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COUNTY

Golden Valley County

North Dakota · 1,808 residents (2025 est.) · 1,001 sq mi
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The short version

With 1,653 people, Golden Valley County is a county in North Dakota. The median age is 47.2, about 8 years above the US median. There are 2 people per square mile. The typical home is worth $123,900, having roughly tripled since 2000. 80% of homes are owner-occupied. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 23% of adults.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 47.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 62%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,653
−14%since 2000
from 1,924 in 2000
1,808 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2 / sq mi
+8%since 2009
from 2 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
47.2
+15%since 2000
from 41.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,001 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
1K2K2K2K2K19902000201020202024Golden Valley County
20242K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.8%(113)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.6%(92)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.5%(75)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.4%(139)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 241.5%(24)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 347.4%(122)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410.7%(177)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.9%(163)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6416.3%(269)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7416.9%(280)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 8410.5%(173)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.6%(26)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$68,021
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $29,967 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$37,649
+166%since 2000
from $14,173 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
47.4%
+34.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
19.8%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 15.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.412
−17%since 2010
from 0.497 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing19%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction16.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Information7.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade6.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services5.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade4.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Public administration4.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance4.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Transportation & warehousing4.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Professional, scientific, technical3.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Manufacturing2.2%
US avg: 0.4%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services1.3%
US avg: 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$123,900
+62%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$638
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $323 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
79.5%
+1.5 ptssince 2000
from 78.1% in 2000
20.5% rent
Vacancy rate
22.5%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 24.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.33 people
+14%since 2009
from 2.05 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
6.3%
−8.4 ptssince 2009
from 14.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
22.4%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 26.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
1.8
−6%since 2009
from 1.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
70
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic97.2%(1,870)
Black0%(0)
Hispanic / Latino1%(20)
Asian0.1%(2)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic90.7%(1,499)
Black0.2%(3)
Hispanic / Latino0.6%(10)
Asian0.2%(4)
Other8.3%(137)
Diversity Score
21
+281%since 2009
from 6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican0.5%(8)
Asian origin
Thai0.2%(4)
Ancestry
German48.8%(806)
Irish12%(199)
English9.6%(159)
Norwegian8%(132)
Polish7.6%(126)
American6.6%(109)
French2.5%(41)
Swedish2.1%(34)
Swiss1%(17)
Czech1%(16)
Dutch0.8%(13)
Bulgarian0.6%(10)
+ 8 more ancestry groups with data
Hungarian0.5%(9)
Scottish0.5%(9)
Jamaican0.5%(9)
Italian0.4%(6)
Canadian0.2%(3)
Russian0.2%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.6%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 19.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.4%
+9.0 ptssince 2000
from 87.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
4.4%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 2.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.6 min
+71%since 2000
from 12.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
83.0%
+7.3 ptssince 2009
from 75.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
3.8%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
0.5%
−15.2 ptssince 2009
from 15.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
7.9%
+5.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.7%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.4%
+1.0 ptssince 2011
from 2.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
61.0%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 65.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 80.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
17.6%
−5.3 ptssince 2009
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
35.5%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 38.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
Female
49.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
Foreign born
0.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.9%
−3.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
19.6%
+4.4 ptssince 2012
from 15.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.2%
−9.5 ptssince 2013
from 11.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.8%
+24.4 ptssince 2017
from 65.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.0%
+9.4 ptssince 2020
from 85.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
92.6%
+5.3 ptssince 2020
from 87.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
99.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 98.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
0.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2016
from 0.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married21%(143)
Married62.6%(427)
Widowed5.6%(38)
Divorced10.9%(74)
Women 15+
Never married21.9%(151)
Married59.2%(409)
Widowed9.7%(67)
Divorced9.3%(64)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
2.2%
−9.5 ptssince 2013
from 11.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
52.2%
−2.8 ptssince 2020
from 55.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.8%
−8.6 ptssince 2020
from 24.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
31.3%
+6.3 ptssince 2020
from 25.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
21.5%
+9.1 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 1.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
66.8%
−10.7 ptssince 2020
from 77.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
48.2%
+14.5 ptssince 2020
from 33.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)0%(0)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)11.2%(10)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era51.7%(46)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War11.2%(10)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.1%(1)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 89 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Head to head

Compare Golden Valley County to nearby counties

GOLDEN VALLEY COUNTY VS
Wibaux County
Income$67,462−1%
Home value$98,600−20%
Population885−51%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GOLDEN VALLEY COUNTY VS
Billings County
Income$86,806+28%
Home value$331,000+167%
Population1,071−41%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GOLDEN VALLEY COUNTY VS
Slope County
Income$71,250+5%
Home value$170,000+37%
Population628−65%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
GOLDEN VALLEY COUNTY VS
Fallon County
Income$76,250+12%
Home value$244,800+98%
Population2,959+64%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Golden Valley County, North Dakota?

Golden Valley County, North Dakota has about 1,653 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Golden Valley County, North Dakota?

The typical household in Golden Valley County, North Dakota earns about $68,021 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Golden Valley County, North Dakota expensive?

In Golden Valley County, North Dakota, the median home is worth about $123,900, and the typical rent is about $638 a month.

How educated are people in Golden Valley County, North Dakota?

About 22.6% of adults age 25 and over in Golden Valley County, North Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Golden Valley County, North Dakota?

About 19.8% of people in Golden Valley County, North Dakota live below the federal poverty line.

Has Golden Valley County, North Dakota grown since 1990?

Yes, Golden Valley County, North Dakota has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 455 residents, a change of about -22 percent over that period.

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1 census tract
Census Tract 9629

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →