Is North Dakota's population growing or shrinking?
Updated annually
It grew by 6,000 between 2024 and 2025. Changes in population reflect birth and death rates, immigration patterns, regional shifts, and even the overall health of the economy. North Dakota’s 0.75% annual increase was primarily driven by immigration to the state. In the decade between 2015 and 2025, North Dakota’s population grew by 4.8%.
+5.97K
population change (2024 to 2025)
+0.75%
percent change in population (2024 to 2025)
Since 2000, North Dakota's population increased in 22 of 25 years. The largest increase occurred between 2012 and 2013, when it gained 22,300 residents. The state's largest decline during the 21st century occurred between 2000 and 2001 when it lost 3,000 residents.
North Dakota gained 6,000 residents between 2024 and 2025.
Annual population change
A state’s population is influenced by three factors:
- Natural population change: If births outnumber deaths in a given year, natural population growth is positive. If deaths exceed births, it is negative. Between 2024 to 2025 natural population change was positive in North Dakota, with births exceeding deaths by 2,600.
- Immigration: international migration directly into or out of a state. If more people move in than move out, population change from immigration is positive. If more people move out than move in, it’s negative. North Dakota’s population change from immigration was positive, with about 2,800 more people coming from another country to North Dakota than leaving.
- Domestic migration, moving between states: North Dakota’s population change from domestic migration was positive, with about 512 more people moving to North Dakota from other states than leaving.
Between 2024 and 2025, immigration was the primary driver of population growth in North Dakota.
Components of population change
Among 53 county equivalents, Cass County had the largest population growth in North Dakota, welcoming 2,788 new residents. Pembina County lost the most, with a loss of 102 residents. County-level population data is available as of 2024.
Williams County led North Dakota in percent population increase between 2023 and 2024 at 3.7 percent. Slope County ranked last with a 2.8 percent decline.
Between 2023 and 2024, Williams County gained 3.7% in population, the largest increase in North Dakota.
Population change
Between 2015 and 2025, North Dakota’s population has increased by 4.8%. During that same period, the US population grew by 6.2%. North Dakota ranks 27th among states in population growth over that decade.
North Dakota ranked 27th in population growth between 2015 and 2025.
Percent change in population
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.