What it’s like living in Fargo, North Dakota | Update on our first year 

I can't imagine what people think of Fargo winters who have never lived here. Lived in ND all my life. From Veterans day to St Patrick's day is like living in the Arctic.

Winters differ from one year to the next. It can be a somewhat mild winter one year and the next winter will be horrendously bad. Example, 2014-2015 winter was above zero only twice and that winter lasted a whole 6 months. It was an extremely depressing time. I've some a bunch of those years living on minnesota/north dakota.

@@jnorb8633 I moved to Fargo in April 2013, so 2013-14 was my first winter there and I remember that being the coldest of the six years I spent there. 2014-15 I remember being sliiiiightly less cold than the previous year. By that point, though, I think I was more acclimated to the cold.

Thinking about moving to Fargo from Cali as well, also hoping to never return to Cali

I have no desire to move back either!

Considering North Dakota from California. But I'm not sure there would be the software jobs in case my work situation changes. And winter is more something I've heard of than been through.

@@barryon8706 Microsoft is a top employer in the Fargo area. There are also a TON of healthcare jobs, some of which involve software development in the area.

@@jolt4532 Thanks!

Thank you 🥰♥️

Hello I’d like to move in Fargo but I wanna know the salary exactly I hear someone who talks about it it’s a good city

Can u give me more information plz

Wow! I'm in Ga now and thinking about moving to ND in the summer

I feel like this is true! My husband is still a t-shirt and shorts guy in the winters unless there’s wind chill. It makes most people laugh 😆 I’d say i bundle up now less than i originally did but it’s more so in circumstances where i know I’m only going to be outside for a short while so i just put up with the temps vs have to wrestle with all the layers.

Were did you move to and why?

The winter of 96-97 was my first year living here. It was horrid. I thought there was an ice age..... Up here, we don't worry about polar bears. We just try and survive.. Polar bears are the last thing on our minds. We actually feel sorry for them because it is so cold 🥶.

@@alexan6118 1996-97 was the year of the devastating floods.

@@beachaddict7653 military life has brought me to many amazing places. Still living the military life and not sure where our "forever home" will be yet. 😀

That’s not Fargo! If you go into Fargo, do not leave your car running like that or it will get stolen.

@@thorkappabrosilon I’ve been to Fargo, totally different demographic than up here. I always lock my car doors when I leave me car in Fargo.

@@ffarmchicken You must be up by Rugby or thereabouts?

Getting ready to move to Grand Forks from Temecula, CA. Wish us luck !

@@ta1410 Bring a jacket! ;)

How exciting! Wishing you all safe travels!

You are so welcome! Thank you for watching 🤗

I’m really enjoying it too!! Thank you ☺️

Hi Kendra! Just got my admission offer to attend NDSU! would be grateful if you connect. wld love to ask some questions. I'm coming from a very tropical country and I've lived in the capital city my whole life!

Are you there already ?

Thunder road was fun! We definitely checked that out. Thanks for the recommendations!

I hope you enjoy ND. I quite like it, but it's not for everyone.

@@andrewhuston4510 western North Dakota is a whole different beast

Western nd is great!

Thank you!! It was a transition for sure. I nearly forgot what that heat is like 🥴

Thank you!! I’m so happy you found it useful!

I don’t know why I dress like this while out and about honestly, I’m getting used to the extreme cold and basically dress in jeans, boots, tshirt and a coat on the farm. I’m in Slope County. South western corner basically, it is probably as cold and snowy but way windier.

Twice I cannot access my car because the doors frozen upon car hull adhered dead unless I poured some hot water out the kettle on the gaps and hinges. Also you have to figure out some charger for battery to crank engine when battery gets low.

There have been floods, but that only effects homes/buildings along the river.

The floods are only bad for people who live around the river but it’s fun bc when your in school sometimes you get to go out and bag sand

You’re welcome! I’m glad it was helpful!

Hello, @BizzyBeeNails* reading through the comments yours definitely stands out. Our family is considering North Dakota but honestly God will have to deal with us when it comes to tornadoes🌪 also were waiting for confirmation from God and interested if you may share how God opened doors for you guys🙏🏼 Hoping to hear back🤗Blessings

@@evev88 absolutely! My relationship with God is still growing. But here’s how it goes: After moving back in with family, my husband was terminated from his job. We were quite relieved! But, I’m a stay at home mom. So I don’t bring in any money. That’s when I got closer with God. I prayed that He would supply us with what we need when we need it. Then, last Sunday, I asked God to give my husband a job this week (we have a toddler and the things that come up never end). Last night, he applied for a job and today he got word that he has the job and starts on the 16th of this month! Anyways, back to ND.... before we moved in with family, again, doors were opening for us to go back. It quickly wasn’t working out because there wasn’t any housing available. Well, as of last week, God is pushing us through the door 😍 the same house we had last time has our name on it!!!! Now we just have to make it safely from Brewster, Wa. To Dickinson, ND. I’ve been looking at hotels and even the possibility of taking my mom and daughter on a plane with me while my husband drives over with our car and dog. Those passes in Montana scared me when there wasn’t any snow... we are expecting to move the last week of March or first week of April..... I don’t do well with driving in snow 🙄🥴 I know God will watch over us though 💜

We also had easier access to various places in California! That’s been an adjustment for sure! I’m sure Greece is beautiful- definitely a place I’d love to see one day!

@@Blessingsbeautyandbravery Imagine you are in an expensive restaurant. You eat small quantities from various dishes. In that way you experience many flavors in one night. A country about sea and mountains, nightlife and tradition in a package twice ( i think ) smaller than Montana... Less fuels ...😂

Yes the USA is huge if you’re coming from Europe . Each state is the size of an entire country

Thank you! We appreciate it 🤗

How are you liking Minot? I’m looking at it as a possibility. I know absolutely no one out there, and I’m wondering if the people are as friendly and tight knit as lots of people say they are.

I hope you all will like it here!

How is it?

DON’T BREAK ON ICE!! Take things slow, don’t be afraid to stop for a day if the weather is rough. Give someone you trust your location. Hopefully you’ll make it before the weather gets wild!

@@Blessingsbeautyandbravery I'm so trying to get there before the wild weather, thanks again great advice!

@@bekind7478 welcome to North Dakota, try to get to know Rick Becker on Facebook. He has excellent videos on the philosophy that built the safest and freest state in the union.

Most of her advice is Fargo specific, not for the whole state. Fargo is an outlier amongst the other cities and towns of ND. I grew up in Fargo and we are more similar to MN than we are to the rest of ND.

Are there alot of bugs?

Drove through American Canyon lots on the way to San Francisco and back to Sacramento.... Drove all the way to Fargo ND once and helped my Son install the Terrazzo at Discovery Middle School ..the Eagles! ✌️❤️🇺🇸

Thank you! I agree! It’s a lovely place to live ♥️

Hi! I was born and raised in Moorhead, MN and lived either in Fargo or Moorhead until 8 years ago when I moved to the Oregon Coast. I'm considering moving back, however, I just love the ocean & mountains. I'm scared I will miss them. However, I miss my lifelong friends and feeling like I'm living in civilization. It feels so rural here. Also yes, healthcare is severely lacking. Am I just homesick? I don't know. I currently have an excellent state job with a great Public Employees retirement plan. So confused....missing home. ❤❤❤

I’m so glad you liked it!

Hola David, acabo de leer tu comentario y me he estado preguntando si se entiende el español en Fargo? no creo que haya muchos hispanohablantes pero hay que saber inglés 100%?

Mmmm nop incluso yo no se al 100/ pero vi i conosi mucha personas que hablan español i la verdad creo toda las personas allá son muy amables serio yo quede impresionado

@@davidrenovationgomez284 gracias por responder tan rápido, y chevere! me mudo a Fargo en 4 dias y estoy un poco nervioso jajaja

Pues suerte 👍🍀 trabajo hay mucho i es una área muy limpia 🧹

If possible, i highly recommend visiting one of the smaller towns before moving 🤗 it’s s whole new work out here and I’m so so happy we moved and I’m betting you guys will be too! It’s tough getting around in the winter and if you’re not used to being far away from the places you usually go, it might be a lot to bite off at once. That being said, you know what’s best for you guys!! My suggestion would be to pick something on the outskirts of a larger town initially and maybe move farther out in a year or two after getting acclimated. A big city here really feels spacious and not cramped in comparison to Cali. Small towns are also very very teeny in comparison to small towns back home haha 😅 i feel my only hesitation would be the additional driving time into town with the snow and the access to the places I’d like to go, but if that’s not a huge concern for you guys then totally disregard! I’m happy you guys are thinking of moving out here! We truly love Fargo and the people in it ♥️

It's not that cold. If you're lucky it can get to -20, -30 and that means school it out for a few days

It’s hard to move anywhere without knowing anyone honestly. It would get lonely! I’d say the only major disadvantage i could think of being here alone vs somewhere else alone is that if you get stuck in the snow somewhere you won’t have family to call. That being said, people pull strangers out all of the time. Everyone is pretty kind about that. Also, there are all kinds of positions available! You can check Fargo jobs on Indeed.com 😊 i hope this helps!

One year when I went to an HS in Fargo. Fargo actually averaged more wind speed then Chicago did. So Fargo is windier then Chicago.

Thank you! It’s pretty great here so far.

Yes i agree after having been here for a while 😅

Wow, i lived in American Canyon for middle school! Welcome to the Midwest!

I’ll lead by saying i don’t know much at all about Texas, BUT as far as beaches go there are no “true” beaches here that I’m aware of. Certainly no ocean nearby! The closest think we have come to a beach is Detroit lakes in MN and coming from California and loving the ocean i can say it’s not much of a comparison 😅 my daughter loves finding the hermit crab shells in the sand there though! It’s about 40 minutes from here I’d say. I actually haven’t been to other lakes around here even though there are an abundance of them so you might want to search lakes in this area and check out the photos posted on Google! On the East Coast on MN is Lake Superior which is far more like an Ocean but that would take several hours to get to. I’m not totally sure what the landscape looks like there as i haven’t been myself but i hear it’s beautiful! Schools here- another topic I’m not terribly familiar with because I’m going to be homeschooling but the Fargo Moms facebook group would be an excellent resource for those questions. There are two major hospitals here and clinics everywhere but the coverage might be vastly different in the US from the UK. We don’t have the best healthcare system here but I’ll say i love the providers here more than where i moved from and they have served my immediate and extended family very well. There is crime in Fargo and Valley News Live on facebook will share a lot of major things happening locally here. I’d just remember that the more people in an area, the more crime there will be. When you get into the outer parts of town and the smaller towns around Fargo, there’s less crime. I haven’t had any close encounters with crime out here myself. Once a very intoxicated man was lingering and leaning on our vehicle outside and we called the police and they took him in. He was a part of a hit and run a few streets away and it was not really a huge issue. He mistook our car for his in his state from what i gathered. Other than that it’s been very smooth sailing. I hope that helps and definitely check out those Facebook resources if you’re thinking about moving here!

@@Blessingsbeautyandbravery thank you so much for the reply / info. We are really now starting to understand how diverse the states can be, and appreciate that our journey / research is very much at the beginning 🙈 we are also looking at NC and SC 😂 anyway thank you again! 😊

I have really good things about NC! I hope you guys find the right place for your family!

@@Blessingsbeautyandbravery thank you for your replies! Yes NC seems to be looking promising at the moment. Although it seems there was a storm that hit the east coast especially SC, 🙈 but apart from that, so far so good on the research of NC so fingers crossed we may have found somewhere. 🤞 thanks again hope you have a great day! 😊

Interesting. My sister moved from Fargo to Lincoln for her Masters.

Have you ever been to San Francisco? While i see the point you are trying to make…apples and oranges for sure.

Places are definitely lenient if you are snowed in or there is a blizzard! There are so many jobs here, i don’t think finding one would be too hard 🤍

They plow the roads when it snows sometimes they get heavy snow that school may close for a day or depending how long the storm last ... but overall you shouldn't have to worry about your kids missing school much get snow tires for your car and you should be fine if you have rear wheel put heavy sandbags in the trunk front wheel drive is best even better is 4×4 recommended but not needed just like I'd reccomend a nice jacket for $250 compared to a jacket from Walmart at $100 talking about cold weather gear they have down jackets which are nice and lightweight jackets but if your jacket gets wet the down gets useless but I doubt you will get it wet anyway ... sythentic is good for wetter weather types as it won't snow anyway unless its freezing but I reccomend both a down and synthetic just incase .... they also make synthetic down which basically mimics down jackets which is brilliant because unlike down you can't get synthetic wet and it still will keep its warmth something down can not do I reccomend getting a pair of snow boots make a emergency kit for your car for cold weather you don't want to get stuck somewhere without the right equipment to survive through the night that being a good sleeping bag I'd recommend a nice -40 bag and a linear maybe to go inside the bag for extra warmth your going to want this incase you get stuck somewhere and cannot provide heat like a fire to keep you warm keep water in your car and a way to start fire food and all that and you should be fine

@@jackwilliams5474 no lmao

I removed the user you were corresponding with from my channel- it’s not a place for pervs and i want you and everyone else to feel safe and welcome to comment! Hopefully you didn’t even see his response 🤢 I truly hope you’ll love it here!

@@Blessingsbeautyandbravery i didn't see it! thank you i really appreciate it! and i'm loving it! i have a good job and i'm going back to school. snow in october is weird to see tho! i've gotta buy myself a coat!!

Hello! Honestly, I don’t have any complaints about any part of Fargo i have come across. Moorhead, MN is the neighboring city and is also a great option! I’d just choose a place based off or rental reviews so you know people like living there, and it’s safe. Hope this helps!

Haven’t noticed a bee issue!

That’s funny that I seen this comment. Innovis is now Essentia hospital and Sunmart is now Family Fair. Pretty sure Boppa’s is still there, though.

I’m sorry you even have to think about that. Fargo is fairly diverse which I’m thankful for being used to California! I hope that no matter what you do you find a community deserving of your presence!

Actually, we are fairly welcoming people all over our state. I live in a small town (300ish people) and the only time they become “unwelcoming” is if cops are continually at your place, you are telling them how they now have to do things...we are fairly humble people, enjoy getting to know others, and are curious. I can honestly say I have not seen the racism. Hope you enjoy it😊

I know this was awhile ago but yes nd has a lot of racists but I doubt you'll be able to see it or point out who is, because despite it people around here tolerate but not exactly except if you get what I mean and same goes with the LGBTQ community

Living "rural" in ND means you sometimes get snowed in until the plows can get to you in a day or two.

It was the crazy for sure 😂 would not recommend..

At least we like it here though!

And the whole thing about utilities like electric is a great. One of the perks I am looking forward to because of the high rates. Plus I read about the doctors which is so much nicer. California is very "OK whatever" with medical stuff.

You hit it on the nose! Good luck on your move ✨

Dont

U will regret it!!!

To cold to raise a family

Theres crime !!!!

@@Hulahoopvillian what was your experience like?

Thank you love! 🤗

There are many affordable apartments as well as houses!

I unfortunately don’t know a lot about the schools here, but there are groups on Facebook for the Fargo/Moorhead area that are very useful if you have a question I’m unable to answer! Just search Fargo, Moorhead, or Fargo/Moorhead in the Facebook search bar and click the “groups” tab so see what groups you might be interested in 🤗

@@Blessingsbeautyandbravery thank you SO MUCH! I will do that now. ❤

The schools are excellent. To be honest what pressure you put on your kids and the collaboration you have with the teachers and staff resources will determine their success in any school.

​@@smffboe7733 Thanks for your answer. While I agree that's true to an extent, that doesn't change that the quality of education provided varies by school districts and the funding provided to them. So regardless of the "pressure" you put on your child, there's still the variable of location affecting the quality of education based on taxes and funding.

I am happy! The only things i have missed are the ocean and mountains. Mountains are a few hours away so it’s not too terrible, but the ocean is a stretch! Otherwise, it’s been wonderful.

Hopefully soon 🤗

Summer it can be windy and the winters are sucky🤣

The coldest day ever recorded in North Dakota was on February 15, 1936, when the temperature plunged to 60 degrees below zero at Parshall.