North Dakota Counties by Population (2026)

2026 Pop.

20K

40K

60K

80K

100K

120K

140K

160K

180K

200K

Top 5 Most Populous Counties

North Dakota flag Cass County

206,521

North Dakota flag Burleigh County

106,353

North Dakota flag Grand Forks County

74,917

North Dakota flag Ward County

68,443

North Dakota flag Williams County

43,681

53 Counties

County
2026 Pop. ↓
Area (mi²)
Density
Change (2020)
Cass County206,5211.8K11711.7%
Burleigh County106,3531.6K657.88%
Grand Forks County74,9171.4K522.44%
Ward County68,4432K34-2.12%
Williams County43,6812.1K216.05%
Stark County35,0671.3K263.64%
Morton County34,4881.9K183.5%
Stutsman County21,5942.2K9.70.19%
Richland County16,7661.4K121.42%
McKenzie County15,7822.8K5.76.81%
Rolette County11,54490313-5.38%
Ramsey County11,4961.2K9.7-0.76%
Barnes County10,8601.5K7.30.17%
Walsh County10,0561.3K7.8-4.45%
McLean County9,8632.1K4.71.02%
Mountrail County9,5681.8K5.2-2.4%
Mercer County8,4001K8.10.62%
Traill County8,0538629.30.93%
Bottineau County6,5031.7K3.92.01%
Pembina County6,3841.1K5.7-6.48%
Benson County5,7121.4K4.1-3.84%
Ransom County5,5588626.4-2.37%
McHenry County5,1011.9K2.7-4.04%
Dickey County4,9101.1K4.3-1.01%
LaMoure County4,0171.1K3.5-1.93%
Dunn County3,9912K2.0-2.61%
Sioux County3,8211.1K3.5-1.55%
Pierce County3,7391K3.7-5.94%
Wells County3,6771.3K2.9-7.31%
Sargent County3,5428584.1-7.83%
Cavalier County3,4911.5K2.3-5.65%
Foster County3,3016345.2-2.57%
Emmons County3,1451.5K2.1-4.44%
Nelson County3,0019823.10.07%
Bowman County2,9181.2K2.5-2.11%
Renville County2,4788772.88.59%
Hettinger County2,4211.1K2.1-1.9%
McIntosh County2,4079752.5-4.33%
Kidder County2,3931.4K1.80.04%
Eddy County2,3716303.82.15%
Grant County2,2431.7K1.4-2.1%
Griggs County2,1817093.1-5.22%
Burke County2,1681.1K2.0-1.09%
Adams County2,1379882.2-2.02%
Towner County2,0811K2.0-2.71%
Divide County2,0761.3K1.6-5.85%
Oliver County1,9007222.61.71%
Logan County1,8689931.9-0.64%
Golden Valley County1,8651K1.98.49%
Steele County1,7697122.5-1.17%
Sheridan County1,2509721.3-0.95%
Billings County1,1171.1K0.9719.59%
Slope County6221.2K0.51-11.4%

Overview of North Dakota Counties

There are 53 counties in North Dakota.

Cass County is the largest county in the state, with a population of 206,521. The most recent census shows that its population has increased by 0.12% since the previous census.

A number of other North Dakota counties also boast relatively large populations for their state, though not able to match the density of Cass County:

North Dakota Counties with the Fewest Residents

The smallest county in North Dakota is Slope County, with a population of just 622. This total represents a decrease of 0.1% since the last census count was performed.

Other small counties include:

North Dakota Counties with Rapid Growth

Billings County, with its current population of 1,117, has shown the largest population growth, with an increase of 0.2% since the last census.

On the other hand, Slope County has had the largest decrease in population, with its 622 current residents totalling 0.1% less than the previous census.

Sources

  1. US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  2. US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  3. American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
  4. Census QuickFacts
  5. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)

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