| County | Rank | Change (2020) ↓ | 2026 Pop. | 2020 Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billings County | 1 | 17.2% | 1,090 | 930 |
| Cass County | 2 | 10.5% | 204,317 | 184,897 |
| Golden Valley County | 3 | 6.78% | 1,842 | 1,725 |
| Adams County | 4 | 6.2% | 2,330 | 2,194 |
| Burleigh County | 5 | 5.54% | 104,055 | 98,593 |
| McKenzie County | 6 | 5.47% | 15,586 | 14,778 |
| Morton County | 7 | 4.85% | 34,941 | 33,324 |
| Sheridan County | 8 | 4.44% | 1,318 | 1,262 |
| Williams County | 9 | 3.86% | 42,779 | 41,190 |
| Renville County | 10 | 3.8% | 2,352 | 2,266 |
| Grand Forks County | 11 | 3.04% | 75,369 | 73,142 |
| LaMoure County | 12 | 2.64% | 4,203 | 4,095 |
| Oliver County | 13 | 2.47% | 1,912 | 1,866 |
| Mercer County | 14 | 2.24% | 8,536 | 8,349 |
| Stark County | 15 | 1.48% | 34,332 | 33,831 |
| Richland County | 16 | 1.43% | 16,774 | 16,538 |
| Hettinger County | 17 | 1.41% | 2,518 | 2,483 |
| Dunn County | 18 | 1.22% | 4,143 | 4,093 |
| Kidder County | 19 | 0.46% | 2,392 | 2,381 |
| Steele County | 20 | 0.33% | 1,804 | 1,798 |
| Eddy County | 21 | 0.09% | 2,328 | 2,326 |
| Ramsey County | 22 | -0.35% | 11,534 | 11,574 |
| Nelson County | 23 | -0.47% | 2,979 | 2,993 |
| Stutsman County | 24 | -0.75% | 21,383 | 21,544 |
| McLean County | 25 | -0.88% | 9,677 | 9,763 |
| Traill County | 26 | -1.39% | 7,873 | 7,984 |
| Ransom County | 27 | -1.79% | 5,598 | 5,700 |
| Dickey County | 28 | -1.95% | 4,875 | 4,972 |
| Griggs County | 29 | -1.96% | 2,252 | 2,297 |
| Ward County | 30 | -2.35% | 68,280 | 69,920 |
| Emmons County | 31 | -2.49% | 3,213 | 3,295 |
| Bottineau County | 32 | -2.49% | 6,226 | 6,385 |
| Benson County | 33 | -2.58% | 5,787 | 5,940 |
| Logan County | 34 | -2.6% | 1,834 | 1,883 |
| Burke County | 35 | -2.78% | 2,130 | 2,191 |
| McIntosh County | 36 | -3.14% | 2,435 | 2,514 |
| Walsh County | 37 | -3.57% | 10,156 | 10,532 |
| Barnes County | 38 | -3.59% | 10,473 | 10,863 |
| Sargent County | 39 | -3.7% | 3,698 | 3,840 |
| Rolette County | 40 | -3.88% | 11,712 | 12,185 |
| Grant County | 41 | -3.89% | 2,196 | 2,285 |
| Pembina County | 42 | -4.01% | 6,553 | 6,827 |
| McHenry County | 43 | -4.29% | 5,107 | 5,336 |
| Pierce County | 44 | -4.62% | 3,797 | 3,981 |
| Divide County | 45 | -4.68% | 2,099 | 2,202 |
| Towner County | 46 | -4.84% | 2,043 | 2,147 |
| Mountrail County | 47 | -5.03% | 9,315 | 9,808 |
| Sioux County | 48 | -6.68% | 3,617 | 3,876 |
| Cavalier County | 49 | -6.74% | 3,448 | 3,697 |
| Foster County | 50 | -6.89% | 3,151 | 3,384 |
| Wells County | 51 | -7.37% | 3,671 | 3,963 |
| Bowman County | 52 | -9.72% | 2,684 | 2,973 |
| Slope County | 53 | -12.2% | 612 | 697 |
North Dakota's counties show varied growth patterns from 2020 to 2026. Billings County leads with 2.68% annualized growth, followed by Cass County (1.68%) and Golden Valley County (1.1%). The largest counties are Cass County (204,317), Burleigh County (104,055), and Grand Forks County (75,369). Of the 53 counties in North Dakota, 21 are growing while 32 have experienced population decline. Overall, counties averaged -0.14% annualized growth, with total population growing by 0.54% annually.
-0.05
-0.025
0
0.025
0.05
0.075