North Dakota

North Dakota by the Numbers:
Key Statistical Data and Facts

Key Details

• As of 2022, North Dakota has a population of 6,177,957  
• Between 2000 and 2020, North Dakota had three Republican and three Democratic governors. 
• In the 2020 US presidential elections, Donald Trump won 56.8% of the votes, while Joe Biden won 41.4%. 
• Mike Parson was elected the 57th governor of  North Dakota in the summer of 2018. 
• As of 2022, there were 4,286,342 registered voters in the state. 
• 91% of persons aged 25 and over are high school graduates or higher; 30.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher; 41.9% have some college or associate’s degree. 

North Dakota Population Demographics

Set in the Upper Midwest, North Dakota is the fourth least populous state in the US, with 779,261 residents as of 2022. According to Census estimates,  residents below five years old constitute 6.6% of the population. Residents aged 65 and older comprise 16.1% of the population, while residents below 18 constitute 24.0%. North Dakota has an almost balanced gender representation, with females taking 48.6% and males taking 51.4%. 

North Dakota Housing

374,447 housing

According to US Census data for 2022, North Dakota has approximately 374,447 housing units with about 316,542 households and an average of 2.37 persons per household.

63%

Between 2017 to 2021, about 63.0% of the housing units were owner-occupied.

83%

of residents had been living in the same house for a year.

$209,900

During the same period, the median value for owner-occupied units was $209,900

$1,524

While the average median monthly owner cost ranged from $1,524 (with a mortgage) to $506 (without a mortgage).

North Dakota Racial Demographics

Elections in North Dakota

North Dakota's political leanings have mainly been conservative. Five of the six governors elected between 1980 and 2020 have been Republicans. Gov. Allen Olson (1981 to 1985), Gov. Ed Schafer (1992 to 2000), Gov. John Hoeven (2000 to 2010), Gov. Jack Dalrymple (2010 to 2016), and Gov. Doug Burgum (2016 to 2022). The last Democratic governor in North Dakota was Gov. George Sinner (1985 to 1992). 

As of 2023, the state has a Republican trifecta as the governor’s office, state legislature, and the delegation to Congress are in the control of the Republican Party. 

John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer are the Republican representatives from North Dakota in Congress. John Hoeven got into office on the 3rd of January, 2011. He was re-elected in 2022. Kevin Cramer got into office in 2019, representing North Dakota after winning his election in 2018. 

Governor Doug Burgum is the 33rd governor of North Dakota. He is a member of the Republican Party, a philanthropist, and an entrepreneur elected into office in 2020. Gov. Doug is serving his first term in office following the election victory over Democratic candidate Marvin Nelson. 

2020 Presidential Election 

North Dakota is regarded as a Republican state in the presidential election. Presidential election data shows that Republican candidates have won in North Dakota since the 1976 elections.  

During the 2020 presidential elections, the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, won the state with 65.1% votes. He won 235,595 votes against the 114,902 won by the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden (31.8%). 

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

North Dakota Voting Statistics

The North Dakota Secretary of State provides access to North Dakota voting statistics. As of 2023, North Dakota has a total of 605,242 registered voters. A further breakdown shows that there are 301,412 Republican voters, 151,142 registered Democrat voters, and residents registered as NPA/IND, Libertarian, and others. 

Voter Turnout 

The 2020 general elections recorded a 62% turnout from the 581,379 eligible voters in North Dakota, which is about 360,454. The 2020 voter turnout was higher than recorded in the 2014, 2016, and 2018 elections which were 46%, 61%, and 57%, respectively.  

General Election

How Educated is North Dakota

According to 2021 Census Data, 93.3% of North Dakota residents aged 25 years and above in North Dakota have a high school diploma or a higher degree. About 31.1% of the same population constitutes residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Data for residents between ages 18 and 24 show that 8% are high school graduates, 8% have an associate's degree, and 13% have a bachelor's degree. The highest level of education attained in North Dakota is a graduate or professional degree, held by 20% of the population aged between 25 to 44 years. 

North Dakota has 21 universities and colleges as of 2023, and 7 of them are private institutions. The University of North Dakota is the largest and oldest university in the state, offering over 225 online and on-campus degrees. Other notable learning institutions in the state include the University of Mary, Valley City State University, and Williston State College.  

North Dakota Employment Rate

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2023, North Dakota had an unemployment rate of 2.1%, slightly lower than the national unemployment rate of 3.6%. North Dakota's unemployment rate between 2022 and 2023 remained at 2.1%.  

Of the 53 counties in the state, 31 reported a reduced unemployment rate between 2022 and 2023. These counties include Cass County (2.4 to 2.3%), Hettinger County (2.0 to 1.9%), McIntosh County (2.6 to 2.4%), and Mercer County (4.0 to 3.5%). Twenty-one other counties reported an increase in the unemployment rate, and these counties include Golden Valley County (1.5 to 2.0%), Eddy County (3.2 to 4.0%), and Cavalier County (3.4 to 3.8%).

The Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that for 2023, North Dakota had a civilian labor force of about 416,600 individuals. From this figure, 407,900 were employed, while 8,700 persons were unemployed. Data also show that trade, transportation, and utilities provided the most employment, with over 81,000 jobs, followed by the government, with over 81,000 jobs.

The information and mining/logging sectors have the lowest job contributions, with about 5,600 and 18,700 jobs, respectively. 

Average Income in North Dakota

Per 2021 US Census data, North Dakota has a median household income of $68,131. However, income levels vary depending on education qualifications, location, and occupation. For example, Cass County has a median household income of $56,487, while Mercer County has a median household income of $78,547.

North Dakota households with one earner have a median household income of $55,022. Households in North Dakota where two or three earners are present have a median household income of $77,965 or$89,584, respectively. Families with four earners or more have the highest median household income figure of $103,996. Statistics on median income by age in North Dakota show that residents below 25 years have a median income of $36,708, while residents aged between 25 to 44 have a median income of $77,355.

Families in North Dakota

North Dakota Marriage Rates

North Dakota Divorce Rates

As of 2021, North Dakota had a rate of 2.9 divorces per 1,000 residents, slightly higher than the national divorce rate of 2.5 per 1,000. 8.6% of males aged 15 or older had been divorced compared to 11% of women in the same age bracket. North Dakota's divorce rate declined between 1990 and 2020. Based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the highest ever recorded divorce rate in North Dakota was 4.4 per 1,000 in 1995.  

Life Expectancy in North Dakota

As of 2022, North Dakota's life expectancy is 76.9 years. Men in North Dakota have a life expectancy of 74.2 years, while women have a life expectancy of 80.0 years. North Dakota ranks 22nd among the states on life expectancy data.

The CDC data shows that the fertility rate in North Dakota for women aged between 15 to 44 is 66.7 births per 1,000 women, while the teen birth rate in North Dakota is 12.9 per 1,000 females aged between 15 to 19 years. Between 1991 to 2020, North Dakota recorded a decline of 61% in the state’s teen births, with 319 teen births registered in 2020.

The leading cause of death in North Dakota is heart disease, followed by cancer. The drug overdose-related death rate in North Dakota is 17.2 per 100,000 residents, while the firearm injury death rate is 16.8 per 100,000.

North Dakota Crime Rates

According to FBI UCR Data, North Dakota has a crime rate of 24.55 per 1,000 residents as of 2022. The violent crime rate in the state is 2.64 per 1,000 persons, which is lower than the national violent crime rate of 4.0 crimes per 1,000 residents.  

According to the Disaster Center data on North Dakota crime rates, In 2019, 17,235 crimes were recorded in North Dakota, and statistics show that 2,169 were violent crimes while 15,006 were property crimes. A further breakdown shows that in the same year, there were 24 murder cases, 437 rape cases, 179 robbery cases, and 1,529 assault cases. The larceny-theft and vehicle theft cases recorded were 10,666 and 1,792, respectively. 

North Dakota Incarceration Rate

583 per 100,000 residents

As of 2023, North Dakota has an incarceration rate of 583 per 100,000 residents.

45,298

Residents are sent to local jails at a rate of 45,298 annually.

Incarceration statistics also show that 58% of incarcerations were white residents, 6% were Latin American, 11% were Black/African American, and 1% were Asian.

North Dakota Bankruptcy Rate

2022

403 filings

According to the United States Bankruptcy Court, the District of North Dakota received 403 filings in 2022, compared to 521, 647, and 720 in 2021, 2020, and 2019. Most bankruptcy cases in North Carolina fall under Chapter 7 (liquidation bankruptcy). Others include Chapter 11 (reorganization or business bankruptcy) and Chapter 13 (adjustment bankruptcy).In 2022, Chapter 7 accounted for most cases, with 353 filings, followed by Chapter 13, with 47 cases. The state also recorded 3 Chapter 15 filings within the same year.

Chapter 7 accounted for most cases, with 353 filings, followed by Chapter 13, with 47 cases. The state also recorded 3 Chapter 15 filings within the same year.

Weird Laws in North Dakota

Every state has laws that will be considered strange or crazy. These laws are usually based on local trends or a response to particular circumstances in the region. Here are some of the weird laws in North Dakota