North Dakota Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for North Dakota, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in North Dakota. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in North Dakota. The estimated population of North Dakota is 773,344 people, with a median age of 35.2.

We can look at the total population in North Dakota over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
773,344
+1.7%
+3.74%
2020
760,394
+0.49%
-
2019
756,717
+0.6%
-
2018
752,201
+0.9%
-
2017
745,475
 - -

Population of North Dakota by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
83.1%
85.7%
 -3.03%
Black/African American
3.1%
2.3%
 +34.78%
Native
4.8%
5.2%
 -7.69%
Hispanic
4.1%
3.3%
 +24.24%
Asian
1.6%
1.3%
 +23.08%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.2%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.9%
2%
 +45.00%
Other
0.2%
0.1%
 +100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of North Dakota by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 35.2 0% 34.6 +0.87% 36.1 -0.55%
2020 35.2 +0.28% 34.3 +0.29% 36.3 0%
2019 35.1 0% 34.2 +0.29% 36.3 -0.27%
2018 35.1 0% 34.1 0% 36.4 -0.27%
2017 35.1 - 34.1 - 36.5 -

The median age of North Dakota gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 51,362 +5.78% 49,484 +3.71% 54,386 51,336
10 to 19 47,688 +9.9% 44,018 +10.5% 52,560 48,770
20 to 29 68,529 -6.72% 57,921 -1.22% 64,036 57,205
30 to 39 52,259 +9.09% 44,583 +10.69% 57,162 49,540
40 to 49 41,971 +4.91% 38,798 +1.21% 44,052 39,259
50 to 59 49,495 -7.38% 48,112 -8.98% 45,920 43,924
60 to 69 39,124 +12.15% 37,365 +12.18% 44,095 42,107
70+ 31,693 +9.71% 43,073 +2.4% 34,882 44,110

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of North Dakota is $68,131.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for North Dakota.

  • Under 25
    $36,708.00
  • 25 to 44
    $77,355.00
  • 45 to 64
    $85,510.00
  • 65 and over
    $48,103.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in North Dakota, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in North Dakota, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of North Dakota is currently $89,443.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

6.68% of households in North Dakota are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of North Dakota against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    16.80%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    19.78%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    17.72%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    13.89%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    17.86%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    7.26%
  • $200,000 or more
    6.68%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in North Dakota is $37,343.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of North Dakota by the total population of North Dakota.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in North Dakota, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in North Dakota to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    10.89%
  • Bachelor's degree
    38.04%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11.18%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    37.69%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.20%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in North Dakota that are over the age of 16.

The total population of North Dakota over the age of 16 is 607,971.

Of those people, a total of 69.80% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in North Dakota is 66.40%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 41,679 50.90% 9.20%
20 to 24 years 62,395 84.00% 5.80%
25 to 29 years 58,846 87.90% 4.10%
30 to 34 years 55,657 88.70% 2.20%
35 to 44 years 94,808 88.10% 2.30%
45 to 54 years 80,914 87.00% 2.20%
55 to 59 years 48,478 80.40% 2.10%
60 to 64 years 46,996 65.50% 2.00%
65 to 74 years 67,692 32.50% 1.80%
75 years and over 50,506 7.50% 0.80%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in North Dakota. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 528,777 69.70% 2.60%
Black or African American 17,521 77.40% 7.90%
American Indian and Alaska Native 26,133 58.30% 10.50%
Asian 10,005 78.50% 1.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 997 82.00% 10.70%
Other 7,483 75.60% 5.80%
Two or more races 17,055 74.70% 4.90%
Hispanic or Latino 20,581 77.40% 5.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 520,442 69.50% 2.60%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in North Dakota as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in North Dakota is 403,612, with median earnings of $42,488.00.

Women in North Dakota earning approximately 68.80% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 403,612 $42,488.00
Male 217,874 $50,840.00
Female 185,738 $34,983.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 49,631 $65,324.00
Business and Financial 18,040 $57,936.00
Computer and Mathematical 6,958 $60,825.00
Architecture and Engineering 7,052 $69,344.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 4,152 $56,158.00
Community and Social Service 7,875 $47,984.00
Legal 2,145 $73,070.00
Educational and Library 25,802 $43,469.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 5,253 $33,273.00
Healthcare Practitioners 29,688 $55,070.00
Healthcare Support 14,860 $27,974.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 3,003 $38,855.00
Law Enforcement 3,303 $60,830.00
Food Preparation and Serving 21,707 $16,278.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 14,856 $21,236.00
Personal Care and Service 12,409 $19,968.00
Sales 36,379 $38,644.00
Office and Administrative Support 42,301 $35,730.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 6,472 $36,531.00
Construction and Extraction 24,058 $51,693.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 16,905 $54,292.00
Production 19,811 $45,496.00
Transportation and Material Moving 16,549 $46,962.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 33,609 $73,811.00 16,022 $54,097.00
Business and Financial 7,705 $68,293.00 10,335 $53,174.00
Computer and Mathematical 5,099 $59,509.00 1,859 $63,280.00
Architecture and Engineering 6,097 $70,422.00 955 $61,895.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 2,567 $56,850.00 1,585 $54,681.00
Community and Social Service 2,656 $44,662.00 5,219 $48,957.00
Legal 922 $107,130.00 1,223 $54,863.00
Educational and Library 6,808 $55,221.00 18,994 $39,313.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 2,286 $35,000.00 2,967 $33,052.00
Healthcare Practitioners 5,895 $70,972.00 23,793 $53,461.00
Healthcare Support 2,368 $28,808.00 12,492 $27,595.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 2,063 $43,906.00 940 $37,439.00
Law Enforcement 2,689 $65,610.00 614 $46,548.00
Food Preparation and Serving 9,405 $18,310.00 12,302 $14,778.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 8,701 $26,597.00 6,155 $15,739.00
Personal Care and Service 2,195 $16,394.00 10,214 $20,241.00
Sales 19,879 $53,554.00 16,500 $26,159.00
Office and Administrative Support 10,169 $41,361.00 32,132 $34,948.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 5,508 $39,623.00 964 $15,833.00
Construction and Extraction 23,438 $51,724.00 620 $44,643.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 16,531 $54,308.00 374 $53,289.00
Production 15,356 $50,169.00 4,455 $29,383.00
Transportation and Material Moving 14,736 $50,646.00 1,813 $27,756.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 316,542 households in North Dakota, with an average household size of 2.37 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 187,742 families in North Dakota with an average family size of 3.06 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 150,348 13,126 24,268 128,800
Average Household Size 3.1 3.3 3.25 1.25
Total Families 150,348 13,126 24,268 0
Average Household Size 3.08 2.87 3.02 0

Poverty

Of the 187,742 families in North Dakota, 6.30% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in North Dakota:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 370,111 housing units in North Dakota.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 316,542 85.53%
Vacant 53,569 14.47%

29.85% of the total 370,111 housing units in North Dakota are rental units. This is approximately 110,483 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 199,325 are occupied by the owner - or 53.86% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in North Dakota is $853.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in North Dakota that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    6,734
  • Less than $500
    11,880
  • $500 to $999
    61,359
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    26,543
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    7,791
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    1,885
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    305
  • $3,000 or more
    720

Property Value

The median value of a property in North Dakota is $209,900.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in North Dakota that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    18,182
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    21,904
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    22,559
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    31,125
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    54,487
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    38,287
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    11,240
  • $1,000,000 or more
    1,541

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in North Dakota. The chart below shows the number of properties in North Dakota that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    44,952
  • 1940 to 1949
    14,221
  • 1950 to 1959
    32,431
  • 1960 to 1969
    31,440
  • 1970 to 1979
    63,651
  • 1980 to 1989
    40,845
  • 1990 to 1999
    36,813
  • 2000 to 2009
    41,836
  • 2010 to 2013
    62,810
  • 2014 or later
    1,112

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in North Dakota that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    16,187
  • 1 vehicle available
    91,740
  • 2 vehicles available
    120,759
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    87,856

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in North Dakota get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in North Dakota that commute to work in a particular way.

17.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in North Dakota.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    30,039
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    77,595
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    88,267
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    73,774
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    40,561
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    11,945
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    21,403
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    3,826
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    4,696
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    11,464
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    9,636
  • 90 or more minutes
    7,003

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for North Dakota in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Counties in North Dakota

We have data for 53 counties in North Dakota. Click on a county below to see more information about the demographics of that county, with links to cities and towns within that county.

Zip Codes in North Dakota

If you want to find out more about the population and demographics of specific zip codes in North Dakota, click on the links below.