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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Ward County

North Dakota · 69,919 residents · 2,013 sq mi
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The short version

Ward County is home to 69,919 people in North Dakota. This skews young, with a median age of 32.8. The foreign-born share is 4%. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average. 79% were living in the same home a year earlier. The population is up 19% since 2000.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 32.8
US median: 38.8
Average education
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 95%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
69,919
+19%since 2000
from 58,795 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
32.8
+1%since 2000
from 32.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
2,013 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
55K59K63K67K71K19902000201020202024Ward County
202469K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 57.2%(5,049)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.2%(5,019)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.6%(4,608)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.3%(4,391)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.2%(6,453)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3416.9%(11,807)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.7%(8,909)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 549.7%(6,810)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6410.9%(7,596)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 747.5%(5,256)
US avg: 10%
75 to 843.9%(2,718)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.9%(1,303)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$68,098
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,670 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$35,891
+112%since 2000
from $16,926 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
44.3%
+19.6 ptssince 2009
from 24.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
9.1%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 10.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information14.1%
US avg: 11.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing8.9%
US avg: 1.7%
Other services6.6%
US avg: 6.6%
Wholesale trade6.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical5.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Manufacturing4.6%
US avg: 0.5%
Public administration4.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Construction4.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing3.8%
US avg: 2.5%
Retail trade2.9%
US avg: 10%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$217,700
+95%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $74,200 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$939
+53%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $408 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
57.2%
−5.4 ptssince 2000
from 62.6% in 2000
42.8% rent
Persons per household
2.34 people
+4%since 2009
from 2.26 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.2
+36%since 2009
from 2.3 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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic91.5%(53,786)
Black2.1%(1,262)
Hispanic / Latino1.9%(1,125)
Asian0.8%(474)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic79.6%(55,673)
Black4.1%(2,853)
Hispanic / Latino6.6%(4,590)
Asian1.6%(1,087)
Other5.5%(3,813)
Segregation Score
22
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4.5%(3,077)
Puerto Rican0.6%(409)
Panamanian0.2%(155)
Spaniard0.2%(138)
Ecuadorian0.1%(101)
Nicaraguan0.1%(65)
Colombian0.1%(45)
Dominican0%(31)
Chilean0%(27)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Filipino0.7%(470)
Asian Indian0.2%(156)
Chinese0.1%(90)
Pakistani0.1%(90)
Japanese0.1%(76)
Korean0.1%(75)
Thai0%(19)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(60)
Chamorro0.1%(60)
Tongan0%(13)
Ancestry
German30.6%(21,069)
Norwegian22.7%(15,675)
Irish7.6%(5,232)
English5.8%(3,984)
Swedish3%(2,039)
Russian2.4%(1,679)
American2.3%(1,585)
French2.3%(1,567)
Italian2.2%(1,489)
Scottish1.5%(1,058)
Polish1.3%(865)
Ukrainian1.2%(843)
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data
Danish1%(697)
Scotch-Irish0.8%(537)
Dutch0.7%(487)
Czech0.5%(338)
British0.4%(244)
Welsh0.3%(232)
Finnish0.3%(229)
Hungarian0.3%(217)
Greek0.3%(204)
Bulgarian0.3%(192)
West Indian0.3%(188)
Swiss0.2%(160)
Jamaican0.2%(151)
Canadian0.2%(143)
Somali0.2%(125)
Belgian0.1%(93)
Slovak0.1%(60)
Egyptian0.1%(57)
Arab0.1%(38)
Portuguese0.1%(38)
Haitian0.1%(37)
Austrian0%(30)
Lebanese0%(26)
Syrian0%(24)
Slovene0%(23)
Ethiopian0%(21)
Nigerian0%(19)
Romanian0%(15)
Jordanian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.0%
+6.9 ptssince 2000
from 22.1% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
94.5%
+7.2 ptssince 2000
from 87.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
8.6%
+3.3 ptssince 2000
from 5.4% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.9 min
+82%since 2000
from 10.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
81.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 81.9% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
5.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2011
from 2.9% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
74.5%
+1.6 ptssince 2011
from 72.8% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.3%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
33.9%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 31.4% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
52.4%
+3.0 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Female
47.6%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Foreign born
4.5%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.7% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
5.9%
−3.4 ptssince 2013
from 9.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.7%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
78.8%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married36.4%(10,466)
Married51.6%(14,852)
Widowed1.9%(554)
Divorced10.1%(2,915)
Women 15+
Never married25.5%(6,682)
Married54.8%(14,390)
Widowed7.5%(1,977)
Divorced12.2%(3,200)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.9%
−3.4 ptssince 2013
from 9.3% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
60.2%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
18.0%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
13.9%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
9.5%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
3.5%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
84.1%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
23.9%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)46%(2,570)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)32.4%(1,809)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era22.1%(1,237)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War4.6%(257)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.3%(126)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 5,590 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
Drill deeper

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Places similar to Ward County
Head to head

Compare Ward County to nearby counties

WARD COUNTY VS
Renville County
Income$74,301+9%
Home value$166,000−24%
Population2,331−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WARD COUNTY VS
Mountrail County
Income$80,717+19%
Home value$232,700+7%
Population9,395−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WARD COUNTY VS
McLean County
Income$83,583+23%
Home value$227,100+4%
Population9,740−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WARD COUNTY VS
McHenry County
Income$80,733+19%
Home value$151,000−31%
Population5,130−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Ward County, North Dakota?

Ward County, North Dakota has about 69,919 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Ward County, North Dakota earns about $68,098 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Ward County, North Dakota expensive?

In Ward County, North Dakota, the median home is worth about $217,700, and the typical rent is about $939 a month.

How educated are people in Ward County, North Dakota?

About 29.0% of adults age 25 and over in Ward County, North Dakota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Ward County, North Dakota?

About 9.1% of people in Ward County, North Dakota live below the federal poverty line.

Has Ward County, North Dakota grown since 1990?

Yes, Ward County, North Dakota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 11,998 residents, a change of about 21 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →