Ward County, ND

County

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2024 Population

68,973

US Senator

John Hoeven

Republican Party

US Senator

Kevin Cramer

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

33.6

0.901% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.56%

9.98% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$78,238

1.31% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$267,100

3.09% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

32,457

3.8% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Ward 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.

97.9% of the residents in Ward County, ND are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Ward County, ND are Minot State University (639 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Ward County, ND was $267,100, and the homeownership rate was 60.8%.

Most people in Ward County, ND drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Ward County, ND was 2 cars per household.

Ward County, ND borders Burke County, ND, McHenry County, ND, McLean County, ND, Mountrail County, ND, and Renville County, ND.

About the photo: Badlands in Rider, North Dakota

Photo by Jonathan Miske

United States North Dakota Minot, ND

Population & Diversity

Ward County, ND is home to a population of 69k people, from which 97.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.72% of Ward County, ND residents were born outside of the country (2.57k people).

In 2024, there were 18.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (55.4k people) in Ward County, ND than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.04k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 2.72k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.9%

2024 Citizenship

97.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.9% of Ward County, ND residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Ward County, ND was 97.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ward County, ND

White (Non-Hispanic)
55.4k ± 250
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
3.04k ± 405
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.72k ± 295

7.17%

Hispanic Population

4.95k people

7.17% of the people in Ward County, ND are hispanic (4.95k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for North Dakota.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,032 ± 1,349 people
Canada
2,767 ± 1,289 people
Philippines
2,721 ± 1,278 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Dakota was Mexico, the natal country of 3,032 North Dakota residents, followed by Canada with 2,767 and Philippines with 2,721.

Foreign-Born Population

3.72%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.57k people

3.95%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.74k people

As of 2024, 3.72% of Ward County, ND residents (2.57k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Ward County, ND was 3.95%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
2,617 ± 396
Vietnam
1,000 ± 173
Gulf War (1990s)
760 ± 225

Ward County, ND has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.62 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Ward County, ND.

Economy

The economy of Ward County, ND employs 32.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Ward County, ND were Health Care & Social Assistance (4,637 people), Retail Trade (4,089 people), and Educational Services (3,370 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($103,805), Utilities ($88,346), and Information ($76,579).

Employment

Occupations

32.5k

2024 Value

± 1,506

−3.8%

1 Year decline

± 6.75%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ward County, ND declined at a rate of −3.8%, from 33.7k employees to 32.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ward County, ND, are Management Occupations (3,838 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,209 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (2,880 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ward 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

32.5k

2024 Value

± 1,506

−3.8%

1 Year decline

± 6.75%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ward County, ND declined at a rate of −3.8%, from 33.7k employees to 32.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ward County, ND, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,637 people), Retail Trade (4,089 people), and Educational Services (3,370 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ward County, ND, though some of these residents may live in Ward County, ND and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$61,550

Median earning men ± $2,304

$39,979

Median earning women ± $2,609

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($90,438), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($82,606), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($78,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($90,074), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($70,455), and Wholesale Trade ($64,196).

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

165
Construction
121
Other Services (except Public Administration)
113
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

$249k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$169k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
$169k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Ward County, ND awarded 639 degrees. The student population of Ward County, ND in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,026 male students and 1,715 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ward County, ND are White (416 and 78%), Hispanic or Latino (48 and 9.01%), Two or More Races (25 and 4.69%), and Black or African American (17 and 3.19%).

The largest universities in Ward County, ND by number of degrees awarded are Minot State University (639 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Ward County, ND are Registered Nursing (65 and 10.2%), General Business Administration & Management (52 and 8.14%), and Social Work (51 and 7.98%).

The median tuition cost in Ward County, ND for a public four year colleges is $7,168 for in-state students and $7,168 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Ward County, ND, the percentage of applicants admitted was 72.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 67.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 2,741 (37.4% men and 62.6% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 2,741 students enrolled in Ward County, ND, 37.4% men and 62.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,750 records, of which 67.8% were women and 32.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
42 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
65 degrees awarded
Social Work
51 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Ward County, ND was General Business Administration & Management with 42 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Ward County, ND according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Minot State University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

639 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Minot State University with 639 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 201 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ward County, ND, which is 0.459 times less than the 438 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 416 degrees mean that there were 8.67 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 48 degrees awarded.

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.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($7,168) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,465) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,100) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ward County, ND was $267,100 in 2024, which is 0.803 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $259,100 to $267,100, a 3.09% increase. The homeownership rate in Ward County, ND is 60.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Ward County, ND have an average commute time of 19.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ward County, ND is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ward County, ND. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 4.44%.

Housing

Property

$267,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,995

$17,365

Median Property Taxes

±$992

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 Ward County, ND the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

60.8%

Homeownership

2024

67%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 60.8% of the housing units in Ward County, ND were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 61.9%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$78,238

Median Household Income

± $3,810

28.6k

Number of Households

± 1,411

In 2024, the median household income of the 28.6k households in Ward County, ND declined from $78,238 from the previous year's value of $79,273.

The following chart displays the households in Ward 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 Ward County, ND is from North Dakota.

0.432

2023 Wage GINI in North Dakota

0.436

2022 Wage GINI in North Dakota

In 2023, the income inequality in North Dakota was 0.432 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.922% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Dakota was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Dakota in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Dakota across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (78.4%)
Carpooled (11.8%)
Worked At Home (5.65%)

In 2024, 78.4% of workers in Ward County, ND drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.8%) and those who worked at home (5.65%).

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

19.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ward County, ND have a shorter commute time (19.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.17% of the workforce in Ward County, ND have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Ward 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 Ward County, ND distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Ward County, ND have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ward County, ND. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 4.44%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

8.56% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ward County, ND (5.76k out of 67.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ward County, ND is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

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 2025, 9.4% of the children was living in poverty in Ward County, ND. From 2014 to 2025, 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 256 in Ward County, ND. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 31.7 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.6% of the population of Ward County, ND has health coverage, with 51.2% on employee plans, 7.9% on Medicaid, 10.8% on Medicare, 14.8% on non-group plans, and 8.88% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Ward County, ND see 1,279 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,279 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1187 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 330 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,279 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Ward County, ND

Primary care physicians in Ward County, ND see an average of 1,279 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,279 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.1% under 18 years, 23.7% between 18 and 34 years, 34.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.8% were men and 50.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.44%

Uninsured

51.2%

Employer Coverage

7.9%

Medicaid

10.8%

Medicare

14.8%

Non-Group

8.88%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ward County, ND grew by 5.92% from 6.08% to 6.44%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 43.8 in Ward County, ND.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Ward County, ND.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 37.4% in Ward County, ND.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Ward County, ND.