Nelson County, ND

County

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2023 Population

3,015

0.331% 1-year decline

US Senator

John Hoeven

Republican Party

US Senator

Kevin Cramer

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

50.4

0.8% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

9.96%

8.23% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$68,051

9.37% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$114,500

6.61% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

1,360

0.439% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Nelson County, ND had a population of 3.02k people with a median age of 50.4 and a median household income of $68,051. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Nelson County, ND declined from 3,025 to 3,015, a −0.331% decrease and its median household income grew from $62,219 to $68,051, a 9.37% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Nelson County, ND are White (Non-Hispanic) (92.6%), Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (2.59%), Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (1.39%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.03%), and American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (0.862%).

None of the households in Nelson County, ND reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.6% of the residents in Nelson County, ND are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Nelson County, ND was $114,500, and the homeownership rate was 76.9%.

Most people in Nelson County, ND drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Nelson County, ND was 2 cars per household.

Nelson County, ND borders Benson County, ND, Eddy County, ND, Grand Forks County, ND, Griggs County, ND, Ramsey County, ND, Steele County, ND, and Walsh County, ND.

United States North Dakota

Population & Diversity

Nelson County, ND is home to a population of 3.02k people, from which 97.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.55% of Nelson County, ND residents were born outside of the country (107 people).

In 2023, there were 35.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.79k people) in Nelson County, ND than any other race or ethnicity. There were 78 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 42 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.6%

2023 Citizenship

97.2%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 97.6% of Nelson County, ND residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Nelson County, ND was 97.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Nelson County, ND compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Nelson County, ND

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.79k ± 6
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
78 ± 29
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
42 ± 18

2.85%

Hispanic Population

86 people

2.85% of the people in Nelson County, ND are hispanic (86 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Nelson County, ND as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

3.55%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

107 people

3.6%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

109 people

As of 2023, 3.55% of Nelson County, ND residents (107 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Nelson County, ND was 3.6%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Nelson County, ND compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
83 ± 27
Gulf War (2001-)
40 ± 29
Korea
23 ± 16

Nelson County, ND has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.08 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Nelson County, ND employs 1.36k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Nelson County, ND were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (238 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (197 people), and Educational Services (179 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($68,214), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($68,214), and Wholesale Trade ($63,125).

Employment

Occupations

1.36k

2023 Value

± 136

−0.439%

1 Year decline

± 13.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Nelson County, ND declined at a rate of −0.439%, from 1.37k employees to 1.36k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Nelson County, ND, are Management Occupations (292 people), Sales & Related Occupations (135 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (121 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Nelson County, ND.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Dakota.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Dakota (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.36k

2023 Value

± 136

−0.439%

1 Year decline

± 13.5%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Nelson County, ND declined at a rate of −0.439%, from 1.37k employees to 1.36k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Nelson County, ND, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (238 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (197 people), and Educational Services (179 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Nelson County, ND, though some of these residents may live in Nelson County, ND and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,824

Median earning men ± $3,831

$37,198

Median earning women ± $8,244

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($77,813), Public Administration ($77,000), and Wholesale Trade ($63,281).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($54,375), Manufacturing ($53,750), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($49,432).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Dakota.

Y-Axis

2.83%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 428k people employed in North Dakota. This represents a 2.83% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 12.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Dakota.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

16
Other Services (except Public Administration)
13
Construction
11
Finance and Insurance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$9.75k
Wholesale Trade
$9.29k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$3.15k
Finance and Insurance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Dakota.

Measure

In 2023, 0.408% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.55% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Dakota.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (154k), Some college (149k), and Bachelors Degree (125k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Nelson County, ND was $114,500 in 2023, which is 0.377 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $107,400 to $114,500, a 6.61% increase. The homeownership rate in Nelson County, ND is 76.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Nelson County, ND have an average commute time of 19.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Nelson County, ND is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2024, 6.29% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Nelson County, ND. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 0.394%.

Housing

Property

$114,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$11,853

$996

Median Property Taxes

±$116

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Nelson County, ND the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Nelson County, ND compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

76.9%

Homeownership

2023

61%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 76.9% of the housing units in Nelson County, ND were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 75.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Nelson County, ND compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Census Tract 9590, Nelson County, ND

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

The following map shows all of the tracts in Nelson County, ND colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$68,051

Median Household Income

± $7,896

1.3k

Number of Households

± 129

In 2023, the median household income of the 1.3k households in Nelson County, ND grew to $68,051 from the previous year's value of $62,219.

The following chart displays the households in Nelson County, ND distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Nelson County, ND is from Nelson County, ND.

N/A Wage GINI in N/A

In N/A, the income inequality in N/A was N/A according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a N/A N/A from N/A to N/A, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat N/A even. The GINI for N/A was N/A than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed N/A evenly in N/A in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Nelson County, ND across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (67%)
Carpooled (11.7%)
Walked (10.6%)

In 2023, 67% of workers in Nelson County, ND drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.7%) and those who walked to work (10.6%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

19.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Nelson County, ND have a shorter commute time (19.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.03% of the workforce in Nelson County, ND have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Nelson County, ND compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Nelson County, ND distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Nelson County, ND have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 6.29% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Nelson County, ND. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 0.394%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

9.96% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Nelson County, ND (288 out of 2.89k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Nelson County, ND is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2024, 11.7% of the children was living in poverty in Nelson County, ND. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 1.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 134 in Nelson County, ND. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 28.1 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

95.3% of the population of Nelson County, ND has health coverage, with 44.5% on employee plans, 7.42% on Medicaid, 20.5% on Medicare, 20.6% on non-group plans, and 2.23% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Nelson County, ND see 0 patients per year on average, which represents a NaNN% change from the previous year (0 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 0 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 0 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.2% were men and 48.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

0 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Nelson County, ND

Primary care physicians in Nelson County, ND see an average of 0 patients per year. This represents a NaNN% change from the previous year (0 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Nelson County, ND in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.9% under 18 years, 13.2% between 18 and 34 years, 38.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.2% were men and 48.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.74%

Uninsured

44.5%

Employer Coverage

7.42%

Medicaid

20.5%

Medicare

20.6%

Non-Group

2.23%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Nelson County, ND declined by 19.8% from 5.91% to 4.74%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Nelson County, ND changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.