square miles [1.2 km²] is land, with the balance (1.08%) being water (0 square miles [0 km²]).

Grand Forks County has a land area of 1,436 square miles [3,720.2 km²]. At 0.46 square miles [1.2 km²], Thompson has 0.03% of the county's total land area.

• Continue Reading ...
  • When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a city like Thompson, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the city.
  • Things like population, area and housing for Thompson reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of Thompson might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
  • Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
  • Lat:   47° 46' 28"   (or 47.77°)
  • Lon:   -97° 6' 15"   (or -97.1°)
  • More information on this topic and the changes between the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census can be found in the section for our Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Housing Units ...

At the time of the 2010 Census, Thompson had 362 Housing Units<3> and with its population of 986 people, this averages 2.72 people per Housing Unit.

• Continue Reading ...
  • The 2010 Census shows Thompson had a land area of 0.46 square miles [1.2 km²]. This translates to 783 Housing Units per square mile [302.5 housing units/km²].
  • From the Census of 2000: Thompson had 339 Housing Units, a population of 1,006 people and a land area of 0.46 square miles [1.2 km²]. This gives a density of 2.97 people per Housing Unit and 733 Housing Units per square mile [283.3 housing units/km²].
  • Note: Repeating the caution above (under Population Density), be aware that when comparing Housing Units between the 2010 and the 2000 Census, there were changes in the sampling area for Thompson and you need to be careful when comparing between the censuses. More information about the changes can be found in the section called Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Grand Forks County ...

Thompson is located in Grand Forks County<4>.

The county had a population of 66,994 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 986 people, Thompson represented 1.47% of the county's total.

In addition, where the city of Thompson has a population density of 2,134 people per square mile [824 people/km²], Grand Forks County averages 46.64 people per square mile [18.01 people/km²].

For more information, please visit our Census Page for Grand Forks County.

Census-to-Census Observations ...

Introduction ...

When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for Thompson, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of Thompson. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.

• Continue Reading ...
  • Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for Thompson or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
  • If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.

Location ...

While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of Thompson, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for Thompson.

• Continue Reading ...
  • For the 2010 Census, the location was given as:
  • Lat:   47.774613°   (or 47°46'28" N)
  • Lon:   -97.104356°   (or -97°6'15" W)
  • For the 2000 Census, the location given was:
  • Lat:   47.775821°   (or 47°46'32" N)
  • Lon:   -97.106538°   (or -97°6'23" W)
  • The difference indicates that the U.S. Census Bureau moved the location of the polygon for the 2010 Census 692 feet to the southeast<5> of the location that was used in the 2000 Census.
  • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#1036294) to Thompson. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of Thompson. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
  • Lat:   47.774979°   (or 47°46'29" N)
  • Lon:   -97.106194°   (or -97°6'22" W)
  • The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 469.7 feet to the east<6> of the point given by the GNIS for Thompson. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for Thompson.

Miscellaneous Information for Thompson ...

The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either Grand Forks County or the city of Thompson:

• The GNIS Codes ...
  • The current system of identification is called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The following GNIS codes relate to Thompson:
  • GNIS ID for Thompson: 1036294
  • GNIS ID for Grand Forks County: 1034218
  • GNIS ID for State of North Dakota: 1779797

• The FIPS Codes ...
  • An earlier (and largely obsolete) identification method was called the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS):
  • State Code: 38 (North Dakota)
  • County Code: 035 (Grand Forks County)
  • Place Code: 78660 (Thompson)
  • State & County Code: 38/035 (North Dakota / Grand Forks County)
  • State & Place Code: 38/78660 (North Dakota / Thompson)

• Misc. Census Codes ...
  • Thompson is located in Census Region #2 (the Midwest Region) and Division #4 (the West North-Central Division).

For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for Thompson.

Off-the-Road Links ...

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Thompson. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Grand Forks County: www.grandforkscountygov.com/

The official website for State of North Dakota: https://www.nd.gov/

The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau

The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)