North Dakota Population Statistics 2026 | By Age, Race, Gender, Growth & Facts

North Dakota has an estimated population of 799,358 as of the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent official estimate (July 1, 2025), making it one of the smallest states by population but one of the fastest-growing in the northern Great Plains. The state’s population has climbed 2.6% since the 2020 Census, driven by steady in-migration tied to its energy, agriculture, and healthcare sectors.

North Dakota Population show a state that continues to defy the stagnation seen in many rural Midwestern states, with the most recent Census Bureau figures confirming sustained year-over-year growth. Since the 2020 Census count of 779,094, North Dakota has added residents in every subsequent annual estimate, a pattern uncommon among Great Plains states, several of which have seen flat or declining populations over the same period. The state’s population by age, race, and gender reflects a relatively young median age, a large Native American population concentrated on tribal lands, and a workforce skewed toward the energy and agricultural sectors that anchor its economy.

Understanding the demographic shape of North Dakota matters for businesses, policymakers, and researchers tracking migration and labor trends across the Great Plains. The state’s growth has been fueled in large part by the Bakken oil formation in the western counties, along with steady expansion in Fargo, Bismarck, and Grand Forks. Below is a full breakdown of North Dakota’s population, age structure, gender split, racial and ethnic composition, and related economic and housing facts, all sourced directly from the U.S. Census Bureau’s official QuickFacts data release.

Interesting Facts About North Dakota Population 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts (Vintage 2025 Population Estimates)

North Dakota’s population growth of 2.6% since the 2020 Census outpaces several neighboring Great Plains states, reflecting the continued pull of the state’s energy sector and comparatively low cost of living. At 799,358 residents, North Dakota remains one of the least populous states in the country, ranking 47th nationally, ahead of only Alaska, Vermont, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia in total population among the 50 states. Despite its small size, the state’s population density of 11.3 people per square mile places it among the most sparsely populated states, a reflection of its 68,995.86 square miles of largely rural land area.

The state’s age structure, with 22.9% of residents under 18 and 17.9% aged 65 and older, points to a population that skews slightly younger than the national average, a pattern often linked to the influx of working-age adults drawn by oil and gas employment in the western part of the state. The 48.8% female share is marginally below the national average of roughly 50.5%, consistent with a state economy still weighted toward male-dominated industries like energy extraction, construction, and agriculture. Below, this report breaks down population growth trends, age distribution, gender balance, and racial and ethnic composition in greater detail, using the same Census Bureau dataset as its source.

North Dakota Population Growth 2020-2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Population Estimates Program

North Dakota’s population trajectory shows consistent, if modest, annual growth rather than the boom-and-bust pattern the state experienced during the height of the Bakken oil rush in the early 2010s. Between the 2010 and 2020 Census counts, the state added 106,503 residents, a jump of nearly 15.8% driven almost entirely by the shale oil boom in the western counties. The pace has since slowed considerably, with the state adding roughly 20,264 residents between the 2020 Census and the 2025 estimate, a 2.6% increase over five years rather than a decade.

The year-over-year data shows an acceleration in growth between 2023 and 2024, when the population estimate jumped from 783,926 to 796,568, an increase of 12,642 residents in a single year, the fastest annual gain in the recent estimate series. This uptick coincides with continued stability in energy prices and steady demand for workers in healthcare, logistics, and skilled trades across Fargo, Bismarck, and the Bakken region. The 2025 estimate of 799,358 keeps North Dakota on pace to cross the 800,000 population mark in its next annual Census Bureau release, a milestone the state has not previously reached.

The slower pace of growth between 2020 and 2023, when the population base of 779,136 rose to just 783,926, reflects the broader national slowdown in both domestic and international migration during the early years of the decade, a period marked by pandemic-related disruptions to labor markets nationwide. North Dakota’s rebound in the following two years suggests the state’s core economic drivers, energy extraction, agriculture, and a expanding healthcare and higher-education sector centered on Fargo and Grand Forks, have resumed functioning as reliable population magnets. Demographers tracking the Great Plains region note that North Dakota’s growth pattern contrasts sharply with several neighboring states that have posted flat or declining populations over the same five-year window, a divergence tied directly to the state’s comparatively resilient job market.

North Dakota Population by Age 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, 2025 Population Estimates

North Dakota’s age distribution reflects a state balancing a historically young rural population with the effects of an aging national trend. The 22.9% of residents under 18 sits close to the national figure, while the 17.9% share aged 65 and older remains slightly below the national rate of roughly 18%, a gap attributable in part to the continued arrival of working-age adults for oil field, agricultural, and healthcare jobs. Children under 5 make up 6.1% of the population, a figure that has held relatively steady over the past several Census Bureau estimate cycles.

The working-age population, estimated at roughly 59.2% of residents between 18 and 64, forms the backbone of North Dakota’s labor force, which the Census Bureau separately reports has a civilian labor force participation rate of 67.4% among residents 16 and older. This relatively high participation rate, compared with many rural states, reflects the state’s historically low unemployment rate and continued demand for workers across energy, agriculture, and healthcare. The median age nationally sits close to 39 years, and North Dakota’s younger-skewing population structure has been credited by state economists with helping sustain labor force growth even as birth rates have slowed nationally.

North Dakota’s age profile also carries implications for the state’s schools, healthcare systems, and long-term workforce planning. With 22.9% of the population under 18, the state continues to invest in K-12 capacity in fast-growing districts around Fargo, Bismarck, and Williston, even as some rural counties in the central and southwestern parts of the state see school enrollment decline alongside an aging, shrinking population. Meanwhile, the 17.9% share of residents 65 and older is placing growing demand on rural healthcare providers, assisted living facilities, and Medicare-dependent services, a pressure state health officials expect to intensify gradually as North Dakota’s Baby Boomer cohort continues aging into retirement over the coming decade.

North Dakota Population by Gender 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

North Dakota is one of a small number of U.S. states where males outnumber females, with a 51.2% male share against 48.8% female, a gap that has persisted for more than a decade and is closely tied to the state’s energy and agricultural workforce. This imbalance is most pronounced in the western Bakken counties, where oil field employment has historically attracted a disproportionately male workforce, while eastern cities like Fargo and Grand Forks, home to major universities and healthcare systems, tend toward a more even gender split.

The state’s female civilian labor force participation rate of 63.9% among residents 16 and older is notably high relative to national norms, reflecting both the strength of North Dakota’s healthcare and education sectors, which employ large numbers of women, and the state’s historically tight labor market, which has drawn women into the workforce at higher rates than in many other states. Combined with a 67.4% overall labor force participation rate, North Dakota’s workforce engagement figures rank among the strongest in the country, a pattern the state’s low 2.2% unemployment rate as of April 2026 helps confirm. Readers interested in how these figures compare with the country overall can review the broader population by gender in the US breakdown for national context.

North Dakota Population by Race and Ethnicity 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, 2025 Population Estimates

North Dakota’s racial composition remains predominantly White, with 83.9% of residents identifying as White alone and 79.7% as White and not Hispanic or Latino, figures that place it among the less racially diverse states nationally, though its American Indian and Alaska Native population of 5.4% is one of the highest shares of any state outside the Southwest and Alaska. This is a direct reflection of North Dakota’s five federally recognized tribal nations, including the Standing Rock, Turtle Mountain, Spirit Lake, and Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara) reservations, which together account for a substantial share of the state’s Native population.

The Hispanic or Latino population, at 5.7% of residents, has grown steadily over the past decade, tracking a broader national trend of Hispanic population growth even in traditionally low-diversity states. The Black alone population share of 4.2% and the 4.1% share identifying as Two or More Races both reflect gradual diversification tied to refugee resettlement programs in Fargo and Grand Forks and continued migration for jobs in meatpacking, healthcare, and manufacturing. For a state-by-state comparison of these figures, the race percentage by state breakdown places North Dakota’s 82.2% non-Hispanic White figure, as measured in a separate American Community Survey estimate, among the ten whitest states in the country.

Geographically, North Dakota’s racial diversity is unevenly distributed. Fargo and Grand Forks, the state’s two largest metro areas, host the bulk of its Black, Asian, and multiracial residents, driven in large part by refugee resettlement programs and the presence of North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota, both of which attract international students and faculty. By contrast, the state’s American Indian and Alaska Native population is concentrated heavily on and around its reservations, including the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in the north, the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Nations in the south-central region, and the Three Affiliated Tribes on the Fort Berthold Reservation in the west, where oil development on tribal land has added a distinct economic dimension to the reservation economy over the past fifteen years.

North Dakota Income, Housing & Economic Facts 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

North Dakota’s median household income of $76,657 sits close to the national median, a notable figure for a largely rural state and one that reflects strong wages in the energy and agricultural sectors relative to the state’s low cost of living. The 11.1% poverty rate is slightly below the national average, consistent with the state’s historically low unemployment and steady labor demand across its major industries. Per capita income of $43,389 further underscores the relative economic strength of North Dakota households compared with other Great Plains states.

Housing data shows a market that remains comparatively affordable, with a median home value of $249,900, well below the national median, and a median gross rent of $954. The state’s 62.9% owner-occupied housing rate reflects a housing stock that, while affordable, has not kept pace with demand in growth centers like Fargo and Williston, where 2,440 building permits were issued statewide in 2025 alone. This level of new construction activity signals continued confidence among developers that North Dakota’s population growth, and the housing demand that comes with it, will persist through the remainder of the decade. Migration trends nationally, detailed in the net migration statistics in the US report, provide useful context for understanding how North Dakota’s steady in-migration compares against a national backdrop of slowing overall population growth.

North Dakota Education, Health & Household Facts 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

North Dakota’s educational attainment figures are strong relative to national benchmarks, with 94.0% of residents 25 and older holding a high school diploma or higher, among the highest rates in the country, and 32.7% holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. This high level of educational attainment supports the state’s skilled workforce in healthcare, engineering, and agribusiness, sectors that increasingly require postsecondary credentials. The state’s 331,063 households, combined with a household size of 2.28 persons noted earlier, indicate a population still weighted toward smaller family units typical of an aging rural state alongside its younger energy-sector workforce.

North Dakota is home to 42,380 veterans, a substantial figure relative to its overall population and one that reflects the state’s historic ties to military installations including Grand Forks Air Force Base and Minot Air Force Base. The 4.7% foreign-born share and 6.7% of residents speaking a language other than English at home both point to a modest but steadily growing immigrant population, driven largely by refugee resettlement in Fargo and labor migration tied to agriculture and food processing. Health coverage figures show 7.2% of residents under 65 lack health insurance, while 8.5% report living with a disability, both figures that state health officials continue to monitor as North Dakota’s rural hospital and clinic network faces ongoing workforce and funding pressures.

North Dakota Economy and Business Facts 2026

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns and Nonemployer Statistics

North Dakota’s business base of 25,402 employer establishments supported total employment of 352,108 workers in 2023, generating an annual payroll of $21.9 billion across the state’s energy, agriculture, healthcare, and retail sectors. The 2.9% year-over-year employment growth recorded between 2022 and 2023 outpaced many neighboring states, reinforcing the pattern of steady labor market expansion that has accompanied North Dakota’s population gains over the same period. The state’s 60,342 nonemployer establishments, businesses without paid employees such as sole proprietorships and independent contractors, further illustrate a diversified small-business economy extending well beyond the oil fields.

Retail sales per capita of $24,537 in 2022 reflect strong consumer spending relative to the state’s population size, a figure bolstered by cross-border shopping activity in cities near the Canadian border and steady disposable income tied to energy-sector wages. Digital connectivity across the state is also strong by rural standards, with 94.8% of households owning a computer and 88.7% subscribing to broadband internet, figures that have supported the growth of remote work and telehealth services in North Dakota’s more sparsely populated counties. Together, these economic and connectivity indicators point to a state whose population growth is being matched by parallel gains in employment, business formation, and digital infrastructure.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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