Bismarck, North Dakota Population 2024

75,541

Bismarck is a city located in Burleigh County North Dakota. Bismarck has a 2024 population of 75,541. Bismarck is currently growing at a rate of 0.6% annually and its population has increased by 2.44% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 73,745 in 2020.

The average household income in Bismarck is $97,414 with a poverty rate of 9.18%. The median age in Bismarck is 38 years: 36.5 years for males, and 40 years for females.

This city has a relatively short history, only being founded toward the end of the 19th century but it has grown quite quickly and has even in recent years been named one of the fastest-growing small cities in the nation.

Bismarck Population

The city’s top employer is Sanford Health, which employs 25,000 people across multiple states. The State of North Dakota, St. Alexius Medical Center, Bismarck Public School, and the federal government are other top employers, each providing thousands of jobs to residents of Bismarck and surrounding areas.

Bismarck Population Growth

The city of Bismarck’s boundaries and population have only continued to expand since it was founded, and this trend shows no sign of slowing down. By the 1930s, the city’s population had grown to more than 11,000 people. By 1960, that number had more than doubled. The city’s population reached over 50,000 at the time of the 2000 census and grew to over 61,000 at the next census. Current estimates show that the population has increased by over 18% since the last census in 2010, indicating that this city has much growth still in its future.

The region that is now Bismarck was first inhabited by indigenous tribes dating back thousands of years. It was in 1872 when the Europeans founded the settlement that would one day become Bismarck. The town was called Edwinton after Northern Pacific Railway engineer Edwin Ferry Johnson. However, the Northern Pacific Railway changed the name to Bismarck after the German chancellor Otto con Bismarck. This was in efforts to bring in German immigrants to work and invest in the railroad.

The city began to grow significantly in the mid-1870s when gold was discovered in the Black Hills. The city attracted many miners, which was great for growth. However, it did contribute to tensions with the Lakota tribe. The tribe felt as though the new settlers were invading sacred territory.

In 1883, Bismarck was named as the capital of the Dakota Territory. At the end of the decade, after North Dakota was made a state, Bismarck was named as the state capital. Throughout the 19th century and into the 20th century, the city continued to see its population rise. The city constructed its state capitol building, which later burned in 1930. During the Great Depression, the city built another capitol in the city center, which is the tallest building in both the city and the state.

In 1953, Garrison Dam was built to prevent floods, and the floodplain area of the city now was suitable for development. Residential and commercial buildings were erected as the city, and its population continued to grow.

In modern times, the city’s northern area has seen substantial growth with the addition of retail shopping centers. The city’s major shopping center, Kirkwood Mall, was constructed in the city center and has since expanded to include other major retail stores in the area. There are also two hospitals and multiple restaurants that have been developed in the growing downtown area.

Bismarck Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Bismarck was:

  • White: 86.05%
  • Two or more races: 4.68%
  • Native American: 4.06%
  • Black or African American: 2.54%
  • Asian: 0.98%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.88%
  • Other race: 0.81%
Land Area (mi²)
34.7 sq mi
Density (mi²)
2,177.90/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
2.44% (1,796)
The current population of Bismarck, North Dakota is 75,541 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates (released May 2024). The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 73,745.

Population by Race

Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White63,41186.05%
Two or more races3,4474.68%
Native American2,9904.06%
Black or African American1,8732.54%
Asian7230.98%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander6520.88%
Other race5980.81%

White

Two or more races

Native American

Black or African American

Asian

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Other race

Bismarck Population by Race

Bismarck Population Pyramid 2024

Bismarck Median Age

38

Total

36.5

Male

40

Female

Bismarck Adults

There are 57,394 adults, (13,607 of whom are seniors) in Bismarck.

Bismarck Age Dependency

68.3

Age Dependency Ratio

31.1

Old Age Dependency Ratio

37.2

Child Dependency Ratio

Bismarck Sex Ratio

Female37,03050.25%
Male36,66449.75%

Bismarck Population by Age

Bismarck Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All31,7162.2565.434.6
Married14,1943.0487.512.5
Non Family13,6881.2147.952.1
Female2,6293.0645.954.1
Male1,2053.0847.352.7

2.98

Average Family Size

2.25

Average Household Size

65.4%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Bismarck Households and Families

Male

Female

Education Attained
Count
Percentage
9th to 12th Grade1,4622.89%
Associates Degree7,44014.69%
Bachelors Degree13,24326.15%
Graduate Degree5,68111.22%
High School Graduate11,84723.4%
Less Than 9th Grade1,2652.5%
Some College9,69519.15%

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Bismarck Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Bismarck Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

Race
Total
High School
Bachelors
White45,27543,01417,581
2+ Races1,4021,342451
Native American1,2771,114146
Black1,2191,162337
Hispanic853713182
Asian467444296
Other Race36630644
Islander3612990

The highest rate of high school graduation is among 2+ races people with a rate of 95.72%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 63.38%.

Bismarck Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

Name
Average
Male
Female
Bachelors Degree$65,209$73,762$58,141
Graduate Degree$74,723$92,946$71,832
High School Graduate$41,250$44,783$33,333
Less Than 9th Grade$40,246$41,589$37,031
Overall$53,816$58,654$49,061
Some College$45,125$52,781$40,226

$53,816

Average Earnings

$58,654

Average Male

$49,061

Average Female

Bismarck Earnings by Educational Attainment

Bismarck Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Bismarck Language

94.64% of Bismarck residents speak only English, while 5.36% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other Indo-European, which is spoken by 2.67% of the population.

Bismarck Language

Bismarck Poverty by Race

rate

Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White60,9963,7956.22%
Native2,8031,04637.32%
Multiple3,21350515.72%
Hispanic1,83050227.43%
Black1,76946826.46%
Islander65238759.36%
Other50114027.94%
Asian714537.42%

9.18%

Overall Poverty Rate

7.4%

Male Poverty Rate

10.93%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Bismarck

The race most likely to be in poverty in Bismarck is Islander, with 59.36% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Bismarck is White, with 6.22% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.28%. Among those working part-time, it was 10.31%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 19.26%.

Bismarck Poverty

rate

Rate
Poverty
High School15.28%
Less Than 9th Grade11.81%
Some College7.51%
Bachelors or Greater2.82%

Bismarck Poverty Rate by Education

rate

Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed40.91%
Male Unemployed18.54%
Female Employed4.91%
Male Employed3.18%

Bismarck Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Bismarck Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

Name
Median
Mean
Families$103,456$120,611
Households$76,014$97,414
Married Families$114,916$-999,999,999
Non Families$47,012$64,095

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Bismarck Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

49.2%

Overall Marriage Rate

51.8%

Male Marriage Rate

46.7%

Female Marriage Rate

Bismarck Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Bismarck Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Bismarck Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Bismarck Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

4,066

Number of Veterans

3,680

Male Veterans

386

Female Veterans

War
Veterans
Vietnam1,256
Second Gulf War1,132
First Gulf War1,109
Korea187
World War II50

Bismarck Veterans by War

count

Age Group
Veterans
35 to 541,141
75+1,077
65 to 74876
55 to 64767
18 to 34205

Bismarck Veterans by Age

count

Name
Veterans
% of Total
White3,7020.0731967731730465
2+ Races1870.10734787600459242
Native American820.040775733465937346
Black690.04584717607973422
Hispanic640.05186385737439222
Asian260.04553415061295972

Bismarck Veterans by Race

Bismarck Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

2.17%

Veteran Poverty Rate

22.89%

Veteran Disability Rate

Bismarck Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

65.8%

Labor Force Participation

63.6%

Employment Rate

3.1%

Unemployment Rate

Bismarck Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Bismarck Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Bismarck Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

70.52%

Born in Bismarck

95.95%

Native Born

4.05%

Foreign Born

2.31%

Non Citizen

1.74%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

95.95% of Bismarck residents were born in the United States, with 70.52% having been born in North Dakota. 2.31% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Africa.

Bismarck Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

31 Rows

Year
Population
Growth
Change
202977,7864490.58%
202877,3374490.58%
202776,8884490.59%
202676,4394490.59%
202575,9904490.59%
202475,5414490.6%
202375,0925560.75%
202274,5364540.61%
202174,0823370.46%
202073,745740.1%
201973,6712490.34%
201873,4222110.29%
201773,2116090.84%
201672,6021,1361.59%
201571,4662,4133.49%
201469,0531,8952.82%
201367,1582,3583.64%
201264,8002,0163.21%
201162,7841,1891.93%
201061,59500%
200055,5326,27612.74%
199049,2564,77110.72%
198044,4859,78228.19%
197034,7037,03325.42%
196027,6709,03048.44%
195018,6403,14420.29%
194015,4964,40639.73%
193011,0903,96855.71%
19207,1221,67930.85%
19105,4432,12464%
19003,319-74,467-95.73%

Bismarck Population by Year