Get paid to care for family in Grand Forks County
Most of the 11,000 people in Grand Forks County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. North Dakota Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Grand Forks County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 11,000
- Aged 85+
- 1,410
- Rank in ND
- 3rd
- Median age
- 30.9
15% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 53 counties, by residents 65+
younger than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Grand Forks County is a smaller-city county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Grand Forks
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 11,000 people in Grand Forks County are 65 or older — 15% of everyone who lives here. Grand Forks County skews younger than North Dakota overall, but the families caring for an older parent here face the same bills. Roughly 1,410 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. There are only so many home-care agencies in a county this size, and the ones that are here do not always cover evenings, weekends, or the far end of the county.
Statewide, 137,800 people in North Dakota are 65 or older — 17% of the state, across 53 counties.
What North Dakota pays family caregivers
$27.92/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: North Dakota Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
North Dakota's programs at a glance
- HCBS Waiver — Family Personal Care
- Qualified Service Provider (QSP)
- Family Paid Caregiver Pilot (children)
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full North Dakota guide →
Towns and cities in Grand Forks County
North Dakota sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Grand Forks and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Grand Forks County:
- Grand Forks59,845
- Larimore1,239
- Thompson1,091
- Northwood950
- Emerado450
- Manvel366
- Gilby242
- Reynolds95
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Grand Forks apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Grand Forks County start with North Dakota's program:
Apply for the HCBS waiver online or through your local Human Service Zone office; the pilot is applied for through the Family Paid Caregiver Portal (familycaregiver.hhs.nd.gov).
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which North Dakota program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Grand Forks questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Grand Forks County?
Yes. North Dakota runs real Medicaid programs — like HCBS Waiver — Family Personal Care — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Grand Forks County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Grand Forks County?
Reported figures in North Dakota are around $27.92/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Grand Forks County apply?
Families in Grand Forks County start with the state, not the county. Apply for the HCBS waiver online or through your local Human Service Zone office; the pilot is applied for through the Family Paid Caregiver Portal (familycaregiver.hhs.nd.gov).
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Grand Forks County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for North Dakota: yes — HCBS waiver Family Personal Care pays a spouse, adult child, or adult grandchild who lives with the participant; spouses and legal guardians are excluded from MSP-PC; pilot also covers spouses as LRIs
How many people in Grand Forks County might need this?
11,000 residents of Grand Forks County are 65 or older and about 1,410 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. North Dakota's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Grand Forks do you cover?
All of Grand Forks County — including Grand Forks, Larimore, Thompson, Northwood and Emerado. Eligibility is set by North Dakota, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from North Dakota's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Grand Forks County
Start with the North Dakota caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Grand Forks
The counties Grand Forks touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water. Ones marked with a state abbreviation are across the line, and their rules are their state's, not this one's.
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