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North Dakota

Population 784,841
6 Sources Updated September 10, 2026
784,841
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$76,657
Median Income
$80,734 national
$80.1B
GDP (current $), change real
2.4%
Unemployment
4.0% national
Community Data / United States / North Dakota

County Map

Click a county to view its economic profile

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$76,657
Per Capita
$43,389
Mean Household
$101,793
Poverty Rate
10.8%

Age & Race / Ethnicity

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 16.5% (129,854 residents) 55-64: 11.4% (89,818 residents) 35-54: 23.2% (182,175 residents) 18-34: 25.3% (198,533 residents) Under 18: 23.5% (184,461 residents) 36 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 23.5%
18-34 · 25.3%
35-54 · 23.2%
55-64 · 11.4%
65+ · 16.5%
Race & Ethnicity
White83%
Two or More Races5.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native4.4%
Black or African American3.4%
Asian1.7%
Some Other Race1.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander0.1%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)4.7%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
94%
High School+
National: 89.6%
+4.4 pts
32.7%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
3.0 pts
9.7%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
4.4 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
784,841
Population
417,808
Labor Force
Employed
406,256
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
2.4%
2025 is not shown for North Dakota: a state annual average needs all 12 months and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has published 11. County pages draw on the separate annual series and may show 2025.
Mean Commute 8 min below national avg
17.9 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
8.1%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
North Dakota's median household income sits 5% below the national median. At 10.8%, its poverty rate runs 1.7 pts below the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 32.7% trails the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
  • Income near the national median: Median household income tracks the national median, indicating a broad-based consumer market.
  • Broadly in line with U.S. norms across income, poverty, education, and age.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$80.1B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP2 Regional GDP
88.959
Cost of Living - Below Avg

Top Private-Sector Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual · Private sector only, with government shown below
IndustryEmployment% of Top SectorsAvg Wage
1Health Care and Social Assistance		 65,808 25.1%
$68,318
2Retail Trade		 46,171 17.6%
$40,464
3Construction		 30,043 11.5%
$84,290
4Manufacturing		 27,820 10.6%
$73,087
5Wholesale Trade		 24,165 9.2%
$89,477
6Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction		 17,184 6.5%
$134,774
7Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services		 16,848 6.4%
$93,288
8Finance and Insurance		 16,386 6.2%
$93,561
9Administrative and Support and Waste Management		 12,605 4.8%
$54,260
10Real Estate and Rental and Leasing		 5,323 2.0%
$69,775
Government employment · context only
75,578

Public-sector jobs are not in the table above and are not part of any share or location quotient on this page. Both are measured on the private economy only, 353,989 private jobs in 2025: every location quotient divides by that total, and the % of Top Sectors column divides by the sectors listed above. Private employment is the standard basis for measuring industry concentration because government employment mostly serves the resident population rather than an outside market. Nothing on this card is expected to add up with the government figure.

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Key Takeaways
  • Largest private-sector industry: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 65,808 workers (25.1% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $68,318. Every industry figure on this page is private sector; government employs a further 75,578 and is counted separately.
  • Economic scale: State GDP of $80.1B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction averages $134,774 while Retail Trade averages $40,464, a 3.3x spread in the same economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP (CAGDP2).

Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Chart source: BLS QCEW · broad NAICS supersector · private sector · Location Quotient vs. national private-sector employment share. The same supersector axes appear on every profile, so the shape can be compared across geographies.
Concentrated Industries
List source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · private sector · Location Quotient vs. national private-sector employment share.
Same source and same private-sector basis as the Top Industries table above. These sit at a finer level than the chart's supersector axes, so the two sets of values are not directly comparable. The sub-sector view surfaces specialization the supersector view masks, such as Support Activities for Mining here.
Support Activities for Mining
17.64x
12,483
Pipeline Transportation
10.69x
1,596
Oil and Gas Extraction
8.47x
2,629
Mining (except Oil and Gas)
4.15x
2,072
Wood Product Manufacturing
2.63x
2,812
Crop Production
2.40x
3,373
Truck Transportation
2.15x
8,435
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
2.10x
6,623
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.05x
5,698
Machinery Manufacturing
1.96x
5,656
+ 3 more sub-sectors at LQ ≥ 1.5, holding a further 41,653 jobs. See the spider chart for the broader picture.

Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries

LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, screened against industrial power cost. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.09x
Electrical Equipment, Appliance Manufacturing
102 employed
0.11x
Air Transportation
167 employed
0.12x
Apparel Manufacturing
25 employed
0.17x
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets
10 employed
0.28x
Warehousing and Storage
1,438 employed
0.30x
Miscellaneous Manufacturing
484 employed
0.40x
Securities, Commodity Contracts, Investments
1,166 employed
0.41x
Educational Services
3,574 employed
Screened on industrial power cost only. Industrial electricity in North Dakota costs 7.5¢/kWh against 8.62¢/kWh nationally (2025). Land area and freight access are not assessed at state level. Source: EIA.
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Support Activities for Mining concentrates at 17.64x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity.
  • Cluster depth: 13 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
  • Attraction whitespace: 8 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Industry Employment Composition
North Dakota's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of the top private supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$249,900
Median Home Value vs 2019
$954
Rent/Mo
62.9%
Owner-Occ
12.3%
Vacancy
3.3x
Home Value to Income Ratio
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)

Renter-household-weighted average across 53 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$823/mo$602 to $1,225
1 Bedroom
$903/mo$665 to $1,233
2 Bedroom
$1,088/mo$873 to $1,534
3 Bedroom
$1,494/mo$1,047 to $1,839
4 Bedroom
$1,792/mo$1,385 to $2,573
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$1,206/mo, from a renter median of $48,236) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 36.3% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 17.1% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
  • In line with national: Home value to income ratio of 3.3x sits near the ~4.1x national average; affordability is neither a clear advantage nor a recruitment friction.
  • Elevated vacancy: 12.3% vacancy rate; potential redevelopment opportunity.
  • Affordable rent tiers: 3 of 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $48,236 can pay without cost burden (~$1,206/mo), and 36.3% of renter households are measured as cost-burdened.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
470,526
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Labor force participation rate: 70.9% of population aged 18+ 71% Participation (18+)
vs 2019
Mean Commute 8 min below national avg
17.9 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
8.1%

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
32.7%
HS Diploma+
94%
6 Largest Institutions by Credentials Awarded
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
University of North Dakota 3,449/yr
North Dakota State University-Main Campus 3,143/yr
University of Mary 1,150/yr
Bismarck State College 1,078/yr
Minot State University 649/yr
North Dakota State College of Science 569/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
19.1%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 11.4% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
40.7%
Service
16.4%
Sales & Office
19.1%
Construction / Maint.
11%
Production / Transport
12.8%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 60% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 406,256 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Healthy participation: 70.9% of the population aged 18+ is in the labor force, reflecting a steady, available workforce statewide.
  • Short commutes: 17.9-minute mean commute is a quality-of-life and labor-access advantage for site selectors.
Source: ACS workforce data.

County Profiles

53 counties in North Dakota

Adams County FIPS 38001 Barnes County FIPS 38003 Benson County FIPS 38005 Billings County FIPS 38007 Bottineau County FIPS 38009 Bowman County FIPS 38011 Burke County FIPS 38013 Burleigh County FIPS 38015 Cass County FIPS 38017 Cavalier County FIPS 38019 Dickey County FIPS 38021 Divide County FIPS 38023 Dunn County FIPS 38025 Eddy County FIPS 38027 Emmons County FIPS 38029 Foster County FIPS 38031 Golden Valley County FIPS 38033 Grand Forks County FIPS 38035 Grant County FIPS 38037 Griggs County FIPS 38039 Hettinger County FIPS 38041 Kidder County FIPS 38043 LaMoure County FIPS 38045 Logan County FIPS 38047 McHenry County FIPS 38049 McIntosh County FIPS 38051 McKenzie County FIPS 38053 McLean County FIPS 38055 Mercer County FIPS 38057 Morton County FIPS 38059 Mountrail County FIPS 38061 Nelson County FIPS 38063 Oliver County FIPS 38065 Pembina County FIPS 38067 Pierce County FIPS 38069 Ramsey County FIPS 38071 Ransom County FIPS 38073 Renville County FIPS 38075 Richland County FIPS 38077 Rolette County FIPS 38079 Sargent County FIPS 38081 Sheridan County FIPS 38083 Sioux County FIPS 38085 Slope County FIPS 38087 Stark County FIPS 38089 Steele County FIPS 38091 Stutsman County FIPS 38093 Towner County FIPS 38095 Traill County FIPS 38097 Walsh County FIPS 38099 Ward County FIPS 38101 Wells County FIPS 38103 Williams County FIPS 38105

AI Insights

Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 6 federal data sources.

Sample AI Insight

North Dakota shows strong potential for support activities for mining attraction, with a 17.64x concentration and 12,483 jobs in this sub-sector.

Cluster depth across support activities for mining, pipeline transportation, and oil and gas extraction creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for North Dakota, from federal data sources.

What is the population of North Dakota?

784,841 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in North Dakota?

$76,657 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in North Dakota?

2.4% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of North Dakota?

$80.1B (BEA CAGDP2 (Regional)).