Is North Dakota's population growing or shrinking?
Refreshed annually
It grew by 6,000 between 2024 and 2025. That’s more than the population of the Turtle Mountain UT. 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, 1901–2025
What contributes to population change in North Dakota?
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, 2011–2025
Which counties in North Dakota are growing? Which are shrinking?
Among 53 county equivalents, Cass County had the largest population growth in North Dakota, welcoming 2,523 new residents. Barnes County lost the most, with a loss of 100 residents. County-level population data is available as of 2025.
Get weekly insights
Subscribe for data-driven insights. No spin, just the facts.
McKenzie County led North Dakota in percent population increase between 2024 and 2025 at 2.7 percent. Bowman County ranked last with a 2.7 percent decline.
Between 2024 and 2025, McKenzie County gained 2.7% in population, the largest increase in North Dakota.
Population change
How does population change in North Dakota compare to other states?
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
Population change between 2024 and 2025, by county in North Dakota
| County | Population change rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | McKenzie County, ND | +2.7% |
| 2. | Williams County, ND | +2.5% |
| 3. | Adams County, ND | +2.5% |
| 4. | Dunn County, ND | +2.1% |
| 5. | Golden Valley County, ND | +1.9% |
| 6. | Billings County, ND | +1.8% |
| 7. | Sheridan County, ND | +1.7% |
| 8. | LaMoure County, ND | +1.7% |
| 9. | Cass County, ND | +1.3% |
| 10. | Grand Forks County, ND | +1.2% |
Population change between 2015 and 2025, by state
| State | Population change rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Idaho | +22% |
| 2. | Utah | +17.9% |
| 3. | Florida | +16.5% |
| 4. | Texas | +15.8% |
| 5. | Nevada | +14.9% |
| 6. | South Carolina | +14.8% |
| 7. | Arizona | +13.7% |
| 8. | North Carolina | +12.4% |
| 9. | Delaware | +12.2% |
| 10. | Washington state | +11.4% |
How is the US population changing?
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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.
